Gentle Chicken Breasts Baked with Vegetables in Balsamic-honey Marinade

1.8K

Chicken breasts are the most problematic and difficult to prepare part of the chicken. You can easily dry them out and make tough and tasteless. The interesting thing is many people think that’s how it should be. The white meat, they say, that’s what it supposed to be like.

No.

Properly cooked chicken breasts should be gentle whatever you’re doing – frying or baking them. Unfortunately, it’s not enough just to know, you’ll need a kitchen thermometer in order to measure the temperature inside the meat and take out of the oven in time.

Actually, that’s easy, just remember the number 74. When the temperature is exactly 74 degrees, the chicken breasts are completely done and at the same time are still gentle and juicy.

If you haven’t got the thermometer, don’t give up either. Firstly, you can be guided by time: 25 minutes at 205 degrees in the oven for small breasts, 30 minutes for medium-sized, 35 minutes for big ones at the same temperature.

Secondly, when time passes, carefully poke the meat with a toothpick. If it moves easily, and the juice from the hole is transparent white, that means the breasts are most likely done.

So, well, let’s try to apply what you’ve learned in practice?

What You Need to Cook Gentle Chicken Breasts Baked with Vegetables in Balsamic-honey Marinade

INGREDIENTS:

Chicken and vegetables:

• 2 chicken breasts (500 g)
• 400 g potatoes
• 150 g cherry tomatoes
• Lemon zest
• Salt, pepper, olive oil

For marinade:

• 50 ml of balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 0.5 tsp dry oregano
• 0.5 tsp dry basil
• Salt, pepper

EQUIPMENT:

• Kitchen thermometer

How to Make Gentle Chicken Breasts Baked With Vegetables In Balsamic-honey Marinade: Step-by-Step Instructions🔪

STEP 1. HEAT THE OVEN UP TO 205 DEGREES. COOK THE MARINADE FOR CHICKEN.

Firstly, heat up the oven. Sure, only if you’re planning to cook right away.
Mix in saucer 50 ml of balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp of honey, 1 tbsp of mustard. Finely chop 2 cloves of garlic or use a garlic press and add to the saucer. Then add 0.5 tsp of dry oregano and basil, also salt and pepper to taste.

You can also mix balsamic vinegar with wine one in the proportion 1:1. That is, you need to take 0.25 ml of each.
Finely mix everything, until honey melts.

This amount of marinade is certainly good for 4 breasts, or even for 6 small ones.

---

STEP 2. MARINATE THE CHICKEN

We’ll do it in the bag. It’s more convenient, you don’t need to use any plate and wash it after. And the main thing is that the marinade evenly spreads on the meat, and you hardly need to stir it at all.

You can use a regular plastic bag or a zip-lock. Of course, we’re using only new ones. Place the bag into a big bowl, in order not to spill anything. Place the breasts (500 g)  there and pour the marinade inside.

The next thing you need to do is to let out the air and tie the bag up.

Leave for 30 minutes.

You can marinate the meat beforehand and leave in the fridge for up to 24 hours. The taste would be only better.

---

STEP 3. PREPARE THE VEGETABLES AND SPREAD ON THE BAKING SHEET

Cut the cherry tomatoes (150 g)  in half, potatoes (400 g) cut by quarters, or into 1 cm slices.

Cover the baking sheet with parchment and add a bit of oil. Place the mixed tomatoes and potatoes in one layer.

Add a good pinch of salt and pepper and sprinkle with olive oil. Place the marinated breasts on top and put them into the oven.

---

STEP 4. BAKE FOR 25-30 MINUTES.

Bake for 25-35 minutes and check the temperature inside with a thermometer. Do it in the way so that a sharp tip is in the middle of the thickest part. Cook until there would be 74-75 degrees. If you don’t have a thermometer, orient on the time and tooth stick.

After the chicken is ready, take off the baking sheet, put the chicken on the separate plate, and leave in the warm place. Check if the potatoes are ready. If no – put to the oven for another 5-10 minutes until golden.

Serve the breasts on the potatoes and cherry tomatoes.

Additionally, for an interesting citrus flavor, you can grate some lemon zest on top.