A delicious and easy Balsamic Reduction sauce. Just like you’d find drizzled over an elegant meal in a restaurant. This recipe uses brown sugar and soy sauce to uniquely flavor the balsamic vinegar.
A few years ago at a highly acclaimed Denver restaurant, I ordered a dish of crab cakes that were served drizzled with a wonderful balsamic glaze. One bite and I was inquiring the waitress for a recipe or method to make the glaze. She exclaimed it to be incredibly easy “Just bla..bla..bla.. then bla..bla.. and then just bla and voila and you’ve re-created an exact replica of this glaze that is sitting in front of you“.
The very next day I went to work in my kitchen to recreate the process. Well, the “bla..bla..bla..then just bla” instructions led me nowhere near the result from the restaurant.
Recently I blogged about our monthly wine tasting party. Our friend Kathy brought some bottled balsamic glaze to drizzle over some bread and blue cheese. I mentioned in my post how delicious it was, and that it was purchased in Omaha, and I was hoping to find some in Denver.
Well, lo and behold, Michele to the rescue! Michele over at Cooking With Michele, quickly fired over her own recipe for Balsamic Glaze. I was thrilled to say the least. Michele is a Denver food blogger, a trained and talented chef, a cooking instructor and a sommelier. With credentials like that, I knew her recipe would be spot on. And with her side note of…
“This one’s easy, I promise! The more you let it reduce, the thicker it will be. And while it might not seem too thick when it’s hot, it thickens more when it cools. I keep mine in a squeeze bottle in the fridge to have on hand – good on chicken, fish, pork, beef, parmesan cheese, strawberries, ice cream, cheese and more!”
I couldn’t get to the kitchen fast enough to give it a try. While the sauce was simmering, I skewered some chunks of chicken breast, seasoned with salt and pepper, grilled them and simply arranged them alongside a mixture of baby greens. I drizzled on Michele’s wonderfully aromatic and thick dark glaze over the greens and the chicken and had a simple but incredibly rich flavored meal.
I can’t thank you enough Michele. I now have my own little squeeze bottle of this black gold in my refrigerator, of which I feel incredibly smug.
For the recipe, head on over to her site for her Asparagus with Balsamic Glaze recipe.
Recipe for Balsamic Reduction Sauce
Keep in mind, you can make a pure balsamic glaze just by simmering a good quality balsamic vinegar on low for about 30 minutes or until the vinegar has reduced by about half and thickened.
This recipe for Balsamic Reduction Sauce included brown sugar and soy sauce, which give it a unique flavor.
How to make a balsamic reduction sauce for asparagus or chicken.
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar doesn’t have to be expensive brand
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 1/2 pounds asparagus
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- Combine vinegar, brown sugar, and soy sauce in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thick and syrupy, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
- While glaze is cooking, remove tough ends from asparagus, then toss with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Lay flat on a foil lined baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees until asparagus is cooked, 10-20 minutes depending on how soft you like it. To serve, drizzle a small amount of balsamic glaze over the spears and pass extra at the table.
Balsamic Glaze …It’s What’s for Making Dinner Special.
My Kitchen in the Rockies says
April 30, 2011 at 5:37 pmHi Lea Ann, Balsamic reduction sauce is heavenly. I make mine with butter (lots of butter) and tilapia. It is unbelievably good. I need to try Michele’s version since I have green asparagus in the fridge. Sorry I missed the meet up today. Kirsten
Lea Ann says
May 1, 2011 at 6:03 amI bet butter would make it ever that much more heavenly. I’ll be adding some next time I make it. 🙂
JelliDonut says
April 30, 2011 at 7:48 pmAwesome! I love a balsamic glaze on berries. Thanks for the link!
Lea Ann says
May 1, 2011 at 6:02 amI don’t think I’ve ever had it on berries…I think it sounds delicious and can’t wait to get some strawberries in this house.
Russ says
April 30, 2011 at 8:27 pmCrab cakes are tricky for me — I’ve had more bad to mediocre ones than really good ones.
Lea Ann says
May 1, 2011 at 5:14 amI couldn’t agree more Russ, good ones for me are few and far between.
larry says
April 30, 2011 at 8:33 pmWe’re just beginning to appreciate the benefits of a balsamic drizzle – especially Bev – so I believe this is one we’ll have to try out.
Lea Ann says
May 1, 2011 at 5:17 amSo many possibilities for uses. I’ll be making Asparagus very soon.
Karen Harris says
April 30, 2011 at 8:59 pmI’m going to have to get a bottle of this in my fridge too! It sounds great.
