Balsamic Chicken Breasts – Sprinkles and Sprouts

These notes are here to help make this recipe a success; they cover some but not all ingredients. For a complete ingredient list, check out the recipe card below.

Chicken breasts: The recipe uses 2 chicken breasts and cuts them into fillets. This helps them cook quickly and stay juicy. You can buy fillets at the grocery store and skip the cutting stage.
Brown sugar: This adds a caramel sweetness to the sauce that deepens the flavor of the honey and helps to balance the tang of the vinegar. I like to add it when serving this to the kids, as they prefer the sweeter sauce. Feel free to add more or less to taste or leave it out altogether. 
Chicken broth: The recipe uses a small amount of chicken broth; if you don’t have any on hand or don’t want to open a carton, you can replace it with water.
Mustard: This helps to balance the sweetness of the honey and the tang of the vinegar. You can use any mustard. I like Dijon.
Fresh rosemary: This is added at the end of cooking, but it is more than just a garnish; it imparts a delightful flavor to the chicken that dried rosemary can’t match. If you find yourself without fresh rosemary, no worries – skip it. Or replace it with some chopped parsley or oregano.

We’ve tested this recipe at least 3 times to ensure it works well for you. Have a look at our tips for getting the best dish you can!

• Pat each breast dry on both sides with kitchen paper. This helps to prevent it from sliding about the chopping board, making it easier to cut. 
• When you cut the chicken, use a sharp knife and hold it parallel to the chopping board. Then, cut through the chicken like you were opening up a book. (See pictures below.)
• Lightly coat the quarter cup with oil before measuring the honey; it will slide out easily.
• As the chicken breasts are cut into fillets, they will cook quickly. They only need 6-8 minutes in total. (Depending on the size of your chicken breasts)
• When cooking the chicken in the sauce, it can be tempting to turn up the heat, but this can cause the honey to burn, so use a steady medium heat, which will reduce the sauce and finish cooking the chicken.

These are all just suggestions and things that have worked in our test kitchen, but it is your dinner, so adapt it to suit your family. That is the beauty of cooking; we can all create our own delicious meals.

• You can swap the chicken breasts for chicken thighs. They will need 20-25 minutes to cook at medium heat.
• You can also substitute some pork chops for the chicken breasts. They should cook in the same time as the chicken breasts.
• Instead of honey, you can use maple syrup or your favorite sweetener.
• Fry some red onion with the chicken and add to the sauce.
• Add some sliced cherry tomatoes to the pan for the last minute of cooking.  
• Once cooked, add some cheese to the top of the chicken and broil for 2-3 minutes until melted.

Sides: The sweet and tang sauce is excellent for serving with some crispy potatoes and veg. Try something simple like buttered carrots and corn, or go for a classic corn on the cob for a straightforward dinner.
Or add a Greek salad and some crusty bread. 

Wine: A dry Reisling or an unoaked Chardonnay would be perfect if you pair a white wine. But this works so well with red, too! Go for a fuller-bodied red wine with a touch of sweetness to balance the tang and sweetness of the chicken, like a Shiraz or Grenache.