20-Minute Balsamic Peach Chicken Skillet
With this combination, a quick chicken dinner is never boring!
Chicken always seems to be the protein I turn to when I’m looking to prepare dinner in a hasty fashion. It’s quick cooking and it’s versatile, so it’s a good choice for such a meal, but all too often that meal ends up being a very basic chicken breast alongside something like steamed broccoli. Quick? Yes. Healthy? You bet. Boring? A little bit. That’s why I love something like this Balsamic Peach Chicken Skillet instead of the usual plain chicken and steamed veggie. It’s just as quick, just as healthy, but so much more interesting and delicious.
The combination here of basil, fresh peaches and balsamic vinegar forms the perfect sweet and savory background for the chicken. Sliced onions go into the skillet first and are sauteed just until they start to soften. They get pushed to the side to continue cooking while the chicken is browned and end up caramelized and golden brown.
Balsamic vinegar goes in next, and as that reduces it gathers up all the flavorful bits of onion and chicken and garlic that are clinging to the pan. Sweet fresh peaches get tucked into that reduction before the chicken nestles back in to simmer and finish cooking through.
Cutting your chicken breasts in half lengthwise (or buying chicken cutlets) helps cut down on cooking time considerably, so this skillet is done in just twenty short minutes. All that’s left to do is top this skillet meal with a little fresh basil – whose herby aromatic flavor contrasts so nicely with the sweet peaches below – and dig in.
Balsamic Peach Chicken Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 cups peaches, sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Add onion and saute until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Push to one side of the skillet.
- Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and sear in skillet until golden brown, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add garlic and saute with onions for 1 minute. Add balsamic vinegar and cook until reduced by half, 1 more minute.
- Add peaches and season with salt and pepper. Return chicken to skillet, cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 7-9 minutes.
- Remove from heat, top with fresh basil and serve. Enjoy!
Adapted from Cooking Classy.