Balsamic Chicken Marinade

Photo from Carlsbad Cravings

Getting back to “normal” after six months of medical ups and downs has been…an adventure, to say the least. Somewhere along the way, I realized just how much I missed being in the kitchen. Not just the cooking itself, but the rhythm of it—planning out meals for the week, knowing what’s for lunch and dinner, and feeling just a little more put together because of it.

Now, you’d think working from home would make lunches easy. And sure, it does…if you’re perfectly content eating sandwiches on repeat. I am not. I’ve officially hit my sandwich limit.

So I went back to what worked for me when I was at my healthiest: Sunday meal prep. Because let’s be honest—if it’s already made, there are zero excuses.

This week, I kept things simple with a marinated grilled chicken to pair with salads for a few days. I let the chicken soak up all that goodness for about two hours before throwing it on the grill, and the result? Juicy, flavorful, and exactly what I needed to get back into the groove.

Of course, I had to sneak a taste while slicing it up (quality control is very important). The marinade is nicely balanced with a bright, herby flavor—though I’ll probably dial back the oregano next time. But that’s the beauty of recipes like this…they’re easy to tweak and make your own.

This is definitely going into the regular rotation—especially as an easy, ready-to-go protein for salads during the week. Simple, satisfying, and a solid step back toward feeling like myself again.

Balsamic Chicken Marinade

Recipe from Carlsbad Cravings

Serves 4

• 1 pound chicken breasts pounded to an even thickness
• 3 T extra virgin olive oil
• 3 T balsamic vinegar
• 2 T honey
• 1 T lemon juice
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp EACH dried oregano, dried basil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a freezer bag or glass bowl. Add chicken and turn to coat. Marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate up to 12 hours (the longer the better).

When ready to cook, remove chicken from the refrigerator and let rest 15-30 minutes before cooking.

Preheat grill to 400 degrees, clean and grease grates.

Grill chicken undisturbed for 5-7 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.