Chicken with Peaches - 30-Minute One-Pan Meal

Chicken with Peaches is a delicious 30-minute summer dinner recipe made entirely in one pan!  This quick and easy family-friendly weeknight meal features savory chicken and sweet yellow peaches, with lemon honey sauce.

30-minute one-pan weeknight dinner

• Chicken and peaches make a delicious combination, pairing together savory, sweet and tart flavors. The whole recipe takes only 30 minutes to make and you need only one pan!
• This quick and colorful Summer dinner recipe uses basic ingredients. The chicken is seared to perfection and is tender, juicy, and moist. The peaches are lightly cooked in olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice, then caramelized with honey and topped with fresh thyme. The peach sauce has a sticky and syrupy texture like a glaze.
• The clean-up is a breeze since you have only one pan to clean! A perfect choice for a busy family weeknight dinner! Your family will love bold flavors and vibrant colors in this delicious 30-minute chicken recipe!
• If you're looking for more peach recipe inspiration, be sure to check out these: Peach Tomato Caprese Salad and Peach Pasta Salad with Arugula and Tomatoes.

Why make it

• Chicken with peaches is a well-balanced one-pan meal that combines protein (skinless boneless chicken thighs) with fruit (peaches). This recipe is high in protein and gluten-free.
• Use fresh peaches while they are in season! The fresh peach season is so short, so make sure to make this summer dish for your family while you can buy fresh peaches.
• This easy 30-minute one-pan meal is perfect for meal prep, making ahead, preparing on a busy weeknight, or freezing for the future! The whole recipe uses just a few ingredients and takes only 30 minutes.
• The combination of sweet and savory flavors is out of this world! Skinless and boneless chicken thighs are seared in a pan with olive oil, chili powder, and Italian seasoning to perfection to create the juiciest chicken.

How to choose the best peaches for cooking

• Use yellow peaches. The only reason I recommend using yellow peaches is for presentation purposes! Of course, you can use white peaches, but yellow ones look so much more presentable in the skillet and on the plate! I made a mistake once by not looking at the label in the store and buying white peaches instead my preferred yellow peaches.
• Choose a firm texture. Choose a fruit that's firm and crisp. Avoid overripe peaches that are easily indented when touched. Firm peaches will hold up the best when you have to cook them such as in this recipe or in desserts. You need a firm peach that holds up well under the heat of cooking.

What kind of chicken to use

• Skinless and boneless chicken thighs. That's what I used in this quick recipe - the dark meat of chicken thighs is juicy and tender and is usually quite forgiving to cook.
• Chicken tenders are also a perfect choice for this recipe. Make sure to avoid overcooking as chicken tenders cook fast.
• Skinless and boneless chicken breasts tend to dry out faster, so be sure to watch your cooking times closely, ensuring that the chicken is cooked all the way through quickly, without drying out.
• What about bone-in chicken? I do not recommend it as it takes much longer to cook.
• Important Pro Tip. Do not overcrowd the pan when cooking the chicken. Creating space between the chicken thighs will allow the chicken to sear nicely instead of steaming. Use a large enough pan to accommodate all of your chicken or work in batches. The cast-iron pan works the best!

How to make chicken with peaches

1. First, you will sear skinless, boneless chicken thighs (seasoned with chili powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper) in olive oil in a skillet until the chicken is completely cooked through.
2. Then, you will remove the cooked chicken from the skillet to a plate, and briefly cook sliced peaches in the same skillet (about 5 minutes).
3. Next, add honey, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and butter to the peaches and stir.
4. Finally, add back the cooked chicken thighs - nestled in between the cooked peaches and top with fresh thyme.

