Balsamic Chicken and Brussels Sprouts

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Dinner just got a whole lot better with this sheet pan balsamic chicken. Juicy chicken thighs are marinated in a savory-sweet balsamic sauce, then beautifully roasted with Brussels sprouts and red onions. It’s easy, healthy, and oh, so delicious.

Balsamic chicken and Brussels sprouts on a sheet pan
Photo: Gayle McLeod

Let’s cut to the chase — sheet pan recipes are brilliant. They’re easy to prep, are pretty hands-off once they go into the oven, and create a balanced healthy dinner. It’s no wonder why everyone raves about my Greek sheet pan chicken. So, I’m back with another sheet pan chicken recipe with a wintery twist – balsamic chicken!

I love anything with a balsamic glaze, but these chicken thighs are next level delicious when brushed with that sticky sweet glaze. To round out the sheet pan meal, the balsamic chicken pairs beautifully with roasted Brussels sprouts and sliced red onion. It’s a simple dish, yet packed with flavor. Plus, you’ve gotta love how the glaze from the chicken seeps into the veggies too – so yum!

Ingredients for balsamic chicken and veggies on a table

Balsamic Chicken Ingredients

Good news — the ingredients are very minimal. Here’s what you need: 

  • Chicken Thighs: Make sure to grab bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs! They stay extra juicy and moist when roasted. Plus, the skin gets all golden and crispy — the best part of the meal I’d say!
  • Vegetables: This sheet pan is loaded with Brussels sprouts and red onion. But feel free to use other cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli or cauliflower if you’re not a fan of sprouts.
  • Balsamic Marinade: This is basically an elevated version of my balsamic glaze — including balsamic vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, fresh garlic, salt, and pepper. 

Find the printable recipe with measurements below

How to Make Balsamic Sheet Pan Chicken

Make the balsamic marinade and marinate the chicken. Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, garlic, salt, and pepper. Place the chicken thighs in a large glass bowl and pour the marinade on top. Let this marinate in the fridge for at least 1 to 2 hours.

Marinating chicken thighs with balsamic marinade

Prep the veggies on the sheet pan. Toss the Brussels sprouts and sliced onions with olive oil, salt, and pepper on a sheet pan. I like to just use my hands to give the veggies a quick toss!

Roasting veggies on a sheet pan for balsamic chicken

Add the chicken and bake! Remove the chicken from the marinade and place it on the sheet pan, nestling it between the vegetables. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 30 to 40 minutes. 

Prepping balsamic chicken sheet pan dinner

Brush the balsamic glaze on the chicken. While the chicken is baking, simmer the remaining marinade in a small saucepan over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes. It will slowly thicken up! Then open the oven and brush the balsamic glaze on each chicken thigh (repeat this one more time before the 30 minutes is up). 

Adding balsamic glaze to a sheet pan chicken dinner

Helpful tip: Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the chicken is cooked to 170°F (77°C). Chicken thighs become more tender when cooked to a slightly higher temperature than chicken breasts.

A sheet pan filled with balsamic chicken

Storage Tips

Sheet pan recipes are a weeknight dinner savior. And I have a feeling you’ll be making this balsamic chicken often! When you do, here’s how you can store it in the fridge or freezer.

  • To eat it throughout the week: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. 
  • To freeze for later: Pack everything into freezer-safe containers, which can be stored for up to 3 months. Just don’t forget to thaw it in the fridge overnight when you’re ready to eat it. 

More Weeknight Chicken Recipes

From chicken breast to chicken thighs, here are a few of my favorite chicken recipes!

I hope you love this balsamic chicken recipe! Give it a try and let me know your thoughts in the comment box below. Your review helps others in the community!

Balsamic sheet pan chicken dinner

Balsamic Chicken with Brussels Sprouts

5 from 62 votes
Prep: 2 hours
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

This balsamic chicken recipe couldn't be any easier! Just nestle chicken thighs with Brussels sprouts and red onions, then coat in a balsamic glaze. Watch the video below to see how I make it in my kitchen!

