Roast Chicken with Balsamic Bell Peppers

Photo by Jim Hitchcock

I found this recipe in one of the many cooking e-newsletters that I receive.  It sounded and looked great so I thought I would give it a try. 

The Recipe

3/4  teaspoon  salt, divided
1/2  teaspoon  black pepper, divided
1/4  teaspoon  garlic powder
1/4  teaspoon  dried oregano
4  (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2  tablespoons  olive oil, divided
2  cups  thinly sliced red bell pepper
1  cup  thinly sliced yellow bell pepper
1/2  cup  thinly sliced shallots (about 1 large) or sweet onion
1 1/2  teaspoons  chopped fresh rosemary
1  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1  tablespoon  balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 450°.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder, and oregano. Brush chicken with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil; sprinkle spice rub over chicken. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken over; cook 1 minute. Arrange chicken in an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until done.

Heat remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, shallots, and rosemary; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Stir in vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve bell pepper mixture over chicken.

The recipe says it takes 40 minutes to make, but I cranked this dish out in about 30.  I cheated a little by slicing the peppers and making the spice rub over the weekend.

I wouldn’t recommend pre-chopping the rosemary though.  It may lose its flavor.

Is it a keeper?

Oh yeah!  This dish was fantastic!  The chicken was perfectly seasoned and the peppers…sweet with a slight tang from the balsamic!  This dish was so light and flavorful.  Just perfect for a hot, humid day when you don’t want a heavy meal weighing you down!  I served it over brown rice.

Plus, my whole house smelled like sauteing peppers and onions!  Yum!   I know for a fact that I will make this over and over again!

This is definitely one of those meals where the quality of ingredients impact the dish.  You have to use fresh rosemary and peppers, good vinegar, and perfectly trimmed chicken.  I always buy all of my meat from Bosak’s Choice Meats on the Burke Bypass in Olyphant, PA.  The meats are always perfect!  You can use them right out of the package — no trimming required!  Plus he sells thinly sliced chicken breast, which worked perfectly for this dish!

I can’t wait to make it with peppers and rosemary from my garden this summer!

Try it!  You won’t be sorry!