Made in one pan and simmered in juicy cherries and a white wine sauce, this skillet cherry chicken is quick to make and tastes like summer in a pan!
This has got to be my most favorite mid-summer dinner of all time, guys.
You really can never go wrong with cherries in anything and everything, but this chicken dinner only further proves that.
Honestly, we’ve got a little bit of everything going on today: chicken, cheese, fruit, AND wine. That’s a big dinner mood.
You might be thinking this chicken is too fancy for you to pull off, but I’m here to tell you it’s SO not! I’m talking everyday ingredients, made in one pan, entirely on the stovetop kinda easy.
Just simple, good summer food. How it should be.
This Skillet Cherry Chicken features…
- Tender seared chicken breasts
- A flavorful white wine pan sauce
- Juicy summer cherries sauteed with shallots
- Creamy burrata cheese broken open on top
Making the Skillet Cherry Chicken
(scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe!)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Fresh cherries
- Shallot
- Garlic
- White wine
- Chicken stock
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Burrata cheese
- Fresh herbs
Choosing Your Chicken
We love boneless skinless chicken breasts best in this recipe! They cook up perfectly tender and juicy from both a sear and then a short braise in the white wine sauce.
To prep the breasts, use a meat mallet or a rolling pin to pound each breast out to about 1/2-inch thickness. Then pat breasts dry and season well with salt and pepper.
Boneless skinless thighs would also work great in this recipe! Cooking them in place of the breasts will be nearly the same process with only two differences…
1) do not pound them out as you would the breasts 2) they will likely cook a little bit faster once you reach the braising step. Keep your eye on them and temp them with a kitchen thermometer often so they don’t overcook.
Tips for Perfect Cherry Chicken
- Flatten chicken – as mentioned above, we’re going to pound out the chicken to 1/2-inch thickness. This smaller thickness will help the chicken cook up fast and juicy.
- Sear chicken in olive oil + butter – make sure your pan is hot and the olive oil and butter are melted before adding the chicken. Sear until both sides are golden brown.
- Saute cherries – halved fresh cherries and a shallot get a quick saute in the pan drippings until juicy.
- Reduce white wine sauce – let the white wine sauce reduce by about a fourth
- Simmer chicken in sauce – nestle the chicken and cherries into the white wine sauce and let them finish cooking in the sauce until the chicken registers 165F.
Flavor Variations
- Try another fruit in place of the cherries – sliced peaches, plums, or halved cherry tomatoes would be incredible additions.
- Swap out the cheese – we love the creamy element the burrata adds to this chicken, but fresh mozzarella pearls, crumbled goat cheese or feta, or grated Parmesan would also be great in this chicken.
- Try another herb – fresh basil, parsley, or rosemary would all be welcome swap-outs for the oregano.
What to Serve with Chicken
Highly recommend on getting your hands on some burrata cheese for breaking open on top of this chicken! It adds an unmatchable richness.
As far as side dishes go, we love serving this chicken alongside a light green salad, roast potatoes, or on a bed of rice.
That’s all she wrote for this keeper summer dinner, y’all. It’s just a pan full of simple summer and it is freaking GOOD!
The chicken soaks up all of that flavorful white wine sauce, the cherries add a little burst of juicy sweetness, and the creamy burrata cheese just ties everything together.
And seriously, it is the EASIEST and uses simple ingredients. Yet it tastes like it came outta a fancy restaurant.
That’s the kinda summer magic we’re going for here.
More skillet dinners to add to your menu!
- One Pot Spanish Chicken and Rice
- Skillet Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
- Maple Glazed Chicken with Sweet Potato Hash
Skillet Cherry Chicken with White Wine Sauce
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Ingredients
- 4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs)
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups black cherries, pitted and halved
- 1 small shallot, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 oz burrata (at room temperature)
- 1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves
Instructions
- Use a meat mallet or a rolling pin to pound chicken breasts flat to 1/2-in thickness. Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil in a 9-inch cast iron skillet or stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan and sear 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add cherries and shallot to pan and saute in pan drippings over medium-high heat 3-4 minutes until just tender and juicy. Transfer cherries to a plate and set aside.
- Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add wine, chicken stock, and lemon juice and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow sauce to simmer 5-10 minutes until slightly reduced.
- Nestle chicken and cherries back into sauce and allow to simmer over medium-low heat an additional 5-10 minutes until chicken registers 165F.
- Season chicken with additional salt and pepper to taste. Break burrata open over chicken and cherries and garnish top with fresh oregano. Serve chicken immediately and enjoy!
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