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One Pan Balsamic Chicken

One pan balsamic chicken with deep caramelized balsamic glaze—skin-on thighs seared until deeply golden and finished in a glossy skillet reduction with blistered cherry tomatoes. Easy balsamic chicken that turns browned bits into a thick glaze around juicy chicken.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 610
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and seasonings
  • 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
  • 0.5 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.25 tsp pepper to taste
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder to taste
  • 0.5 tsp Italian seasoning to taste
Skillet ingredients
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 6 clove garlic whole
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 fresh basil for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season the chicken
  1. Season chicken thighs generously on both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.
Sear and finish
  1. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and sear chicken skin-side down for 7-8 minutes until skin is deeply golden and crispy.
  2. Flip the chicken and sear for 3 minutes more, then remove from the skillet.
  3. Add whole garlic cloves and cherry tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes until tomatoes begin to blister.
  4. Pour in balsamic vinegar, honey, and chicken broth, stir, and bring to a boil while scraping up any browned bits.
  5. Return chicken skin-side up and cook over medium heat for 12-15 minutes until chicken reaches 165°F and the balsamic sauce reduces to a thick glaze.
  6. Stir in butter until melted, scatter fresh basil over the top, and serve straight from the skillet.

Notes

For the deepest caramelized glaze, keep the sauce at a steady boil while scraping up browned bits, then reduce until it coats the back of a spoon. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of broth to loosen the glaze. Freezing is not recommended for the tomatoes and balsamic texture. For a lighter option, use olive oil instead of butter at the end and skip butter-free or plant-based butter for garnish, keeping the glaze step the same.