Cooking tips

• Use fresh firm yellow peaches. Yellow peaches work beautifully for presentation purposes. The firm texture will hold up under the heat of cooking. Fresh peaches are always preferred to frozen or canned, so take advantage of them when they are in season!
• Do not peel the peaches. Keep the peaches' skin on - not only does it add color and vibrancy to the dish, but why also get rid of the fiber contained in the peaches' skin?!  However, be sure to wash peaches thoroughly in warm running water to get rid of any dirt and debris.
• Use fresh herbs such as thyme to add more flavor to this sweet and savory dish! Fresh herbs always pair beautifully with the chicken and fruit combination. Fresh basil is another herb that will work well in this recipe.
• Use honey to create a sticky and syrupy glaze-like sauce in this recipe.
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice - I squeezed half a lemon, but you can easily use a whole lemon, as long as it's freshly squeezed. It will add tartness to the sweet and savory flavors of this dish.

Storage and reheating tips

• Fridge. Store seared chicken with peaches in an airtight container for up to 4 days. I do not recommend freezing this dish because that will dry out the chicken and turn peaches into mush.
• Reheat in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Check and reheat for 30 seconds more or longer.
• Reheat on the stovetop. You can also reheat the chicken on medium heat in the skillet on the stovetop. When reheating, heat olive oil in the skillet first until it shimmers.

What to serve with chicken and peaches

Chicken with peaches is a meal on its own that doesn't really need any side dishes. But if you want add-ons, here are some ideas:

• Salad. Serve this with a simple spinach salad or prepare a luscious peach pasta salad with arugula and tomatoes to complement this dish.
• Roasted vegetables. You can add roasted Brussels sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, green beans, onions, and mushrooms - all those will complement chicken and peaches perfectly.
• Pasta. Prepare a simple side of pasta coated in garlic and olive oil sauce or butter. Angel hair pasta, fusilli, or farfalle (bow-tie pasta) work well.
• Cauliflower rice. You can use fresh or frozen (defrosted).
• Quinoa. Cook quinoa in chicken broth to add richness. Then toss with garlic and fresh herbs.
• Bread. Serve a slice of warmed garlic or olive bread. Or, if you're feeling ambitious, make your own perfectly non-dense loaf of bread in a bread machine.

4.65 from 264 votes

Chicken with Peaches - 30-Minute One-Pan Meal

Chicken with Peaches is a delicious 30-minute summer dinner recipe made entirely in one pan!  This quick and easy family-friendly weeknight meal features savory chicken and sweet yellow peaches, with lemon honey sauce.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mediterranean

Servings 4 people

Calories per serving 545 kcal

Author: Julia

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1.4 lb chicken thighs boneless skinless
• ½ teaspoon chili powder or more
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Peaches

• 2 yellow peaches medium size, thoroughly washed, cored, and sliced
• 3 tablespoons honey or more
• ½ lemon (half a lemon freshly squeezed or more)
• 2 tablespoons butter

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Instructions 

How to cook chicken

• Season chicken thighs with chili powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
• Heat the same (now empty) cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. This allows the cast-iron skillet to heat through.
• Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add chicken thighs. Cook the chicken on medium heat for 5 minutes, without moving it. This allows the chicken to sear.
• Flip the chicken thighs over, reduce heat to low-medium, and cook for about 5 more minutes or longer until it's cooked through. Remove from heat.
• Remove chicken from skillet.

How to cook peaches

• To the same skillet, on medium heat, add sliced peaches and slightly cook them, without overcooking, - about 5 minutes.
• At the very end, add honey, lemon juice, and butter. Stir

Assembly

• Add back the cooked chicken nestled in between the peaches. Reheat briefly. Remove from heat.
• Top with fresh thyme.

Nutrition

Nutrition Information

Chicken with Peaches - 30-Minute One-Pan Meal

Amount per Serving

Calories

545

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

39

g

60

%

Saturated Fat

 

12

g

75

%

Trans Fat

 

0.4

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

7

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

18

g

Cholesterol

 

171

mg

57

%

Sodium

 

182

mg

8

%

Potassium

 

457

mg

13

%

Carbohydrates

 

23

g

8

%

Fiber

 

2

g

8

%

Sugar

 

20

g

22

%

Protein

 

27

g

54

%

Vitamin A

 

629

IU

13

%

Vitamin C

 

10

mg

12

%

Calcium

 

31

mg

3

%

Iron

 

2

mg

11

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition Disclaimer:

The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.