This easy 20-minute honey balsamic glazed chicken with dried fruit is perfect for a quick and healthy weeknight dinner but also ideal for a more special occasion!
I just love honey - balsamic glazed chicken! It's such a versatile recipe! You can make it in less than 30 minutes for a quick and tasty weeknight dinner, but you can also dress it up with some dried fruit and nuts and serve it for a more special kind of dinner (like Valentine's Day!).
Not to mention that this is a healthy, low-fat, recipe made in a skillet (minimum cleanup) and everyone seems to love it! However, if you prefer to cook your chicken in the oven, check these sweet bourbon chicken skewers 🙂
When is the chicken ready? Will it be juicy?
The thing with chicken breast is that if you overcook it, it will be dry and if you don't cook it all the way through, you have the risk of salmonella. So, what can you do to ensure that you'll get fully cooked meat but also tender and juicy?
First, salt the chicken 3-4 hours before cooking it or even overnight. By doing that, you actually dry-brine it and you help it keep some extra moisture inside. Also, sauté it in a wide pan, in one layer, over very high heat, without crowding the pan and without stirring it. It will brown better this way and it will develop flavor. When both sides are browned, cut a piece in half and check the center. If the center is not pink, then the chicken is done (keep in mind it will cook some more with the balsamic-honey glaze)
What to serve this honey-balsamic glazed chicken with?
I usually serve it either with some simple fluffy basmati rice or mashed potatoes. If I'm short of time, I use store-bought mashed potatoes (
Green beans, lightly boiled and sautéed with olive oil, some balsamic vinegar and a pinch of sesame seeds are also great.
As for the salad, this orange, lettuce and mango salad or this arugula, goat cheese and green apple salad are perfect to go on the side!
Some notes/tips:
- Raw chicken can transfer salmonella. Wash very well all the utensils, the surfaces, and your hands if they come in contact with raw chicken. Don't use the same chopping board and knife for the salad, unless they're thoroughly washed first.
- Check the chicken for doneness by cutting a piece in half.
- For a different flavor profile, use chestnuts instead of pine nuts and dried figs instead of the prunes or the dried apricots.
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📖 Recipe
Healthy Honey-Balsamic skillet chicken with dried fruit
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 boneless and skinless medium-sized chicken breasts cubed in 1-inch pieces and salted from the previous night or 2-3 hours before cooking
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil (or butter)
- ¼ cup (60 grams) balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons (40 grams) thyme honey (or a dark colored honey)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 5-6 dried apricots
- 5-6 prunes (dried plums)
- Freshly grated black pepper to taste
- Pinch of cumin
Instructions
- Cook the pine nuts with the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat, until toasted (about 4-5 minutes). Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Heat the same pan over very high heat and add the rest of the olive oil and the chicken. Arrange the chicken in one layer and let it cook without stirring, until browned on the one side (about 4-5 minutes). Flip the pieces and let them cook from the other side (another 4 minutes). Check the chicken for doneness by cutting a piece in half.
- Add the vinegar, the honey, the soy sauce, the pine nuts, the dried fruit, the pepper, and the cumin and stir until the chicken is coated and the sauce thickens (about 3-4 minutes).
- Serve immediately with mashed potatoes and green beans. Eat!
Notes
Nutrition
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Karly says
Great touch with the added fruit! Yum!
Makos says
Thank you very much Karly!
Lisa Headley says
Great recipe with plenty of healthy ingredients! This is one of those recipes, to try when guests come along unannounced; can be made quick and very delicious too. I loved the inclusion of pine nuts in the recipe.
Makos says
Thank you Lisa! 🙂
Akhila@Pepper Delight says
I absolutely loved this recipe...the combination of chicken with prunes and apricots sounds interesting!!
And thanks for the dry brine tip, it really helps!!
Makos says
Thanks Akhila, I actually try to remember to salt the meat before storing it in the fridge 🙂