Balsamic & mustard chicken with Med veg rice

Balsamic & mustard chicken with Med veg rice

Two flavour powerhouses come together to transform chicken and rice into a meal you won’t forget! Juicy chicken thighs are coated in balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, tomato purée and garlic paste, then beautifully blackened under the grill. Grilled aubergines, onions and peppers add wow factor to basmati rice, and it’s all finished with a tasty tomato relish.

SWK: Source of fibre SWK: High protein Plants 6 newBadge

Serving size

Cook time: 35 mins
Cuisine: British
Food group: Poultry
Allergens: Mustard, Sulphites

Cooking Instructions

The protein cooking time listed in this recipe has been updated.

As of December 2025, we’ve revised cooking times for all our proteins to reflect improved food safety guidance.

Check out the latest recommended times in our Cooking Guidelines.

Before you start

  • 1 large baking tray
  • 1 small mixing bowl
  • 1 large saucepan
  • 1 small saucepan

Chop, chop!

  • Heat your grill to high.
  • Dice the aubergines into 2cm chunks, then peel the onions and dice into large pieces.
  • Deseed the peppers and dice into 2cm squares.

Flavour & cook the chicken

  • In a small bowl, to make a flavour paste, mix together the vinegar, mustard, tomato purée and garlic paste.
  • On a separate board, trim any visible fat from the chicken. Place it onto a large baking tray lined with foil, along with the diced veg.
  • Spread two-thirds of the paste onto the chicken. Spritz the chicken and veg with cooking spray and grill for 14-16 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and slightly charred.

Make your relish

  • Meanwhile, peel and finely dice the shallots.
  • Spritz a small non-stick frying pan with cooking spray and put it over a medium-high heat. Fry the shallots and tomatoes for 5 mins, then add the remaining flavour paste and 100ml water (150ml for 4 portions) and simmer for 5 mins.
  • Finely chop the parsley and add half to the sauce.

Boil the rice

  • At the same time, cook the rice in boiling water for 10-12 mins, then drain and combine with the grilled veg and any juices from the baking tray.

Bring it all together

  • Thinly slice the chicken thighs.
  • Top the rice and veg with the chicken and dollop on the tomato relish. Scatter over the remaining parsley and serve.

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