Balsamic Marinated Chicken

1. Whisk oil, vinegar, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a bowl until well combined.

2. Place chicken in a shallow dish or 1-gallon sealable plastic bag. Add the marinade and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours. Remove from the marinade and pat dry.

3. Preheat grill to medium-high or position a rack in upper third of oven and preheat broiler.

4. To grill: Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill the chicken, turning once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165 degrees F, 4 to 8 minutes per side.

5. To broil: Line a broiler pan (or baking sheet) with foil and coat with cooking spray. Place the chicken on the foil. Broil, watching carefully and turning at least once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165 degrees F, 10 to 15 minutes total.

   

Tips

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate the marinade for up to 3 days; marinate the chicken for up to 12 hours.

Note: It's difficult to find an individual chicken breast small enough for one portion. Removing the thin strip of meat from the underside of a 5-ounce breast--the chicken tender--removes about 1 ounce of meat and yields a perfect 4-ounce portion. Wrap and freeze the tenders and when you have gathered enough, use them in a stir-fry or for oven-baked chicken fingers. If you can only find chicken breasts closer to 8- to 9-ounce each, you'll only need 2 breasts for 4 servings--cut each one in half before cooking.

Tip: Oiling a grill rack before you grill foods helps ensure that the food won't stick. Oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.) When grilling delicate foods like tofu and fish, it is helpful to coat the food with cooking spray.