Cherry Chicken Recipes

CHERRY CHICKEN

Steps:

• Pat the chicken thighs (or breasts) dry with a paper towel and season with kosher salt. Let it sit out while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
• Whisk together the balsamic, honey, olive oil, shallots, salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a re-sealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag and make sure all the chicken is coated. Let sit at least 30 min and up to overnight in the fridge. Take out of the fridge 30 minutes before placing in hot oven.
• Meanwhile, pit the cherries and set aside.
• To cook chicken: about 30 min before, take it out of the fridge so chicken can come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place chicken thighs (or breasts) skin side up in a shallow roasting dish or cast iron skillet. Nestle the rosemary springs in between the chicken pieces of top with the pitted cherries, moving them around so they fall in between the chicken pieces leaving as much as the skin exposes as possible. The pour the marinade over the chicken. The marinade should generously cover the bottom of the pan.
• Slide the pan into the oven and rotate every 10-12 minutes.
• Cooking times; for breasts: cook 20 minutes; for thighs: cook 45minutes. If using both remove the breasts while the dark meat continues cooking.
• When the dark meat is tender at the bone and cooked through, return breasts to the pan and increase oven to 450 F. Let the sauce reduce and the chicken skin get dark and crispy, about 12 minutes. Move the cherries around again in needed to expose more chicken skin. Brush the chicken with the marinade from the pan every 3-4 minutes to glaze them.
• Serve warm, with crunchy sea salt and freshly grinded black pepper.

TANGY CHERRY CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat with the 3 turns of the pan of extra-virgin olive oil, about 3 tablespoons. Season chicken liberally with half of the thyme, salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet. Cook the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
• In the bottom of a medium sauce pot, heat and toast pine nuts over moderate heat and remove. Add 2 cups stock and 1 tablespoon butter to the pot and bring to a boil.
• Return the chicken skillet to the burner over medium-high heat, add 1 turn of the pan of extra-virgin olive oil, add the onion, celery, crushed red pepper flakes, nutmeg, salt and pepper, cook for 3 to 4 or until the celery and onions are tender. Add the white wine, and cook until the pan is almost dry, 1 minute. Add 2 cups chicken stock, dried cherries and continue to cook for about 5 to 6 minutes or until there is only about 1/2 cup of liquid left in the pan. Turn the heat off the under the pan. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons cold butter in small pieces and whisk until it has completely melted.
• In a medium saucepan bring the remaining 1 cup chicken stock to a boil, add couscous, allspice, cinnamon and a little salt. Cover pot and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Drizzle honey over the couscous and add the pine nuts, scallions and parsley. Toss and fluff with a fork to combine.
• Serve the chicken whole or sliced with cherry sauce poured over it and couscous alongside. Dark seared greens or simple salad complete the meal.

CHERRY CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then coat with flour. Fry in the hot oil until browned, turning as needed. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for about 25 minutes or until meat is tender and juices run clear.
• Remove the chicken from the pan, and pour off all but 1/4 cup of the drippings. Return to medium heat and stir in the cherries, reserving some of the cherry liquid for later. Stir in sugar and bring to a boil. Dissolve the cornstarch in the reserved cherry liquid, then stir into the pan. Cook, stirring gently, until thickened.
• Add orange slices and almonds to the skillet, then return the chicken pieces to the skillet. Spoon sauce over the chicken to coat, and simmer over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

TANGY CHERRY CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with the 3 turns of the pan of extra-virgin olive oil, about 3 tablespoons. Season chicken liberally with half of the thyme, salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet. Cook the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
• In the bottom of a medium sauce pot, heat and toast pine nuts over moderate heat and remove. Add 2 cups stock and 1 tablespoon butter to the pot and bring to a boil.
• Return the chicken skillet to the burner over medium-high heat, add 1 turn of the pan of extra-virgin olive oil, add the onion, celery, crushed red pepper flakes, nutmeg, salt and pepper, cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the celery and onions are tender. Add the white wine, and cook until the pan is almost dry, 1 minute. Add the 2 cups boiling chicken stock, and dried cherries and continue to cook for about 5 to 6 minutes or until there is only about 1/2 cup of liquid left in the pan. Turn the heat off the under the pan. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons cold butter in small pieces and whisk until it has completely melted.
• In a medium saucepan bring the remaining 1 cup chicken stock to a boil, add couscous, allspice, cinnamon and a little salt. Cover pot and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Drizzle honey over the couscous and add the pine nuts, scallions and parsley. Toss and fluff with a fork to combine.
• Serve the chicken whole or sliced with cherry sauce poured over it and couscous alongside. Dark seared greens or simple salad complete the meal.

CHERRY CHICKEN

Steps:

• About an hour before you start the chicken, halve and de-pit about 15-20 dark cherries, placing them in a bowl. Set aside. In a pot, heat about 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water, mixing the whole time. When the water start to boil, remove from heat and pour into the bowl of halved and pitted cherries. Add a spritz of lemon juice. Let cool, then taste. If it's too sour, add more sugar, about a tablespoon at a time, until it's to your taste preferences. Let sit. After your cherries have been sitting for about 45 minutes, preheat the oven to 350F. In a bowl, mix about 1/4cup of flour with salt and pepper (to taste). Take the chicken breast and coat it in the flour mixture, then put in a foil-lined pan. Bake for 30 minutes, flip, and bake for another 20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. After you flip the chicken but while it is still baking, remove about 5TSBP of the liquid in the cherries and set it into a small bowl or sauce dish. Dissolve about 1 1/2TSBP corn starch in this and set aside. In a small round skillet (I used a 6" skillet), put heat 2TSBP vegetable oil. Put the first chicken breast in the heated oil. It will sizzle, so be careful! After about a minute, flip it. After another 30 seconds, add in half of the cherry mix. Let it continue to sizzle, then drizzle in half of the cherry sauce-corn starch mix over the chicken. Once the cherries look similar to cherry preserves, take the chicken out of the pan and set on a plate. Spoon the cherries out of the pan ontop of the chicken, then repeat this process with the second piece of chicken (do NOT add more oil, there should be enough left in the pan!) Cut the chicken breasts in half and enjoy!

