This past week I finally got my new camera in the mail and was dying to put it through its paces. I needed something pretty to christen the new addition to my food photography toolbox and baby did I find it! This chicken looks like something right off the food network, yet is so simple and quick to throw together. I love the flavor combo that is presented in your typical caprese salad, and was looking for a similar flavor that I could add to chicken to evoke a spring-time mood.
I will forewarn you that this post is going to be picture-heavy, so if you aren’t into that sort of thing, feel free to scroll down to the bottom and grab the recipe.
First thing you will want to do is get the marinade prepped and started about 30 minutes before you plan on cooking (you can also do this the night before hand if you will be pressed for time).
One beautiful aspect of this recipe is that most of the ingredients will be things you already have in your cupboard, and if you don’t, they will be useful for tons of other recipes later. Using a cast iron skillet isn’t necessary either, but if you want one like mine, you can get one here: Lodge Cast Iron Skillet
You can go ahead and buy a jumbo pack of chicken thighs at CUB or Costco if you’d like, but make sure to get the boneless, skinless variety or you will be spending unnecessary time cleaning an already cheap piece of meat. Just toss the rest in a freezer bag or food-saver pack and store them for the next time you make this recipe… like the next day if you like this recipe as much as I did!
Those little chicken thighs cook nice and quick and really soak up the flavor of the marinade making it seem like this dish took a lot longer that it really did, those paired with the melty cheese and fresh sliced tomatoes are sure to be a hit with your family.
One last thing to add is that you don’t necessarily need to use fresh mozzarella for this recipe, you can use pretty much any variety mozzarella you find that isn’t part-skim as is will not melt as well.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (or about 2 tsp minced garlic in oil)
- ½ tsp cracked black pepper
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 6 slices fresh mozzarella (I got the pre-sliced pack)
- 1 Roma tomato
- 1 tsp parsley flakes
Instructions
- Combine olive oil, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and pepper in a small bowl and stir to combine. Add this mixture along with the chicken thighs to a large freezer bag ensuring even coverage, seal bag off and place in fridge to marinade for about 30 minutes.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Remove thighs from marinade and place in the pan, setting the remaining marinade aside to add later. Cook chicken through (about 5 minutes each side) While that is cooking, take this time to slice up the tomato and cheese, 6 slices each.
- Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan and place on a clean plate. Take the left-over marinade and add it to the pan and allow to boil over medium heat, stirring often until it reduces to a thick glaze.
- Reduce heat under skillet to low and add the chicken back to the pan, covering each piece with a slice of cheese and tomato. Use a spoon to drizzle some of the glaze over the top and sprinkle each piece with parsley flakes. Cover pan and allow the cheese to melt.
- Remove from heat and enjoy immediately.