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!
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.
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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.