Balsamic Peach Chicken
This Balsamic Peach Chicken is an outstanding meal to enjoy with fresh summer stone fruit, a simple glaze, and fresh basil. It’s easy to make in one skillet in about 30 minutes yet looks and tastes positively gourmet.
Best Peach Chicken Recipe
Hoping for a meal that’s easy to make, restaurant-worthy, and showcases gorgeous sweet peaches? You’re in the right spot! This balsamic peach chicken skillet is fun, delicious, and comes together in a flash.
For the busy home cook who still wants great meals, this checks all the boxes. It’s:
- Quick. You can have this ready in about 30 minutes using only one skillet.
- Seasonal. Feature summer’s most prolific stone fruit in a beautiful savory dish.
- Mouth-watering. Simple sweet peaches, tangy balsamic and red onion, and herbaceous basil come together into a dynamite flavor combination.
Pair this skillet with some crusty French bread, rice, or tender buttered orzo for a full meal. We also love green beans or a spinach salad as side dishes; try this version with pecans and feta! (Just swap peaches for the nectarines if you have some left after making the chicken.)
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here are a few notes and shopping tips about the ingredients you’ll need to make this, as well as possible substitutions. Find full amounts in the print-friendly recipe card below.
- Chicken thighs: I prefer making this skillet with chicken thighs, but it’s very flexible. You can also use boneless skinless chicken breasts, and they will cook more quickly. If using thighs, you can use the boneless, skinless variety, as shown in the photos here, or get bone-in, skin-on thighs. Those can be more flavorful and the crispy skin has delicious texture, but they will take longer to cook.
- Fresh peaches: The star of the show! Ripe yellow peaches are perfect for this recipe. I do not find it necessary to peel them, either, as the skin will become tender as they cook in the skillet. You can easily substitute nectarines or white peaches if you prefer.
- Balsamic vinegar.
- Fresh basil.
- White wine. Substitute chicken broth if you prefer not to cook with wine.
- Red onion. Substitute shallot, yellow, or sweet onion if you like. All are good.
- Extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, and fresh-cracked black pepper.
More peaches than you know what to do with? Toss them into a show-stopping peach arugula salad with blueberries and prosciutto, make a quick peach Caprese, or swap them for the nectarines in this delicious blueberry stone fruit crisp.
Can I use canned peaches?
You can make this with canned peaches — drain off the juices and use them for another purpose. They will still taste good but they are likely to soften much more quickly than fresh peaches and may fall apart in the sauce.
How To Make Peach Chicken
We love a simple one-skillet dinner around here, and this fits the bill! Here’s what to do. This is a general overview. As always, you will find full instructions with exact ingredients and times in the print-friendly recipe card below.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Cook chicken in a large skillet, then set aside.
- Sauté onion with white wine while deglazing the pan.
- Finish the sauce by adding peaches, balsamic vinegar, and basil.
- Return chicken to the skillet and spoon sauce on top.
Add a few extra sprigs of basil for color. Dinner is done and ready for its close-up!
Variations
- Sauté 2 minced cloves of garlic in the pan after reducing the white wine, or add garlic powder to the seasoning for the chicken thighs.
- Add a drizzle of honey for extra sweetness.
- Use nectarines, plums, or pluots for a twist.
- Add quartered heirloom or halved cherry tomatoes for an extra pop of color and flavor.
- Swap or add to the basil with sprigs of fresh thyme, rosemary, or any other herb that you love.
Recipe FAQs & Expert Tips
How can you tell when a peach is ripe?
A perfectly ripe peach should have a sweet aroma and a dark yellow color, without any brown or overly soft spots, but “give” a bit when pressed gently. If a peach is completely firm to the touch, it most likely needs 1-2 days to further ripen.
Peaches purchased at the grocery store often need a day or two to be ready, so do your best to plan ahead. In a hurry? Read these tips on ripening peaches if needed.
When are peaches in season?
Peaches are generally in season from mid-summer to early fall in the US, but the exact season varies a bit depending on exactly where they are grown. Here is a great guide to peach season if you’d like to learn more.
What’s the best way to slice a peach?
Some additional background is helpful here. Peaches come in two varieties: freestone and clingstone. Freestone peaches tend to be larger and have fruit that practically falls off the pit (or “stone”). Clingstone, in contrast, will literally cling to the pit, making it more difficult to twist and pull.
If you have freestone peaches, you will be able to cut the peach with a paring knife all around its vertical center, making a circle around the pit, then pull the two hemispheres apart, pop out the pit, and slice the fruit.
When working with clingstone peaches, I find it easiest to simply slice pieces of the fruit off the sides, working around the pit in quadrants to get as much fruit as possible.
Storage & Reheating
- Storage: Leftovers keep very well for 3-4 days. Store in any airtight container in the refrigerator. (These are our favorite meal prep boxes.)
- Warming: Reheat at 50% power in the microwave to ensure the chicken doesn’t dry out. If reheating on the stovetop, stir in a small splash of water or chicken broth to loosen the sauce.
- I don’t recommend freezing this recipe, as the texture of the peaches will not hold up.
Related Recipes
Love easy chicken recipes? Who doesn’t!? Try my lemon chicken thighs or one pan Greek chicken thighs with olives next.
Prefer recipes designed for quick-cooking chicken breasts? Whip up this super easy Italian dressing chicken, balsamic chicken with spinach and mushrooms, or our favorite lemon thyme chicken skillet.
If you try this Balsamic Peach Chicken recipe, don’t forget to rate it and leave a comment below. I love hearing how recipes turn out in your kitchen, and it helps other readers, too.
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Balsamic Peach Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs can be bone-in or boneless
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 small red onion sliced
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 2-3 yellow peaches pitted and sliced
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil plus more leaves for serving
Instructions
- Sprinkle both sides of the chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper.
- Warm olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. When hot, add chicken thighs. Cook on one side for 5-6 minutes, until golden brown, then flip and continue cooking until they are just cooked through. (The thickest part should be opaque and reach 165 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. If it’s taking a very long time for the chicken to cook, cover the skillet for a couple of minutes to make the thighs cook more quickly.) Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add the sliced onion and white wine. Scrape the bottom of the skillet to release any browned bits, then cook for 3-4 minutes until the onions are beginning to become tender and the liquid is mostly cooked off.
- Add sliced peaches to the skillet along with the balsamic vinegar and chopped basil. Simmer for another 4-5 minutes, until the peaches are tender.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Return chicken thighs to the skillet and warm for 1-2 minutes, spooning the sauce over top. Serve right away with a garnish of extra basil leaves, if desired. Enjoy!
Being snowed in in January calls for a cheerful, summery dinner. Balsamic peach chicken hit the spot. And frozen peaches worked just fine!