Rachael Ray's Balsamic-Glazed Chicken Is the Perfect Summer Dinner Dish
Balsamic is one of those flavors that you either love or hate. It's tart, tangy, and sweet, but when used to culinary perfection, it's quite a treat. If you're in a weeknight cooking rut and looking for a new recipe that you can whip together in minutes without a huge mess, you have to try Rachael Ray's balsamic-glazed chicken. This popular recipe includes lightly pan-fried chicken topped with a balsamic glaze and a fresh, crunchy slaw made up of fennel and celery. It's the perfect dish for warm Summer days since it's light and fresh, and it also takes less than a hour to make. See the full recipe with instructions ahead. Happy cooking!
Rachael Ray's Balsamic-Glazed Chicken With Fennel & Celery Slaw
INGREDIENTS
- For the slaw:
- 1 bulb fennel, trimmed and very thinly sliced with a sharp knife or mandolin
- 3-4 stalks celery with leafy tops, very thinly sliced on angle with tops coarsely chopped
- 1 small or ½ medium red onion, very thinly sliced
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
- Salt and pepper
- For the chicken:
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- Salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced or crushed and chopped
- ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons pourable or regular light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 rounded tablespoon grainy Dijon mustard
- 2 cups arugula leaves
- Handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley tops, coarsely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large bowl, toss the fennel, celery, onion, lemon juice, and olive oil together. Season with salt and pepper, then leave the slaw to marinate while you prepare the chicken.
Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add two tablespoons of olive oil and spread twice around the skillet.
Add the chicken. Cook until browned and cooked through, which is usually three to four minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
Reduce heat a bit and add the remaining one tablespoon of olive oil, turning it in the skillet once. Add the garlic and stir until aromatic, which takes about one minute. Add the vinegar, sugar, rosemary, and Worcestershire and cook, stirring often, until it's reduced and thickened a bit — which takes about one minute. Stir in the mustard.
Add the chicken and turn until coated. Cook until heated through, which takes about one more minute.
Mix the arugula and parsley into the slaw. Serve the chicken whole or sliced alongside the slaw.