Lea Ann says
May 1, 2011 at 5:18 amYou definitely need a bottle Karen. How about over stuffed mushrooms? yum
Cooking with Michele says
April 30, 2011 at 9:26 pmSo glad you liked it!
Lea Ann says
May 1, 2011 at 5:18 amLoved it Michele.
Boulder Locavore says
May 1, 2011 at 4:13 amThis sounds great Lea Ann. Anything with Balsamic Vinegar I’m surely to love. A favorite local restaurant does a broken Balsamic dressing and like your experience their description sounds so easy but I doubt the results would turn out for me as theirs does. Love that Michele helped out too. Will go look at her site.
Lea Ann says
May 1, 2011 at 5:21 amWe missed you yesterday Toni! As always, thanks for the comment and yes, Michele’s site is a “must visit”
Barbara says
May 1, 2011 at 5:10 amLove the recipe, LeaAnn, thanks! We use balsamic on everything!
Lea Ann says
May 1, 2011 at 5:22 amI will now too. 🙂
My Carolina Kitchen says
May 1, 2011 at 5:10 amThis I gotta try. I have a bottle of balsamic reduction that I purchased several years ago when I, like you, fell in love with it. I’ve often thought “could I make my own?” but never got around to experimenting with it. Thanks Lea Ann for introducing us to Michele. I’m off now to check out her recipe.
Sam
Lea Ann says
May 1, 2011 at 5:23 amMichele is very talented. I’m sure you’re going to love her site.
Joanne says
May 1, 2011 at 6:58 amI made a balsamic reduction yesterday and now I absolutely swear that I’m going to use it in place of maple syrup on my pancakes. It’s truly amazing stuff!
Lea Ann says
May 1, 2011 at 8:10 amI like the way you think…pancakes would be divine.
tasteofbeirut says
May 1, 2011 at 7:24 amInteresting post on a sauce that I promised myself I would explore soon!
Lea Ann says
May 1, 2011 at 8:11 amThanks to Michele, our exploring time has been done for us.
Design Wine and Dine says
May 1, 2011 at 7:24 amThank you for passing this recipe along! I might make this today. I just picked up some of those clear culinary squeeze bottles and I am dying to fill them up w/something! Beautiful skewer too!
Lea Ann says
May 1, 2011 at 8:11 amI need more of those plastic squeeze bottles. I only bought one … a DUH
Vickie says
May 1, 2011 at 11:40 amWhat an exquisite photo! I loved the token brocooli. 😛
I clicked over and read that recipe and was very tempted to get up and make it before I even left my comment. (but I’m making a concerted effort to stay on task) Having said that, I am making the asparagus for dinner, but I’ll be trying this glaze on chicken like you did. Yum!!
Lea Ann says
May 1, 2011 at 12:43 pmAnd by the way, thanks for the compliment on the photo.
Lea Ann says
May 1, 2011 at 12:22 pmHow silly is that brocolli??? I saw a photo of chicken skewers with a completely different sauce and it had the cutest little biased cut chunk of green onions at each end. No green onions, so I tried it with a small chunk of brocolli. Kinda looks pitiful don’t you think??? 🙂 It’s my favorite beef curry for us tonight. One of my favorite recipes that I make alot and have never blogged.
Vickie says
May 1, 2011 at 6:17 pmI don’t think it looks pitiful at all – just teasing you. I sure hope you plan to share the curried beef recipe! Being one of your favorites is a pretty darned good endorsement!
Chris says
May 1, 2011 at 3:16 pmThanks for the great tip about keeping it in a squirt bottle on hand. I’ll have to do that so it’s ready when I need it.
Lea Ann says
May 1, 2011 at 4:37 pmYou’re welcome Chris!
Karen says
May 2, 2011 at 3:46 pmI want to run to the kitchen right now and make this! Oh, wait… I need to get the recipe 🙂 Hubby doesn’t like balsamic, so more for me! Yay! I think this would be wonderful over chicken – or anything, really.
Lea Ann says
May 2, 2011 at 4:24 pmAfter tasting it, I agree, it would be wonderful over about anything. Thanks Karen.
Zia Liz says
May 2, 2011 at 7:16 pmMmmmmm…
Eric says
October 13, 2012 at 11:19 amI have seen a similar idea with Honey instead of brown sugar. I will add in the butter idea on my next batch!
Thank you!
Gabby says
July 6, 2014 at 5:48 pmSo I tried this but my glaze never thickened up, I’m assuming it’s because of the kind of balsalmic vinegar I have, cause when I used it to marinate my chicken the taste was a lot different then I’m used to. Do you have a favorite brand you like to use?
Lea Ann Brown says
July 12, 2014 at 5:55 amYou know, that might be a good point. I’ve made this several times and usually use Costco brand.