Balsamic Red Onion and Tomato Chicken


A dinner that has a cooked-all-day flavor doesn't have to take all day to cook. What?! How do you do that? Balsamic Red Onion and Tomato Chicken is full of rich caramelized onion and balsamic vinegar flavor and tastes like it was simmering all day long. In reality, in less than a half an hour, dinner will be on the table.

Thin cut chicken breasts are seasoned and sauteed until golden brown in a large saute pan. The same pan is used to caramelize the onions and prepare the balsamic vinegar and tomato based sauce that tops the chicken. Both tomato paste and chopped fresh tomatoes added a double dose of tomatoey flavor to the sauce.

With sides of wild rice and steamed broccoli, this dinner will please your family as well as the unexpected company that stops by on a Saturday night. And be sure to make plenty because the leftovers taste even better the next day. The sauce can be also served as an appetizer. Top toasted thin slices of a baguette with a spoonful of the sauce and a crumble of feta or goat cheese and serve.

Balsamic Red Onion and Tomato Chicken

serves about 4 - 5

4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, sliced lengthwise into thin cutlets
Montreal Chicken Seasoning or other multi-purpose chicken seasoning
olive oil
2 cups red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped tomato
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper to taste

Season chicken with Montreal Chicken seasoning. Heat a large saute pan to medium high that has been drizzled with oil. Saute chicken in batches until golden brown. Place chicken on a platter and cover with foil. Set aside.

In the same pan, add a little oil if necessary and the onions. Saute for about 10 - 12 minutes or until wilted and beginning to caramelize and brown. Add the chopped tomatoes and saute for about 2 - 3 minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and reduce for a minute, scraping up all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the tomato paste, chicken stock, and brown sugar. Add the butter and stir sauce until the butter has melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle the sauce over chicken and serve.


28 comments:

kat said...

Yummy! especially with a side of wild rice

Jeff said...

onions and balsamic vinegar are an awesome side dish. I normally pour them over lamb chops or steak and toss in a couple mushrooms. I like the idea of tomatoes too.

Sophie said...

You had me at caramelized onions! This sounds fantastic and I do like that it has that all-day-cooked flavor without the all-day time :).

Creative Classroom Core said...

You make some of the most tasty sounding and creative chicken dishes! Yum!

AJM said...

I love balsamic. I adore caramelized onions. I have some chicken tenders in the fridge, maybe I'll do a variation of this over pasta for dinner tonight:)

Patsyk said...

I love all of those flavors together, what a fantastic dish!

Emily said...

Everything in this dish is calling my name! Looks like a keeper! Delish!

Maria said...

Balsamic makes everything better!

Annie said...

Anything caramelized is for me!!

R3 Method Show said...

Mouth watering, and I am not even hungry!

teresa said...

Oh I bet all the flavors in this chicken are to die for! This looks wonderful!

lisa is cooking said...

Sounds great with the balsamic. It's such a bonus to get so much flavor in a short amount of time!

Colleen said...

This looks great! Although I must be doing something wrong because it takes me a lot longer to caramelize my onions!

MaryBeth said...

The chicken looks wonderful! It has such awesome color and flavor, great job!

Jenn@slim-shoppin said...

I love balsamic anything and I love red onions, so I will totally be making this.

Thanks so much for posting the recipe!

Jan said...

Oooooh yum! Love the sound and of course the look of these!

Elyse said...

Oh, I am definitely saving this recipe! What a keeper. I just love the amount of flavor packed into this dish. Sorry that I’ve been an absent commenter; I just finished up my law school exams and am finally getting around to my google reader.

Robin said...

Less than a half hour! I am there. Balsamic adds so much flavor to any dish! Great recipe- AGAIN!!

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

Love to cook with balsamic vinegar. This sounds like a terrific dish.
Sam

Dragon said...

I love the sweetness that the balsamic vinegar gives to the onions. I bet this tastess amazing!

Angela in Texas said...

I made this last night and it was a hit. Thanks! Of course, I had to make a separate meal for my 1 and 3 year olds because they will not touch this kind of food....I will get them to love it someday...soon!! Do you have any ideas for creative meals that kids as young as mine would enjoy (and that we would want to eat, too!)?

amycaseycooks said...

Angela in Texas - So glad you liked the recipe. I recommend you start your kids early, like now, eating the same meals as you and your husband. Do they like chicken? Serve this recipe without the sauce and let them dip the chicken in bbq sauce or ketchup. If you serve rice with this dish, most kids like it as well as adults. They will be complaining but hold your ground and have them give the dinner a try.

Almost all of my meals have something for all the tastes of my family. They may not like some part of a recipe, but I do have them try everything. Ironically, they generally like the new things they try. Starting your kids out young eating the same foods you do will make them more adventureous eaters in the long run. Also, let them help you cook the dinner. They don't have to be doing anything difficult. Sit your 1 year old in a high chair near you when you cook and give him/her a spoon to bang. Have your 3 year old snap the ends off green beans. Even the smallest chore makes them feel like they helped with dinner and they are more likely to give it a try.

Good luck!!

Kim said...

Love your blog and have been reading for awhile! Thanks so much for sharing your recipes and hilarious stories about your kids' reactions/experiences with your food! I sort of made this recipe last night - I just made the relish which I paired with grilled steak on top of a green salad. The relish is SO GOOD. I thought next time I'd roast some garlic and add that in for some extra savoriness.

Thanks again!

Dara said...

I love doing caramelized onions with chicken, but the balsamic and tomato is a new idea to me! Thanks. : )

Patti Anastasia said...

Amy, another HUGE hit. This was dinner last night. I used drained canned diced tomatoes. Served with Israeli couscous and steamed broccoli.

Jessica said...

I made this last night and it was AWESOME and easy! Will definitely be added to my regular dinner rotation!

Anna said...

I found your blog through Dara at Chick in the kitchen. This recipe is bookmarked! Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Enjoyed this very much served over quinoa. My changes: left out the tomato paste (didn't have any handy), added 1 cup diced carrots as the onions were caramelizing and 1/2 chopped red pepper along with the tomatoes. Seasoned with basil, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Thank you!