Season chicken thighs in a balsamic vinegar, lemon and oregano marinade and fire up the grill! Your taste buds will be happy you barbecued our flavorful Balsamic Chicken Recipe for dinner tonight!
Grilled Balsamic Chicken
I know that summer is coming to a close, and some think it has already ended, but I am hanging onto the flavors of summer just a little bit longer.
Grilling chicken definitely gives a summer flair to dinner. Add a balsamic chicken marinade and holy moly, the flavors will be popping!
Balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and tangy lemon zest combine to elevate your grilled chicken recipe to new heights. Such simple ingredients for such a flavorful marinade!
Marinate in the refrigerator overnight, or just four hours if you’re short on time, and this recipe seasons itself.
Have I mentioned that this recipe is my favorite way to season chicken? A flavorful marinade is always a good thing and the marinade also helps to make this a tender chicken as it grills.
This easy chicken recipe is perfect for busy weeknights. Just marinate the chicken overnight and it's ready for the grill at dinnertime the next day.
This is also the perfect recipe for entertaining and impressing your guests.
Juicy, tender and bursting with flavor, boneless chicken thighs make for a memorable dining experience.
Serve with grilled vegetables with orange and mint and a tomato cucumber salad and you’re all set! Green beans and bell peppers are also delicious with this easy chicken dinner.
Love a bit of spice? Try our grilled chicken with chipotle recipe too!
And please invite me over for dinner because I just love this recipe!
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How to make marinated chicken thighs
Scroll down for the full recipe instructions and ingredient amounts in the recipe card below
- Place chicken thighs in a plastic food storage bag.
- Combine the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, oregano, lemon zest, kosher salt and pepper until blended. Pour balsamic marinade mixture over the chicken and seal the bag.
- Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Heat grill for direct heat grilling.
- Arrange chicken on the grill and discard the marinade that’s left in the bag.
- Grill the chicken, turning once, until it is cooked through and the internal temperature is 170 degrees and juices run clear. You can easily check the temperature with a meat thermometer.
- Garnish with lemon slices and fresh oregano, if desired.
Swirls of Flavor Recipe Tips
- Add red pepper flakes for a kick of heat
- Too cold to grill? Roast the chicken in the oven and then finish off under the broiler
Substitutions
- Substitute boneless chicken breasts for the boneless chicken thighs
- Substitute orange juice and orange zest for the lemon
- You can replace the fresh garlic with 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Prefer fresh oregano? Substitute 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh oregano for the dried oregano
- Substitute dried rosemary for the dried oregano and you’ll have a delicious rosemary balsamic chicken. Garnish with fresh rosemary
- substitute dried basil for the dried oregano and garnish with thinly sliced fresh basil
- White balsamic vinegar will also taste delicious in place of the balsamic vinegar
Storage
- Store leftover grilled chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
- As always, I find it helpful to visit the FDA website for food storage guidelines
Ingredients for an easy balsamic chicken recipe
- boneless skinless chicken thighs
- olive oil
- balsamic vinegar
- garlic
- lemon
- dried oregano
- kosher salt
- pepper
Easy Chicken Recipes
You can never have too many grilled chicken recipes. Here are some of my favorites on Swirls!
Fire up the grill for Grilled Chipotle Chicken And Peaches combining the sweetness of peaches with a hint of chipotle chili pepper heat. A perfect combination of spicy sweetness!
Grilled Chili Spiced Chicken With Cilantro Lime Gremolata will soon become a go-to summertime favorite with it's fresh flavors sprinkled over perfectly seasoned chicken breasts.
Grilled Pineapple Rum Glazed Chicken Breasts combines pineapple preserves and rum for a tropical glaze that will make this easy recipe a summertime favorite!
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Grilled Balsamic Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs. boneless chicken thighs
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic , minced, about 1 Tablespoon
- 2 Tbs. lemon juice
- 1 Tbs. dried oregano
- 1 Tbs. lemon zest
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
Instructions
- Place chicken thighs in plastic food storage bag.
- Combine olive oil, vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, oregano, lemon zest, kosher salt and pepper until blended. Pour over chicken and seal bag.
- Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Heat grill for direct heat grilling.
- Arrange chicken on grill and discard marinade.
- Grill chicken until chicken is cooked through to 170 degrees and juices run clear, turning once.
- Garnish with lemon slices and fresh oregano, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Your grilled chicken looks and sounds amazing! I live in Minnesota and we grill year round so I can't wait to try the recipe! Pinned!
Hi Christine, Thank you for your kind words. That's great that you grill year round, you have so many options for dinner then! Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by Swirls and pin this recipe. I truly appreciate you being here. Happy cooking and Savor the Moments, GG
Delicious! Great balance of flavors and goes with so many things! I have this on regular rotation!
The chicken was terrific! We had it with mashed potatoes and it was a blast!
My whole family loved this! Such a great meal!
Such a fantastic option for summertime grilling! I especially love all the flavors in the marinade and how easily it comes together.
Love this new to me, option for grilling chicken, something different than the traditional BBQ chicken that I typically do.
I hope you love the flavors!
Yes, this chicken will be delicious with so many side dishes!
Wow! This dish looks so delicious, and it looks so easy to make!