Video

Ingredients 
 

  • ½ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
  • 6 chicken thighs
  • 1 pound Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed off and sliced in half
  • 1 red onion, sliced into wedges

Instructions 

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, maple syrup, garlic, salt, and pepper.
    Balsamic chicken marinade in a bowl
  • Place the chicken thighs in a large glass bowl or plastic bag and pour the marinade on top. Marinate in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours.
    Mixing chicken thighs with balsamic marinade
  • Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Place the Brussels sprouts and onion on a sheet pan. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Use your hands to mix everything together on the sheet pan.
    A sheet pan of veggies for roasting
  • Remove the chicken from the marinade and place it on the sheet pan, nestling it between the vegetables. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
    A sheet pan filled with balsamic chicken, Brussels sprouts, and onions
  • While the chicken is baking, pour the remaining marinade into a small saucepan on medium-low heat. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or until the sauce is reduced and thickened. Open the oven, brush the glaze on the chicken and continue baking. Repeat this one more time while the chicken is baking. Note: the glaze will continue to thicken while it cools, so it will be much thicker on the second application.
    Cooking a sheet pan of balsamic chicken
  • Use an instant read thermometer to ensure the chicken is cooked through to 165°F (74°C), then serve.
    Sheet pan balsamic chicken and Brussels sprouts dinner

Nutrition

Calories: 478kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 331mg | Potassium: 663mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 684IU | Vitamin C: 66mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 2mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: balsamic chicken, balsamic chicken recipe, roasted balsamic chicken, sheet pan balsamic chicken
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

Recipe originally posted October 2016, but updated with new photos and information for your benefit!

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

5 from 62 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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160 Comments

  1. Hi, this recipe seems to be delicious, however, my husband doesn’t like brussell sprouts. What other vegetable can I use to substitute the Brussels sprouts? Thank you. Nadia

    1. Hi Linda – this recipe is best with chicken thighs, as the chicken cutlets or breasts would cook much faster than the Brussels sprouts.

  2. Can I use honey instead of maple syrup? If not, do you have any recommendations for a maple syrup substitute?

  3. This looks delicious but I was just wondering can you use boneless, skinless, chicken breasts?5 stars

  4. This sheet pan recipe looks delicious!

    I much prefer to eat chicken breasts instead of thighs. Will this recipe work with breasts?

    1. Hi Rebecca – Yes, you can use breasts, but make sure to check my baked chicken breasts recipe for proper cooking time.

  5. This was great! The kids asked for extra sauce and I too was disappointed I didn’t have a jug of it. I used a fig balsamic and held the maple syrup. Turned out great. Thanks5 stars

  6. Wow, this was delicious! it was so easy to prepare that I encouraged my 9-year-old daughter to help me prep it. She did everything from mixing the ingredients to placing them in the sheet pan (I took care of the oven piece). We are so proud of the outcome. It looks beautiful and tastes even better. We want more one tray sheet dinner recipes please!5 stars

    1. Hi Adria – I love how you made this with your daughter! And yes, I’ll keep in mind to create more sheet pan dinners :)

  7. Super easy and so delicious!! I made it for Christmas Eve and it was a huge hit. It is definitely going into the dinner rotation.5 stars

      1. No comment but a question about baking versus grilling. I was going to grill the chicken and roast the sprouts with carrots. Make xx marinade to use has the chicken grills.

  8. I definitely want to try this.. maybe for Valentine’s Looks like I can manage a recipe like this without totally messing it up. lol Looks delicious!

  9. I made this for my wife and I last week. Wasn’t sure how it would go but we tore it up!!
    I actually made a double batch of the marinade but I think I should have made a triple batch!
    Great recipe!5 stars

    1. Hi Dave – Happy to hear this chicken recipe was a hit! It’s always a good idea to make an extra batch for meal prep.

  10. When you say “pour the remaining marinade into a small saucepan on medium-low heat”, what remaining marinade? Was I not supposed to use it all to marinate the chicken? I would not use the marinade that the raw chicken was in for over an hour on anything. Instead, I made more marinade (1/2 the marinade). The recipe was pretty good, the Brussels sprouts were not crispy, but soft, which was still good. My husband liked it but shared the same concern about the marinade.

