Recipe: Balsamic Chicken with Root Vegetables

For the recent TEDxManhattan: Changing the Way We Eat conference — at which BAMCO Vice President of Strategy Maisie Greenawalt spoke — we asked several Bon Appétit chefs to contribute recipes that the thousands of webcast viewers could make for their viewing parties. Below is one that’s perfect for large gatherings and utilizes the kind of winter root vegetables you can find right now at most farmers’ markets.

Not only is the dish simple to make and healthy, it’s delicious and a crowd favorite, too!

Balsamic Chicken with Root Vegetables

From Dean Holliday, Bon Appétit Executive Chef at Case Western University in Cleveland, OH

Serves 12

  • 3 lbs chicken thighs, bone-in and skinless
  • 1 lb carrots
  • 1 lb parsnips, peeled
  • 1 lb sweet potatoes
  • 1 lb turnips
  • 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3 cups balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Cut the carrots into 1-inch pieces. Cut the parsnips, sweet potatoes, and turnips into 1 inch cubes. Combine the chicken thighs, carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, turnips, oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl and toss well.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and place the chicken and vegetables into a roasting pan and place into oven. Bake until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees, approximately 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium heat, reduce the vinegar to a third of original volume, approximately 20 minutes.

In a dry pan over low heat, toast sesame seeds until fragrant.

Toss the cooked chicken and vegetables in the vinegar reduction. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve.