Raspberry Balsamic Chicken (Paleo)

Moist and tender raspberry balsamic chicken made with only a few simple ingredients. Make this recipe any night of the week or use it for meal prep.

A couple months ago when I made my Raspberry Chia Jam, I thought it would be fun to incorporate it into a savory recipe. Since I already have a salad recipe with raspberry vinaigrette on this site, I figured using it in a marinade for meat would be brilliant.

And brilliant it was!

Don’t worry, you don’t need to make the Raspberry Chia Jam in order to make this recipe. You can use your favorite store-bought or homemade raspberry jam as a replacement, no problem. I just figured I would put the jam vibes out there so you know it is entirely delicious to use it as a marinade.

And you guys, the marinade! It only requires a few ingredients: avocado oil, balsamic vinegar, raspberry jam, garlic, and sea salt. You can add dried or fresh herbs as well – oregano, paprika, or garlic and onion powder would be amazing.

Next up: jam-glazed salmon, of course!

If you took a look at my Lemon Rosemary Braised Chicken Thighs, you’re already familiar with the concept behind this recipe.

We marinate.

We sear in a skillet.

We cover, we bake, we devour.

Braising is cooking with both dry heat and wet heat, so we’re doing both here.

Let’s dive deeper.

How to Make Raspberry Balsamic Chicken:

If you’re making the Raspberry Chia Jam, do so at least a few hours before starting the chicken (the jam lasts for over 1 week, so you can prepare it well in advance).

Blend all ingredients for the marinade in a small blender. Add the chicken pieces to a zip lock bag followed by the marinade.

If you don’t own a small blender, no big deal – you can simply pour all the ingredients straight into the bag and give it a good shake.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably 4 to 6 hours.

When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven and heat a cast iron or stainless steel skillet on the stove top. Sear the chicken on both sides for 3 to 5 minutes, until the skin has lots of color. Cover the skillet with foil (or oven-safe cover if you have one) and transfer to the preheated oven.. Bake!

Once the chicken has finished baking, allow it to rest 10 to 15 minutes prior to serving it. This allows the juices to distribute throughout the meat, making the experience nice and juicy and tender.

Recipe Adaptations:

Omit the garlic to make Low-FODMAP.

Replace the balsamic vinegar with cider vinegar. If you do this, add 2 tsp pure maple syrup to offset the acidity.

Use any jam you would like in place of the raspberry jam. If you do use a traditional jam that includes a lot of sugar, decrease the amount to 3 tablespoons so that the chicken doesn’t turn out overly sweet.

Add fresh or dried herbs such as oregano, rosemary, thyme, or basil.

Serving Options:

I eat this chicken with My Go-To Balsamic Roasted Vegetables, and I also chop up the leftovers and put it on salad. I’m thinking my Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Spinach and Grapes, Roasted Vegetable Warm Kale Salad with Rice or Pasta Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing would be marvelous for pairing with the balsamic chicken.

The way I see it, this recipe is excellent for meal prepping – you cook once and eat on it for days! Plus, baked chicken is always a crowd pleaser. Winner, winner!!

My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your all your support!

If you make this Raspberry Balsamic Chicken, please feel free to share a photo and tag @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!

Raspberry Balsamic Chicken

Quick, easy, flavorful balsamic chicken with raspberry jam and garlic makes for a healthful low-carb dinner entree. Prepare it in advance to make weeknight meals a breeze!

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Marinate Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes

6 people

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 Tbsp avocado oil
• ▢ 4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• ▢ 1/2 cup raspberry jam
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 1 tsp sea salt
• ▢ 3 to 4 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs*

Instructions

• Blend all ingredients for the marinade (everything but the chicken) in a small blender. Add the chicken pieces to a zip lock bag followed by the marinade. Seal the bag and shake and move the chicken around until everything is well-coated.
• Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably 4 to 6 hours.
• When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Heat a cast iron or stainless steel skillet over medium with 1 to 2 tablespoons cooking oil (I use avocado oil). Carefully place the chicken on the hot skillet skin-side down. Sear the chicken on both sides for 3 to 5 minutes, until the skin has lots of color. 
• Remove skillet from the stove top. Cover the skillet with foil (or oven-safe cover if you have one) and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake 25 to 35 minutes, or until chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and is cooked through.
• Allow chicken to rest 10 minutes before serving with your favorite side dishes.

Notes

*This equates to about 8 bone-in thighs. You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs or boneless skinless chicken breasts, but note that they will require far less bake time than bone-in pieces.

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 8 - Calories: 257kcal - Protein: 28g - Fat: 8g - Fiber: 3g - Sugar: 2g

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baked chicken, balsamic chicken, chicken recipe, dinner, keto, low-carb, paleo, raspberry jam, whole30

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 257kcal

Author: Julia