This chicken recipe couldn't be any simpler! Healthy, fresh, and bursting with flavor, this peach chicken is a light and easy skillet dinner recipe featuring a combination of flavors including balsamic vinegar, fresh basil, and fresh peaches. It's the perfect dinner for summer!
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Peaches are the perfect summer fruit and if you like chicken, then you need to try cooking them together. This peach chicken skillet recipe is easy to make and full of amazing fresh flavor. While I love making recipes with fresh peaches, like I use in this healthy fruit salsa recipe, cooked peaches with chicken and tomatoes happen to be one of the most delicious food combinations!
When you add fresh peaches and a honey balsamic glaze to the breasts, you've got the most delicious peach chicken. There is no need to marinate the meat. The peach sauce serves as a balsamic chicken marinade while it cooks! Add some fresh basil and the flavor is just over the top outstanding! A savory dish that's ready in one skillet, from start-to-finish, this one is ready in 30 minutes!
🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
This chicken peach recipe is made with boneless skinless chicken breasts. While large pieces work best, using thin sliced chicken breasts also works well in this dish. If you have a flavored balsamic vinegar on hand, use it! I've used both a cranberry and cherry flavored balsamic vinegar in this dish and it enhances the flavor a lot. And of course, peach flavored balsamic vinegar is my favorite! Using a regular balsamic vinegar also works well. Balsamic vinegar is an intensely flavored ingredient that pairs perfectly with fresh peaches in this mouthwatering dish. Balsamic reductions also work great.
Fresh peaches work best, but frozen peaches also work. The flavor intensifies when ground ginger is paired with the fresh minced garlic, honey, and peaches. Using a mixture of both balsamic and red wine vinegar with the other ingredients in this dish makes the most mouthwatering sauce. Fresh sliced basil provides a sweet and savory flavor combination in every bite!
📋 Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
When cooking this peach chicken on the stove, start by heating the extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cut the onion into small slivers and chop the garlic. Add to the skillet. Sauté the onions and garlic in the oil for about 3 minutes.
Season the breasts with a large pinch of salt and pepper and add each piece to the skillet with the onions and garlic.
Sauté until golden brown, about 2 ½ minutes per side. Remove the breasts and transfer to a plate.
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Let's talk FLAVOR for a minute. See that below? That's called fond in the culinary world. That's what FLAVOR looks like! Once you remove the meat, take the spatula and scrape the garlic and onions from the bottom of the skillet. The fond adds so much flavor to this peach chicken.
Leave the garlic and onions in the skillet, add 1 additional teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil, as well a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar. Mix until all ingredients are combined.
Bring the balsamic vinegar liquid to a low boil. Stir until the liquid is reduced by half, about 1 minute.
From there, stir in the honey and then add in the fresh peaches and halved tomatoes. Saute until the peaches and tomatoes are covered in the balsamic glaze.
Return the chicken to the skillet, placing each piece in the middle between the peaches and tomatoes. Cover the skillet with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Allow the chicken and peaches to simmer in the balsamic sauce until the meat is cooked all the way through and the balsamic glaze thickens. Top with fresh sliced basil and serve.
This chicken peach recipe is a really delicious meal that's ready in one skillet and covered in a sweet and tangy sauce. Jam packed with freshness, this is a family dinner everyone will love!
🙋♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
The key to searing chicken in a skillet is ensuring the oil in the pan is at a hot enough temperature to trigger the Maillard Reaction. In my smoked short ribs recipe, I go into how the reaction occurs between amino acids and sugars and how that helps provide amazing flavor. It can only be attained with the right temperature, a certain acidity level, and proper moisture content. The heat level, olive oil, natural sugars from the onions, and acidity level left over from the garlic helps trigger this Maillard Reaction when the meat is added to the skillet.
Both chicken and pork pair really well with peaches. This peach pulled pork is a great recipe where I peach flavors are slow cooked with pork.
No. The balsamic sauce made with the natural sugars from the peaches is all that's needed. Simply spoon the peach sauce over the chicken and then serve.
💭 4 Major Success Tips
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts work best. Chicken thighs are also really tasty. Both boneless skinless thighs or bone in taste great in this recipe.
- I always use a digital meat thermometer to ensure the chicken has reached 165°F. If you don't want to mess with the meat thermometer, you can cut into the breasts to ensure doneness. The meat should be completely white with no pink. Juices should run clear.
- If you have a cast iron skillet, use it for this peach chicken recipe. Cast iron skillets do an amazing job at holding heat and it makes a difference when pan searing.
- Anytime you use a flavor infused balsamic vinegar or olive oil, it significantly enhances the flavor of what you're cooking. It really does make the flavor pop!
🍳 Side Dishes
I love serving this over a bed of simple rice pilaf. But if you are you in a hurry and need to make rice quickly, then try cooking rice in an instant pot. A really good salad to pair is this chopped autumn salad. The flavors in the crunchy pecans, crisp pears, and savory feta cheese crumbles pair perfectly with the tangy peach flavor this skillet dish brings forth. Want a simple low carb option? Don't serve it over rice and instead steam some broccolini! These balsamic roasted green beans are a good pairing, too!
