Lemon Balsamic Chicken with Rosemary Sauce

Lemon balsamic chicken with rosemary sauce is a healthier alternative to chicken and gravy over mashed potatoes. Serve this spicy braised chicken and dairy free sweet potato mash with a simple salad for a quick dinner!

lemon balsamic chicken with rosemary sauce and sweet potato mash on a white plate.

About the recipe

This rosemary balsamic chicken and sweet potato mash is a simple recipe perfect for a quick and healthy family dinner. It’s also fancy enough to serve your guests.

Like most of my recipes, Kerala chicken curry and pepper chicken curry, this gravy, too, doesn’t require any saturated fat like butter or cream. It is totally dairy-free.

The unique rosemary chicken sauce gets its rich flavors from balsamic vinegar, spicy dijon mustard and refreshing rosemary.

I’m always looking for ways to create or modify a recipe in line with my health goals, that is also easy and requires minimum effort, but has maximum flavor. This lemon balsamic chicken is one of the top chicken recipes on my list.

Here’s how you make it:

Marinate chicken thighs for about 30 minutes and sear them on the stovetop.

Make the rosemary chicken sauce (that requires simple ingredients and spices you might already have in your kitchen). Boil the sauce and braise the chicken with it.

lemon balsamic chicken with rosemary sauce in a pan.

Make sweet potato mash by boiling sweet potatoes and mashing them with salt, pepper and olive oil. Serve topped with chicken and rosemary sauce!

This is one of the easiest and most delicious chicken recipes you’ll find on the blog!

How to make lemon balsamic chicken

(You can find the exact measurements and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this page.)

1. Marinate chicken thighs

I prefer bone-in chicken thighs for this recipe, since they are more flavorful. The bones add to the flavor, as in honey garlic lemon pepper chicken thighs.

Marinate chicken with chilli powder, paprika, salt and lemon juice. Lemon juice helps tenderize the chicken.

Make a few slashes across the flesh with a knife or pierce with a fork. This will allow more of the marinade to seep into the chicken, making it moist and juicy.

Let the chicken marinate for about 30 minutes. If possible, marinate longer or even overnight in the refrigerator.

2. Make rosemary chicken sauce

Sauce ingredients

  • Balsamic vinegar: Sweet and tangy, this is what makes the sauce so good!
  • dijon mustard: another important ingredient that gives creamy consistency and spicy tangy flavor.
  • rosemary stalks: the main herb that helps brighten up the flavor of chicken.
  • chilli powder
  • paprika
  • salt
  • ground cumin
  • onion powder: you can also use dried onion flakes.
  • garlic powder: minced garlic can also be used.
  • brown sugar: can be replaced with honey or white sugar.

Whisk all the ingredients except rosemary in a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup of water. Keep aside.

3. Brown the chicken

Heat oil in a pan and sear the marinated chicken until browned. Flip and brown the other side. Sear in batches, so you don’t overcrowd the pan.

4. Braise the chicken

Remove the chicken and add the sauce to the same pan. Scrape out any bits of chicken stuck to the bottom of the pan. Bring it to a boil.

Add the seared chicken pieces and rosemary stalks. Baste the chicken with the sauce. Cook covered for about 15 to 20 minutes on medium-low flame until the chicken is cooked through.

Lemon balsamic chicken with rosemary sauce is ready to be served!

Dairy free mashed sweet potatoes

Ingredients

Ingredients for dairy free mashed sweet potatoes.
  • Sweet potatoes
  • oilve oil
  • salt
  • pepper

How to make sweet potato mash

Boil the sweet potatoes. I prefer to boil them whole with skin, since it helps preserve the nutrients. Pressure cook in the instant pot on high pressure for 10 minutes and wait for the pressure to release naturally.

You can also use a traditional pressure cooker (5 whistles) or peel, cube and boil them in a pot on stovetop.

Peel and roughly chop the boiled sweet potatoes. Mash them with oil, salt and pepper until smooth. Serve on individual plates as a base for chicken and gravy.

Serve the chicken with rosemary sauce on the mashed sweet potatoes. Enjoy!

lemon balsamic chicken and sweet potato mash on a white plate.

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Recipe tips

To save time, boil the sweet potatoes and prepare the sauce when the chicken is marinating.

For more citrus flavor, add a teaspoon of lemon zest to the sauce.

You can also use chicken breasts for this recipe.

Alternatively, you can also bake them using this recipe for baked thin sliced chicken breasts. Make the balsamic rosemary sauce and serve with the chicken breasts.

What to serve with spicy balsamic chicken and sweet potato mash

Looking for more?

rosemary added to simmering chicken thighs with rosemary sauce.

Lemon Balsamic Chicken with Rosemary Sauce

Lemon balsamic chicken with rosemary sauce is a healthier alternative to chicken and gravy over mashed potatoes. Serve this spicy braised chicken and dairy free sweet potato mash with a simple salad for a quick dinner!
Author: Sheeba
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
marinating time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine International
Servings 5
Calories 373 kcal

Ingredients
  

Balsamic sauce

Sweet potato mash

  • 3 medium sweet potatoes
  • salt and pepper 1/2 teaspoon each or as required

STEP BY STEP IMAGES

Scroll back to find detailed recipe photos!

Instructions
 

Marinate the chicken thighs

  • Marinate the chicken thighs with lemon juice, ½ teaspoon each of chilli powder, paprika and salt. Mix well and pierce with a fork or make slashes across the flesh with a knife.
    Refrigerate for 30 minutes (or overnight, if time permits).

Prepare the sauce

  • Whisk all the ingredients for the balsamic sauce, except rosemary, in a small bowl.

Sear the chicken

  • Divide the chicken thighs into 2 or 3 batches, depending on the size of your pan. Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and sear one batch of chicken on medium-high heat until browned on both sides.
    Remove the chicken, heat another teaspoon of oil and repeat until you sear all the chicken. Remove the chicken from the pan and keep aside.

Braise the chicken

  • Deglaze the pan by adding the balsamic sauce. Scrape out any bits of chicken stuck to the bottom of the pan and bring the sauce to a boil.
    Reduce the flame and add chicken thighs and rosemary stalks. Baste the chicken with the sauce. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
    Spicy lemon balsamic chicken is ready to be served!

Make sweet potato mash

  • Boil sweet potatoes. I prefer to boil them whole using the instant pot. Pressure cook for 15 minutes and allow the pressure to release naturally. The cooking time will depend on the size of sweet potatoes.
    Feel free to use your preferred method- instant pot/pressure cooker/stovetop.
  • Peel, chop and mash the sweet potatoes. Add the remaining olive oil, salt and pepper and mix until smooth.
  • Serve mashed sweet potatoes on individual plates, topped with chicken and rosemary sauce.

Video

Notes

  • Save time by boiling the sweet potatoes and preparing the sauce when the chicken is marinating.
  • For more citrus flavor, add a teaspoon of lemon zest to the sauce.
  • You can also use chicken breasts for this recipe. Another option is to bake them using the recipe for baked thin sliced chicken breasts. Make the balsamic rosemary sauce and serve with the chicken breasts.
  • The cooking time is based on the assumption that you cook sweet potatoes and make the sauce while the chicken is marinating.
Lemon Balsamic Chicken with Rosemary Sauce

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Author profile photo

Hi! I’m Sheeba, welcome to Go Healthy ever after!

I have a passion for cooking delicious nourishing food that’s easy to cook with fresh natural ingredients free from additives or preservatives. The easy healthy recipes you find here will inspire you to cook with creativity.

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