Funny story – I was going to make this honey balsamic chicken with chicken thighs, but they were $3.49/lb. and the boneless, skinless chicken breasts were on sale (again) for $1.99/lb… so… yeah. Chicken tenders it was!
Obviously not everyone will catch this $1.99/lb. chicken sale as often as I do, so go with whatever cut is the best deal. To make this recipe with something like chicken thighs, just brown the thighs in the skillet (just like I did with the breasts) and finish cooking them in the oven for about 20-30 minutes at 375 degrees. Prepare the sauce in the skillet in the same manner as listed below. The sauce should be enough for four medium sized chicken thighs.
This chicken is bursting with flavor from the tangy balsamic vinegar, sweet honey, and rich butter. I seasoned mine simply with salt and pepper, but if you want a more herbal flavor you could always add a pinch of dried basil or thyme.
Honey Balsamic Chicken Tenders
Honey Balsamic Chicken Tenders
Servings 4Ingredients
- 2 medium 1.5 lbs. chicken breasts ($2.99)
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar ($0.80)
- 1 clove garlic ($0.08)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided ($0.24)
- to taste salt & pepper ($0.05)
- 1 Tbsp butter ($0.10)
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar ($0.40)
- 3 Tbsp honey ($0.33)
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breasts on a diagonal into six strips each. Place the strips in a quart sized zip top bag along with 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar, one clove of garlic (minced), 1 Tbsp of olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients in the bag and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- When you’re ready to cook, heat the second tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, cook the strips until browned on both sides (about 2-3 minutes each side). You may have to do two batches. Place the cooked chicken on a clean plate.
- Turn the heat down on the skillet to medium-low and add the butter and last 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar to the skillet. Use a spoon to stir the mixture and dissolve the sticky bits off of the bottom of the skillet. Once the mixture has dissolved together, add the honey, increase the heat, and allow the sauce to simmer until thickened (about five minutes).
- Once the sauce has thickened, season to taste with salt and pepper (I just used a pinch of each). Add the chicken back to the skillet and toss to coat in the warm balsamic sauce. Serve immediately.
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Step By Step Photos
First slice the chicken into strips approximately 1 inch wide. Cut the strips on a diagonal across the chicken breast so they are a fairly uniform length and width.
Place the sliced chicken in a zip top bag along with 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar, a clove of minced garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at elast 30 minutes.
When you’re ready to cook, heat the second tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. When the oil is nice and hot, add the chicken strips. Cook until golden brown on both sides. You may have to cook in two or three batches.
The more browned your chicken is at this step, the better the color will be at the end. This first batch of strips was kind of blond…
But the next batch got nice and brown. Place the cooked chicken on a clean plate.
Your skillet will likely have a coating of sticky residue in it, which is a good thing. This is flavory goodness and will dissolve into the sauce.
After removing the cooked chicken, reduce the heat to medium-low so that the butter will not burn. Add the butter and balsamic vinegar. Stir the mixture together, allowing the butter to melt and the residue on the bottom of the skillet to dissolve into the liquid.
Once everything has dissolved off of the bottom of the skillet, stir in the honey. Increase the heat (if needed) and allow the mixture to bubble and simmer until thickened. This should happen fairly quickly – about 5 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
Add the cooked chicken back to the skillet and coat it in the honey balsamic sauce.
Serve warm and ENJOY!
So good!!! I used chicKen tenderloins and used a little more honey and balsamic.. I browned the chicken but then when I was making the sauce I let the chicken sit in there while it was thickening which made the most delicious caramelized chicken tenders
Had approximately 3 or 4 chicken breeasts already half so i doubled the balsamic which was no good. In order for th sauce to taste less balsamic i added barbecue sauce. Decent recipe but dont know if i’ll b making again
What would be good side dishes to serve with this dish?
I m not sure where you got chicken for $1.99. I usl the organic and maybe it was because your chicken was thinner that it cooked better. I had to cook the chicken a lot longer in the sauce, because although I used the timer to cook it initially, when I cut it after coating, I found it very pink. Mine was also not brown in color, it was the pale color that chicken gets when cooked.
I made this recipe for my husband and myself last night. It was delicious and very quick. I made it with Rosemary Sweet Potato Stackers and it was a nice sweet combination. I used 2 small chicken breasts so there was more sauce than I needed but it was a delicious combination and I would definitely make it again.
What can I use in place of butter ? Margarine ? I need a non dairy option
Hmm, I’m just not sure about that. The unique creamy flavor of butter and the chemical composition of it play a big role in the end flavor and texture of the sauce. I just don’t know if you can get the same effect with a non-dairy option (I haven’t experimented with a non-dairy option).
Super old comment, but for those curious: I’ve made this many times as written, but recently haven’t been tolerating dairy well. I’ve made it twice during this time. Once I used margarine, and it was ok. The other time, I used some additional olive oil. It doesn’t taste exactly the same, but it does still taste good.
Loved it! And it was so easy to make. Will definitely make this again.
This was wonderful & easy! I paired mine with the lemon butter green beans as the lady suggested ( mine were frozen) but it was all great!
I’ve been satisfied with a lot of recipes on this site, but I didn’t care for this one. The taste was a little weird. I think I was expecting it to be a little sweeter than it was. It was kind of bitter because of the vinegar probably, but I expected it to taste better. I drizzled the tenders in extra honey to add a sweeter taste and that helped.
You really have to be careful with the quality of balsamic vinegar that you use. A high quality balsamic will cost quite a bit more, but it makes a huge difference. Especially in a dish like this one where you have to cook it down to concentrate and bring out the sweetness and flavor.
Omg this is incredible. I made it just for myself with nothing else but I’d like to make this for dinner as a sort of date night thing for my fiancee… Only thing is I can’t figure what sides to pair this with other than basmati rice. Any suggestions?
I think a nice lemon butter green beans, broccoli, or asparagus would be nice (you can use that same lemon butter technique on any of those vegetables). :)
Awesome! I’ll give that a try. Thanks!
Just saw your comments on another post, never mind my previous request.
It was amazing. Taste of the sauce is divine. I guess it actually depends on the quality of the balsamicvinegar…. Oh I added some mustardpowder. ;)
This is one of the absolute best chicken recipes I have ever tried! Getting the sauce down was a bit tricky for me (I’m a beginner), so the first time I made it I ended up with a hardened black mess on the bottom of my pan, but the chicken was delicious. The second time I got it down and it has quickly become my favorite go-to chicken recipe. The flavor is incredible and the honey gives it a wonderful touch. Great on top of salads!
This is by far my least favorite Budget Bytes recipe, and I’ve made a dozen at least. Clearly lots of people love it, but I found the taste peculiar. If you want to make it, I’d suggest not making it for the first time for an important occasion or for company. Maybe test it out on a weeknight ; ) Still love the site and will keep making everything else!
Nice meal – thanks for this recipe!
I did not like it. I followed the recipe and there is an unpleasant after taste. Too acidic. Maybe next time, try with balsamic oil instead of vinegar.