Some of the most flavorful chicken recipes you'll ever eat can be found here in my collection of recipes. Learn how to make this chicken capri, discover the most delicious Greek marinade for chicken, how to use a slow cooker to make whole chicken, and how to make a spatchcock roast chicken!
Balsamic Glazed Peach Chicken
Equipment
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 small onion, sliced into small slivers
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 2 cups fresh peaches, unpeeled and sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ teaspoon ginger, ground
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 6 leaves fresh basil, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cut the onion into small slivers and chop the garlic. Add the onion slivers and chopped garlic to the skillet and sauté for about 3 minutes.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the skillet.
- Sauté until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the meat from skillet and transfer to a plate. Note - your chicken will not be done at this point.
- Add the balsamic vinegar and the ground ginger to the skillet and stir until the liquid is reduced by half, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the honey and then add in the fresh peaches and tomatoes. Add in additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Return the breasts to the skillet, placing them in the middle between the peaches and tomatoes.
- Allow the meat and sauce to simmer until it is cooked all the way through, about 12 to 15 minutes, ensuring the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165°F on a digital meat thermometer.
- Cover the skillet with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Top with fresh basil.
Notes
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts work best. Chicken thighs are also really tasty. Both boneless skinless thighs or bone in taste great in this recipe.
- I always use a digital meat thermometer to ensure the chicken has reached 165°F. If you don't want to mess with the meat thermometer, you can cut into the breasts to ensure doneness. The meat should be completely white with no pink. Juices should run clear.
- If you have a cast iron skillet, use it for this peach chicken recipe. Cast iron skillets do an amazing job at holding heat and it makes a difference when pan searing.
- Anytime you use a flavor infused balsamic vinegar or olive oil, it significantly enhances the flavor of what you're cooking. It really does make the flavor pop!
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Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published in August 2015. I republished it in July 2022 with updated step-by-step instructions, pictures, and tips.
Recipe adapted from: Cooking Classy
Maureen
My nutritionist was challenging me to eat more protein and greens. I made this up but chapped the chicken into bite size pieces. After I let this cool, I served it on a plate of spinach tossed in some blue cheese (feta works too) then topped with toasted almonds and the basil. So delicious!
Amanda Mason
So glad you loved it! What an amazing pairing!!
Ann
Oh this chicken dish sounds wonderful! I love how you added peaches to the mix - makes it a bit more summery!
Grandi Sandi/
I knew I would like it but it was even better than I thought it would be, and my husband gave it 2 thumbs up !!!
Amanda Mason
I lOVE hearing this!! It's one of my favorite summer recipes!!!
Mike
Who would have thought peaches with garlic and onions would taste good? But it does, all the ingredients come together to make a delightfully different way to serve chicken. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us.
Amanda Mason
Hi Mike! So glad you loved it! I know - the flavor combination is amazing! I can't wait to hear what other recipes of mine you try!!!
Timothy J. Mannion
It's simmering on the stovetop now. I didn't have cherry tomatoes, so I chopped up a big one into small pieces. I used one HUGE peach, which seems to be enough. I used a lot of salt and pepper, and my chicken thighs were bone-in and quite large (I'd be afraid to see those chickens in life!) so my cook time was much longer to get them done. More like 25 minutes once everything was assembled and simmering.
Timothy J. Mannion
I'm debating whether a stick of cinnamon might help this. I'll try that tomorrow once I see how this is when I reheat the leftovers.
Amanda Mason
Great! I'm glad you liked it! I'd be interested to hear how cinnamon made it taste.
Rachel L.
I stumbled across this recipe when googling what I could make with peaches and balsamic vinegar. I have made this twice now and it's absolutely delicious! I am definitely adding this to my frequent meal rotation!
Amanda Mason
Hi Rachel! I'm SO glad you love this recipe so much! It's one of my favorites, as well! You're going to have to let me know what other recipes of mine you try!! I can't wait to hear!
Kat G
This recipe looks delicious but I am confused on the nutrition breakdown... is that 4g? Or should it be 4 ounces? 4gram would be one bite.. I am going to try it anyway and tally by ingredients... thanks
Amanda Mason
Hi! It's per breast. So I use 4 breasts for this recipe, and the raw breasts weigh about 6 ounces raw. Hope that helps!
Sandra Giraud
Where is the ginger used ?
Amanda Mason
Step 4 - I updated the recipe card for you!!
Ana
I love summers just so that I can have peaches! It's one of my favorite fruits but only enough I have never made anything savory with them. I'm so making it this week!
Amanda Mason
Hi Ana! You'll have to let me know how it turns out!!
Sara
What a delicious and perfect summertime dinner idea! We eat chicken more often than any other protein, so we are always looking for new and delicious ideas. Can't wait to try this!