When you’re pressed for time on a weeknight but yet want to make something substantial, one-pan meals are the best option. Here, honey is used as a slight sweetener and balsamic vinegar, along with other pantry staples, to create a tart marinade that coats boneless, skinless chicken breasts and bakes into a glaze.
In the last few minutes of baking, spread the cherry tomatoes throughout the sheet pan until they just barely burst and release their juices, allowing the tomatoes to maintain some of their structure. The pan drippings from the chicken and burst tomatoes combine to make a light sauce that’s perfect for spaghetti or crusty bread, especially when coupled with a block of salty, briny feta.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup vinegar of balsamic
- Two tablespoons of pure olive oil
- two tsp honey
- One spoonful of mustard dijon
- One and a half tsp kosher salt
- half a teaspoon of powdered garlic
- One-half tsp dried oregano
- Half a teaspoon of black pepper, with extra for decoration
- Four tiny (6–8 ounces each) skinless, boneless chicken breasts that have been patted dry
- Peel and cut one large red onion into 1-inch slices.
- Four cups of grape or cherry tomatoes
- Eight ounces of brine-packed feta cheese
- fresh basil leaves chopped and used as a garnish
Guidelines
Set oven temperature to 425°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, olive oil, honey, mustard, salt, oregano, garlic powder, and pepper until thoroughly mixed. Turn the chicken breasts over to coat.
Place the chicken breasts on a large baking sheet with a rim. Toss lightly to coat after adding onion to bowl. Place onions around the chicken on the baking sheet. Toss the tomatoes in the bowl to coat, then set them aside.
After gently slicing the feta crosswise into four thinner slabs, pat dry once more. On a baking sheet, nestle the feta between the chicken and onions.
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Bake for ten minutes in a preheated oven. Fill in any spaces on the baking pan with the tomatoes you set aside. Pour any leftover vinegar mixture from the basin over the baking sheet. Go back to the oven and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes, or until the tomatoes have just burst and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken reads 160°F. Serve hot, garnished with fresh basil and black pepper.
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