CHERRY-TOPPED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Flatten chicken to 1/4-in. thickness. In a large skillet, cook chicken in oil over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until no longer pink. , Meanwhile, in a small microwave-safe bowl, combine preserves and allspice. Heat in the microwave until warmed. Serve with chicken.

CHERRY-BALSAMIC GLAZED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Preheat grill.
• In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat until hot.
• Add the shallots and saute until softened- about 3-4 minutes.
• Add the cherry preserves, balsamic vinegar, Italian seasonings, and the pepper.
• Reduce heat to medium low and cook until the mixture is reduced by one-fourth.
• About 6-8 minutes.
• Reserve 6 tbsp of glaze in small bowl.
• Lightly season chicken breasts with salt.
• Place chicken on grill.
• Cook, covered for 4 minutes per side.
• Brush one side with glaze.
• Let set for 1 minutes then flip and brush other side with glaze.
• Repeat until chicken is cooked through.

LEMON AND GARLIC CHICKEN WITH CHERRY TOMATOES

Steps:

• Stir together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Cut each chicken breast into 2 equal pieces (3 if they weigh 12 ounces or more) and place in the bowl. Stir together and refrigerate 15 to 30 minutes.
• Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with paper towels (discard marinade). Place two sheets of plastic wrap (1 large sheet if you have extra-wide wrap) on your work surface, overlapping slightly, to make 1 wide sheet, and brush lightly with olive oil. Place a piece of chicken in the middle of plastic sheet and brush lightly with oil. Cover the chicken with another wide layer of plastic wrap. Working from the center to the outside, pound chicken breast with the flat side of a meat tenderizer until about 1/4 inch thick. (Don't pound too hard or you'll tear the meat. If that happens it won't be the end of the world, you'll just have a few pieces to cook.) Repeat with the remaining chicken breast pieces.
• Season the pounded chicken breasts with salt and pepper on one side only. Dredge lightly in the flour (you will not use all of it) and tap the breasts to remove excess.
• Turn oven on low. Heat a wide, heavy skillet over high heat and add oil. When oil is hot, place one or two pieces of chicken in the pan - however many will fit without crowding. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes, until bottom is browned in spots. Turn over and brown other side, about 1 1/2 minutes. (Do not overcook or chicken will be dry.) Transfer to a platter or sheet pan and keep warm in the oven. If there is more than a tablespoon of fat in the pan, pour some off into a jar or bowl.
• Turn heat on burner down to medium-high. Add wine to pan and stir with a wooden spoon to deglaze. Add cherry tomatoes and cook, stirring often or tossing in the pan, until they begin to shrivel and burst. Add sugar and salt and pepper to taste and continue to cook, tossing the tomatoes in the pan and stirring often, for 5 to 10 minutes, until tomatoes have collapsed but are still intact. Top chicken breasts with the tomatoes, sprinkle with parsley and with Parmesan if using, and serve.

CHICKEN WITH CHERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Set aside 3/4 cup cherries. In a blender, combine orange juice and remaining cherries; cover and process until smooth. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, lemon juice, garlic and ginger; set aside., In a large skillet over medium heat, brown chicken on all sides in butter. Place chicken skin side down in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Top with cherry sauce. , Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20 minutes; turn chicken. Top with reserved cherries. Bake, uncovered, 25-30 minutes longer or until chicken juices run clear.

CHERRY BOMB CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine water, kosher salt, and sugar in a saucepan over low heat; cook until sugar and salt dissolve, 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
• Score the skin side of each piece of chicken 2 to 3 times, about 1/8 inch deep. Place chicken pieces in a large bowl or lidded container.
• Puree cherry tomatoes, habanero peppers, garlic, and allspice with the salt and sugar mixture in a blender until smooth.
• Pour tomato brine over chicken pieces, making sure all pieces are covered. Refrigerate 4 to 6 hours.
• Remove chicken pieces and transfer to a plate or baking sheet lined with paper towels. Pat chicken pieces dry with more paper towels.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Combine thyme, cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and oil in a small bowl.
• Brush each chicken piece with thyme and oil mixture.
• Cook chicken, skin side down, on the preheated grill for 1 to 2 minutes. Turn each piece and move to indirect heat. Cook until well-browned and meat is no longer pink in the center, 30 to 35 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• Brush each piece with Thai sweet chile sauce. Transfer to a plate and allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

CHERRY-GLAZED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
• Rinse the chicken with cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
• Pour the milk into a shallow dish.
• Mix the flour, thyme, salt and pepper together on a sheet of waxed paper or a shallow tray.
• Dip each piece of chicken into the milk, then coat with the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess.
• Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over a medium-high heat and cook the chicken pieces for 5 minutes on each side or until golden-brown.
• As they brown, transfer the chicken pieces to a 13x9-inch baking dish.
• When all the chicken has been transferred to the baking dish, cover it with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
• THE CHERRY SAUCE: Combine the reserved cherry juice and both sugars in a small saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Stir in the mustard and cook for a further 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly. Stir in the cherries. (The sauce will continue to thicken once it bakes.).
• After the chicken has baked for 30 minutes, uncover it, and spoon the hot cherry sauce over it.
• Bake, uncovered for a further 15 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and the juices run clear.
• Serve over rice or noodles with steamed green vegetables.