    1. Hi Donna – there should be some marinade left over after marinating. Boiling it will kill off any bacteria and can be re-used at the end, but making a separate batch is fine as well!

    1. You can use chicken breast, but keep in mind they need less time to cook. I would add them to the sheet pan a bit later since the Brussels sprouts need a longer cooking time.

  11. Perfect simple weeknight dinner solution! I had some veggie odds and ends that needed using up and this worked great. I added some diced sweet potato and asparagus and some rosemary and thyme sprigs from my garden. I saved a little bit of the marinade before adding the chicken to drizzle over everything at the end and served it all over some brown rice. I love a versatile recipe that can accommodate everyone’s different preferences all in one pan! This one is staying in the rotation!5 stars

  12. Hi Lisa:

    Looking forward to making this! I just want to be clear. I am using the leftover marinade from the raw chicken to heat in the saucepan?

      1. I came here with same concern as Sonya ( I’m a health department retiree.) Everybody seems thrilled with this method, so I will follow as written. Very, very happy with your recipes. Thank you!

  13. It was delicious! Thanks Lisa for a wonderful recipe. I have one question. Is it okay to use EVOO when roasting at 425F? I heard the smoke point of EVOO is lower than 425F and wonder it is okay.5 stars

  14. Fabulous meal♡♡♡ The maple syrup added that perfect sweetness to the marinade. Love all your recipes.5 stars

  15. Ok Lisa!  This is so, so amazing!!  My husband wants me to start a cooking school!  🤣. He loves my cooking.  We’ve been watching the Le Pitchoune series on Netflix and my husband said, really…you do this all the time.  Anyway, you’re the best!  It would be really fun to meet you.  I’m in Dana Point, CA and absolutely love your recipes and videos. I’ve taught so many different things, public educator as career, but also ballet instructor, gymnastics coach, snow skiing instructor… my calling for the “food network” a day late and dollar short.    As an active 72, I’m sad life has gone by so fast for me to perhaps enjoy my passion as a career.  Keep up the good work!!!5 stars

  16. This is one of those dinners that perfectly balances being easy with being delicious and is on repeat in my household. Thank you!5 stars

  17. Delicious! This dish was great and so easy to clean up! The kids weren’t sure on the flavor so dipped their chicken in ranch, the hubby and I loved it! Great leftover as well! Thanks!5 stars

  18. Thank you so much Lisa for this wonderful recipe. This has become one of our favourites, along with your 6 marinades recipes!!5 stars

  19. I made it with half the serving (marinade and chicken) and full serving of the veges. It was so easy yet looked and tasted as if I had spent far more time. Great balance of flavours with the acidic and sweet. The marinade was enough to dab on the brussels sprouts yet it came out crispy on top. I might add carrots on the tray for even more veges next time! Thanks for another great recipe. 5 stars

  20. I made this 2 weeks ago and again Sunday and it’s my family’s new favorite meal! We love the Brussel sprouts. It was easy to make and flavorful! I was happy to be using chicken thighs to help keep cost down a little. The second time I added sweet potatoes to the pan and the flavors blend perfectly!5 stars

  21. Made this balsamic pan chicken dish yesterday and my entire house smelled wonderful. My husband gave this a thumbs up! I substituted broccoli for the brussels sprouts. That is what I had on hand. Delish!!! The recipe is definitely a keeper.5 stars

  22. I’ve never been a big fan of Brussels sprouts until I had them at a German restaurant where they were roasted, then drizzled with a balsamic reduction. When I saw this recipe, I just had to try it and soooo glad I did. It was delicious and husband said he has a new favorite meal. Make sure to watch the bake time, I went a smidge too long and burnt about 1/2 the onions (I’m still crying). 5 stars

    1. Glad you finally got to try this recipe, and hope it reminded you of the time you had them at that German restaurant :)

  23. I made this recipe last week.  Yum-O.  I did cut everything in half because there are two of us. I still had enough to take to work for lunch.  Definitely a winner, easy and delicious.5 stars