January 30, 2023

Grilled-and-chilled chicken is a great addition to a sack lunch.

A little bit of balsamic vinegar and honey make a sweet-and-tangy marinade that’s fast to mix up and gives chicken lots of flavor. Enjoying chicken hot off the grill is plenty delicious, but this recipe is designed to make especially yummy chilled chicken. After cooking, cool this chicken breast in the fridge overnight so it’s ready to add to a sack lunch the next day.

Flavorful chilled chicken, cut into strips or into chunks, is a versatile ingredient for a portable lunch — or the next night’s dinner. Add it to a green salad; or create a low-fat chicken salad; or add some steamed broccoli and fresh fruit for a simple, low-calorie, highly nutritious meal.

You can mix up the marinade in advance and pour it over the chicken just an hour before it’s time to grill.

Raw boneless skinless chicken breast with honey and raw garlic ready to marinate.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
⅛ tablespoon honey (= .5 ounce, or 1/3 teaspoon)
Garlic, chopped, to taste
Dash black pepper
Dash salt
1 boneless skinless chicken breast

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, except for chicken.

Raw skinless boneless chicken breast and a bowl of balsamic-honey-garlic marinade

Pour marinade over chicken and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to marinate.

Grill chicken to minimum internal temperature of 165°F. Cool in refrigerator to internal temperature.

Recipe: Balsamic Grilled Chicken
Author: Recipe adapted from Sodexo by Health Plus, the wellness program supporting Vanderbilt University Medical Center employees
Serves: 1 serving
Ingredients
  • 1 boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • ⅛ tablespoon honey (= .5 ounce, or 1/3 teaspoon)
  • Garlic, chopped, to taste
  • Dash black pepper
  • Dash salt
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, except for chicken.
  2. Pour marinade over chicken and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to marinate.
  3. Grill chicken to minimum internal temperature of 165°F.
  4. Cool in refrigerator to internal temperature.
Serving size: 1 serving Calories: 231 Fat: 8.4 grams Saturated fat: 2.3 grams Carbohydrates: 3.4 grams Sugar: 2.3 grams Sodium: 311 milligrams Fiber: .1 gram Protein: 33 grams Cholesterol: 101 grams

Recipe adapted from Sodexo by Health Plus, the wellness program supporting Vanderbilt University Medical Center employees.