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One Pan Balsamic Chicken

One pan balsamic chicken with golden, crispy skin and a deep caramelized balsamic glaze. Chicken thighs simmer in a glossy skillet sauce with blistered cherry tomatoes and whole garlic for an Italian chicken skillet weeknight dinner.
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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: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken thighs
  • 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs Season both sides generously.
Seasonings
  • Salt To taste; season chicken.
  • pepper To taste; season chicken.
  • garlic powder To taste; season chicken.
  • Italian seasoning To taste; season chicken.
Skillet and aromatics
  • 2 tbsp olive oil For searing.
  • 6 cloves garlic Use whole cloves.
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes Let blister in the skillet.
Balsamic glaze
  • 0.33 cup balsamic vinegar Makes the caramelized reduction.
  • 2 tbsp honey Balances tanginess.
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth Helps deglaze and create the sauce.
  • 2 tbsp butter Stir in at the end for a glossy finish.
Garnish
  • Fresh basil Scatter over the top before serving.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season and sear the chicken
  1. Season bone-in skin-on chicken thighs generously on both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.
  2. 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; flip and sear 3 more minutes; remove.
Build the balsamic glaze
  1. Add whole garlic cloves and cherry tomatoes to the skillet and cook 2 minutes until tomatoes begin to blister.
  2. Pour in balsamic vinegar, honey, and chicken broth, then stir and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits.
  3. 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.
Finish and serve
  1. Stir in butter until melted, then scatter fresh basil over the top and serve straight from the skillet.

Notes

For the best deep caramel color, don’t move the chicken while searing—let the skin get truly crisp before flipping. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended due to the texture of the tomatoes. For a lower-sugar swap, replace honey with an equal amount of a sugar-free honey substitute if your brand measures 1:1.