Simple ingredients create BIG flavors in this easy balsamic chicken recipe! Juicy, tender chicken thighs seared then baked with carrots in a simple, yet flavorful marinade – a great option for a healthy weeknight meal!

Original recipe shared on July 27, 2015 – updated September 4, 2023 with improved photos, recipe, tips and ingredient explanations.
❤️Why You’ll love these Balsamic Glazed Chicken Thighs❤️
- Low FODMAP – No onion, no garlic, no problem! This recipe is made with FODMAP friendly ingredients that the whole family can enjoy.
- Simple Ingredients – Nothing too fancy here. The balsamic marinade comes together with fairly basic ingredients with ingredient substitutions if needed.
- Delicious – Searing the chicken and reducing the balsamic glaze before baking results in a deeper, richer and more mouthwateringly delicious chicken dinner!
Balsamic Glazed Chicken Steps
- Marinate: Mix the marinade then add the chicken.
- Marinate at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
- Sear: Cook the chicken in a large skillet for about 5-7 minutes on the first side (skin side) and then a few minutes on the other side.
- This results in a better flavor and crispier skin.
- Sauté Carrots: Mix the carrots in the remaining marinade then cook in the pan for 4-5 minutes over a medium high heat to reduce the marinade.
- Bake: Add the seared chicken thighs and carrots to a large baking tray and bake for around 25-35 minutes until cooked through.
- Cook time may vary depending on the size of your thighs.
Can I skip the searing?
Yes! Just keep in mind that the skin won’t get as crispy and the marinade won’t be quite like a glaze.
Increase the cooking time to 35-40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches at least165°F (75°C).
Optional: Turn the oven temperature up as high as it will go/to a broil and cook for about 2-3 minutes at the very end. This will help crisp up the skin before serving.
Serve With: This chicken is great with a potato side like my dairy free mashed potatoes or herby boiled potatoes.
Add or Swap
- Swap: Use 1 tsp dried rosemary in place of 1 tbsp fresh.
- Add: If you don’t need this to be low FODMAP, feel free to add 3-4 cloves minced garlic to the marinade.
- Swap: Instead of rosemary, try other fresh herbs like parsley or thyme.
- Add: 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari for a saltier, umami flavor to bring down the sweetness of the maple and balsamic vinegar.
- Swap: Sweeten with honey (1tbsp) or brown sugar (2-3 tbsp) instead maple syrup. Use brown sugar (NOT honey) for a FODMAP friendly option.
Hungry for more Easy Chicken Recipes
- Cilantro Lime Marinated Chicken
- Baked Ginger Miso Chicken Thighs
- Five Spice Chicken With Carrots & Cabbage
- Peanut Cucumber Chicken Salad
- Peanut Chicken Stir Fry
- Baked Chicken Breast Recipe
- Baked Paprika & Za’atar Chicken Thighs
Enjoy
Let me know if you try these Balsamic Chicken Thighs! Leave a comment and review with your thoughts. I always appreciate the feedback and serving suggestions that you come up with!
Balsamic Glazed Chicken Thighs & Carrots
Rosemary and balsamic marinated chicken thighs, seared then baked with glazed carrots.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped + more for serving
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 6-8 chicken thighs, bone-in & skin-on (2 lbs or about 1 kg)
- 1 1/2 pound carrots, washed or peeled and cut into 3 inch sticks
Instructions
- In a large bowl or gallon size ziploc bag combine the: olive oil, vinegar, mustard, maple, rosemary, salt and pepper.
- Add the chicken thighs to the marinade and mix well until fully coated. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and or up to 24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C. Lightly grease a large roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. For easy cleanup: line with aluminium foil or baking paper. Set aside.
- Place a large skillet over a medium heat. Once hot place chicken on the pan, skin side down. Let cook without flipping, about 5-7 minutes or until golden brown. Flip over then cook another 4 minutes.
- Transfer the seared chicken to the prepared baking dish and set aside.
- Pour the remaining marinade in the now empty skillet. Cook over a medium-high heat to bring to a boil. Cook about 5-7 minutes until thickened then add the carrots. Stir and cook 2-3 minutes to coat the carrots in the balsamic glaze.
- Add the carrots to the tray with the chicken. Spread everything out into an even layer. Tuck a few more rosemary springs all around the pan then bake for about 25-30 minutes or until cooked through.
- Remove from oven and let rest 5-10 minutes then serve.
- Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge 4-5 days.
Notes
- Internal Temperature: 165°F/74°C is the minimum temperature required for food safety. Dark meat like thighs and legs are best around 195°F/90°C for a better texture and richer flavor.
- If you're leaving the chicken to marinate in the refrigerator, make sure to take it out of the fridge about 20 minutes before cooking to let it come up to room temperature.
- If you don't need this meal to be low FODMAP, you can add 4 cloves minced garlic to the marinade.
- Instead of maple syrup you can use 2 tablespoons brown sugar or 1 tablespoon honey. Don't use honey if you need this to be low FODMAP.
Jamie says
Can you use chicken breasts instead of thighs?
Sarah Nevins says
Hi Jamie! Chicken breast would absolutely work though I do recommend you bake the chicken in full – no need to sear it first. You still want to simmer the marinade down into a thicker sauce though and make sure to pour the thickened sauce over the chicken breast before baking. Also reduce the baking time to about 20 minutes (or up to 25 minutes for larger chicken breasts).
Hope this helps!
Diane says
Thank you for the recipe. The chicken turned out perfectly cooked. When I added the marinade to the skillet, it seemed there was too much oil and it never really thickened to a glaze. The next time I’m going to double up on the balsamic and the maple syrup and cut the oil by at least half. I’d just like a bit sweeter taste.
Sarah Nevins says
So thrilled to hear you’ve enjoyed it! Thank you for the feedback as well on the marinade! I always find it helpful to hear how things work/don’t work out for others and I’m sure future readers will too 🙂
Venessa Hinojosa-Wright says
What would be the nutritional info for this? Thank you! An estimate?
Sarah Nevins says
Hi Vanessa! I’ve just updated the recipe now to reflect the nutritional info – thanks for asking! You can find a bit more info in the recipe now at the bottom, but here are some of the main info for 1 serving which will be about 2 thighs: Calories: 645 Total Fat: 38g Carbohydrates: 18g Fiber: 5gSugar: 9g Protein: 63g
Sunshine says
So Delicious! Left the chicken to marinate in fridge for 24 hours…glad I did. Didn’t have enough carrots so I added green beans. Will add this to our rotation.
Sarah Nevins says
So thrilled to hear you enjoyed this! Thanks for taking the time to come back to leave a review 🙂
Tay says
What could you serve it with to make it a proper meal?
Sarah Nevins says
Hi Tay! This would go well with mashed or roasted potatoes. I also think they’d be great with a side of green beans, brussels sprouts, or asparagus (roasted, sautéed, etc).
Nellie johnson nelliejohnson932@gmail.com says
I haven’t tried them yet but they sound great
Nellie johnson
Sarah Nevins says
Thanks Nellie – I hope you enjoyed it 🙂
Janet says
This recipe is amazing. I made it for dinner and we just finished eating. It was delicious. My husband said it was a keeper. I’ll be making this at least once a week. Thank you for coming up with this low Fodmap recipe. I’ve been on the IBS low Fodmap journey for 13 months now. Thank you for making a difference in my life by giving me a simple, tasty and quick dinner recipe.
Sarah says
Thank you so much for coming back to let me know what you guys thought! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it & I’m even more glad I was able to help making low FODMAP cooking a little easier – goodness knows how tricky that can be!