Sweet peaches, basil and shallots are a great flavor combination in this light, savory-sweet chicken dish.
Once in a while I like to take a break from testing new recipes and make something from one of my many cookbooks. When I look through a cookbook, I usually like to try something I would never have thought of making which is what inspired me to try this dish from Virginia Willis’ Cookbook, Lighten Up ‘Yall; Classic Southern Recipes Made Healthy and Wholesome. It’s also peach season so now is the time to eat enjoy the sweetest, juiciest peaches.
The author shares a really great tip for easily peeling the peaches: Bring a small pot of water to a boil and have an ice bath ready in the sink. Using a pairing knife cut an “X” in the blossom end of the peach. Gently place the peach in the water for 15 to 30 seconds, then transfer to the ice bath with a slotted spoon. The “X” will open slightly and the skin can be removed by gently pulling with a pairing knife.
The recipe below is exactly as written in her book, I didn’t make the full recipe so the photo only shows 2 breasts instead of three. I really enjoyed the flavors of this dish, it was light and flavorful and easy to make. My husband isn’t a fan of fruit in his dinners so it wasn’t his type of dish, but he did clean his plate. Hope you enjoy!
Skillet Basil-Peach Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 3 boneless chicken breasts, 1 1/2 lbs
- kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 12 basil leaves, finely chopped plus more for garnish
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 large peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced 1/4 inch thick (about 2 cups)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Heat the oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Add the chicken and cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side.
- Remove to a plate and set aside.
- Decrease the heat.
- Add the shallot and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Add the ginger and garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant stirring constantly, 45 to 60 seconds.
- Add the chopped basil, chicken stock and peaches.
- Return the chicken to the pan and turn to coat.
- Transfer to the oven and bake until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes.
- Slice the chicken and serve immediately.
A favorite with a twist of spices–used fresh rosemary and basil and skipped the ginger this time. Have a rosemary blend salt pepper that I added to chicken before searing. Used my cast iron skillet. Then followed with the onion and garlic and added one tab white wine to de-glaze then 1 cup chicken broth, and one bag 10 ounces frozen sliced peaches-( super easy) let that cook about 6 minutes–added a bit more dried basil and rosemary while it is cooking–the added chicken back in, sprinkled with a bit less then a tab of brown sugar over peaches and a bit on chicken and put in oven really hot 450 for 4- 7 minutes–checked with thermometer to be sure chicken done–( I had pounded out my chicken to a uniform thickness before searing so didn’t want to over cook it as it was on thinner side. Really liked this.
This is a totally different recipe.
A favorite with a twist of spices–used fresh rosemary and basil and skipped the ginger this time. Have a rosemary blend salt pepper that I added to chicken before searing. Used my cast iron skillet. Then followed with the onion and garlic and added one tab white wine to de-glaze then 1 cup chicken broth, and one bag 10 ounces frozen sliced peaches-( super easy) let that cook about 6 minutes–added a bit more dried basil and rosemary while it is cooking–the added chicken back in, sprinkled with a bit less then a tab of brown sugar over peaches and a bit on chicken and put in oven really hot 450 for 4- 7 minutes–checked with thermometer to be sure chicken done–( I had pounded out my chicken to a uniform thickness before searing so didn’t want to over cook it as it was on thinner side. Really liked this.
Made this tonight. It was awesome. Perfect summer dish.
Can I just sub water for the chicken broth?Â
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This looks delicious! Quick question, I don't have fresh ginger, but I do have dried ground ginger–could I substitute that? I assume I'd use a smaller amount?
I ran this recipe through fitnesspal.com and checked to make sure the ingredients matched and their calorie count is way more than yours Gina. Yours says 169 per serving and theirs came up with 206. Did you make a mistake? Also, it would be great if you could provide the weight or volume of each ingredient as appropriate. 2 cups of peaches can vary depending on the space between the pieces in a measuring cup, and what constitutes a large peach is subjective. So, the calorie count can vary depending on how the ingredients are measured. I suspect that's what's happened in this case.
What if your oven is broken? (Am waiting for a new one to be delivered and installed…) Can this recipe be modified to be cooked entirely on a stovetop?
Can we use canned peaches?
Oooh, this is just perfect. I've been wanting to make a peach salsa and putting it over grilled chicken looks amazing. This looks terrific. So light and fresh. A must try! Thank You!
selene Kendra
Hey all! This was a great recipe! I was wondering about the bake time though. I usually bake chicken breasts for about 40-45 mins, and this only called for 15 minutes.
I checked it at 20 mins and decided to bake it another 20 minutes. It was delicious! The flavors popped! I also served it over brown rice. Totally sharing this!
I was wondering about the cooking time as well. Thank you for sharing that with us.
I always use a meat thermometer when cooking chicken in the oven, I have the kind that alerts me when it reaches a certain temperature. It takes less time to reach 165 degrees than one usually thinks.
40-45 minutes is way too long for boneless chicken breast. At 400 degrees it needs 25 minutes, tops. Also, if you read the recipe, you’d see that 1) the breasts are butterflied, which makes them thin, and 2) cooking starts on the stove. At 40 minutes this chicken would come out tasting like a shoe.
If you are allergic to peaches, what fruit would you suggest?
I would say nectarines, or maybe raspberries?
These looks fantastic!
This sounds delicious! My husband loves peaches. Can't wait to try the recipe this week!
I want to try this with boneless pork ribs…
Wow this looks so good! Pinned it to my "Chicken, YES!" board. 🙂
This looks great for summer. It's a very unique idea, but I love fruit and meat together. The trick will be convincing MY husband to try it, as he's in the same boat as your husband.
Lifestyle by Joules
What carb side dish would you serve with this?
orzo would be great
Are the chicken breasts supposed to be halved before cooking?
No, slice them after
If I use thin sliced chicken breast, how long should I bake for?
I don;t suggest it, the meat will dry out.
What an interesting and creative combination! I never would have thought to put peaches and basil together. Looks delicious!
This looks delicious. What type of pan do you recommend for stovetop/oven? Thank you!
A cast iron skillet would probably work best!