Balsamic Lemon Chicken

pan fried chicken leg with glaze on plate

5 from 29

Balsamic Lemon Chicken

This Balsamic Lemon Chicken recipe is an easy and ultra-flavorful chicken dish, with sweet, tart, crispy lemon sugar skin, and buttery pan juices engulfing every nook and cranny!

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Marinating20

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: balsamic lemon chicken, lemon chicken, lemon chicken recipe

Servings:

Ingredients

8 pieces bone-in, skin-on chicken legs and thighs
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 lemons zested, 1 juiced, and the other cut into wedges
2 tsp coarse salt
2 tsp ground pepper
2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp neutral oil such as canola or vegetable
4 tbsp unsalted butter divided

Instructions

Prick the chicken pieces all over with a fork and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the balsamic vinegar with half of the lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
Mix the sugar with the remaining lemon zest in a small bowl and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Heat the oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, about 2 minutes. Melt 2 tbsp of the butter, and place the chicken skin-side-down in the pan along with the remaining marinade. Cook until the chicken is browned on one side, 3 to 4 minutes, and then flip over and cook 1 minute more.
Sprinkle the lemon sugar over the chicken and transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast until chicken is completely cooked through and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F, about 25 minutes.
Remove chicken from oven—be careful! The handle will be hot! Cut the remaining 2 tbsp of butter into small pieces and scatter around the chicken. Pour lemon juice over everything. Once butter is melted, serve with pan sauce drizzled over the chicken and lemon wedges on the side.

Video

Notes

Bone-in chicken thighs and/or legs with the skin on will give you the best results. They roast up tender and juicy, with the most flavor, and fantastic crispy skin. This recipe will work with boneless thighs or boneless chicken breast. You will need to adjust the cooking time, however, since bone-in thighs take longer to cook.
Don't Skip the Sugar. Technically, you can skip the sugar, BUT don't do it. It's really one of the things that makes this chicken recipe so special. The skin ends up crispy, with a perfect balance of sweet flavor from the sugar and tartness from the lemon zest. And the smooth, buttery pan juices engulf every nook and cranny, keeping the meat moist.

Nutrition