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!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 8 pieces bone-in, skin-on chicken (legs and thighs)
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 lemons , zested, 1 juiced, and the other cut into wedges
- 2 teaspoons coarse salt
- 2 teaspoons ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (such as canola or vegetable)
- 4 tablespoons 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 degrees F.
- Heat the oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, about 2 minutes. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter, and place 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 each piece over and cook 1 minute more.
- Sprinkle the lemon sugar over the chicken and transfer skillet to 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 - careful! handle will be hot! - Cut remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into small pieces and scatter around chicken. Pour lemon juice over everything. Once butter is melted, serve with pan sauce drizzled over the chicken and lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
Using Boneless Chicken Thighs or Breasts. Bone-in chicken thighs and/or legs with the skin on will give you the best results for this recipe – they roast up tender and juicy, with the most flavor, and fantastic crispy skin. However, 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
Serving: 2thighs · Calories: 644kcal · Carbohydrates: 14g · Protein: 38g · Fat: 49g · Saturated Fat: 17g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g · Monounsaturated Fat: 19g · Trans Fat: 1g · Cholesterol: 252mg · Sodium: 1041mg · Potassium: 564mg · Fiber: 2g · Sugar: 9g · Vitamin A: 543IU · Vitamin C: 29mg · Calcium: 43mg · Iron: 2mg