Sweet-and-Spicy Grilled Chicken and Peaches
When I make this dish—and when I make most chicken dishes on the grill—I like to use organic boneless and skinless chicken thighs rather than boneless and skinless chicken breasts. I’ve found that the slightly higher fat content of the chicken thighs helps prevent them from drying out when they’re grilled (unlike chicken breasts, which can dry out quickly if you’re not careful). They also have a little more flavor than chicken breasts, they hold on to glazes and marinades a little better, and it’s hard to overcook them. That being said, I have tested the recipe with boneless and skinless chicken breasts as well, and as long as you monitor them carefully for doneness, they are still delicious in this dish. My boys prefer the chicken thighs, but of course feel free to use whichever your family prefers.
I usually serve the chicken and peaches with brown rice and grilled (or sautéed) broccoli. The sweet-and-spicy peach glaze gives the chicken a flavor similar to the orange-glazed chicken and broccoli dish that you find at most Chinese restaurants these days, so if you’re a fan of that dish, then I’m confident you will love this more wholesome spin on it.
My hungry, growing boys eat a lot, so this recipe is *just* enough for the 4 of us for dinner, served with brown rice (or another whole grain) and a green vegetable. However, depending on what—and how many—sides you serve it with, and how big the appetites are in your family, you might be able to serve 5, maybe 6 people with this recipe (although if you are serving more than 4 people, I’d recommend adding another peach to the grill so that each person has at least one peach half to enjoy). Leftover chicken and peaches are also delicious the next day, especially tossed into a salad (with goat cheese and arugula and toasted walnuts), so keep that in mind! (You can also double the recipe to serve more people, or to ensure some leftovers.)
One final note: The peaches can be grilled with the same sweet-and-spicy glaze that is brushed onto the chicken—just reserve some glaze solely for the peaches to avoid cross-contamination—or you can simply brush the peaches with some olive oil instead. Serve the grilled peaches with the chicken, or save them for dessert; it’s totally your call. If you can find fresh, locally grown peaches in your area, even better. Just brush the peaches with a little olive oil, grill them until they’re caramelized and juicy, and you have a simple, wholesome dessert. If you want to gild the lily a bit, serve the grilled peaches with lightly sweetened whipped cream, whipped mascarpone cheese, or Greek yogurt, or even with vanilla ice cream. Add some toasted nuts on top, if you’d like, and you have an easy, delicious end to a perfect late-summer meal.
I usually serve the chicken and peaches with brown rice and grilled (or sautéed) broccoli. The sweet-and-spicy peach glaze gives the chicken a flavor similar to the orange-glazed chicken and broccoli dish that you find at most Chinese restaurants these days, so if you’re a fan of that dish, then I’m confident you will love this more wholesome spin on it.
My hungry, growing boys eat a lot, so this recipe is *just* enough for the 4 of us for dinner, served with brown rice (or another whole grain) and a green vegetable. However, depending on what—and how many—sides you serve it with, and how big the appetites are in your family, you might be able to serve 5, maybe 6 people with this recipe (although if you are serving more than 4 people, I’d recommend adding another peach to the grill so that each person has at least one peach half to enjoy). Leftover chicken and peaches are also delicious the next day, especially tossed into a salad (with goat cheese and arugula and toasted walnuts), so keep that in mind! (You can also double the recipe to serve more people, or to ensure some leftovers.)
One final note: The peaches can be grilled with the same sweet-and-spicy glaze that is brushed onto the chicken—just reserve some glaze solely for the peaches to avoid cross-contamination—or you can simply brush the peaches with some olive oil instead. Serve the grilled peaches with the chicken, or save them for dessert; it’s totally your call. If you can find fresh, locally grown peaches in your area, even better. Just brush the peaches with a little olive oil, grill them until they’re caramelized and juicy, and you have a simple, wholesome dessert. If you want to gild the lily a bit, serve the grilled peaches with lightly sweetened whipped cream, whipped mascarpone cheese, or Greek yogurt, or even with vanilla ice cream. Add some toasted nuts on top, if you’d like, and you have an easy, delicious end to a perfect late-summer meal.
Author: Wholesome Family Kitchen
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- -- Nonstick cooking spray or oil for oiling the grill grate
- -- ½ cup peach preserves or jam
- -- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (plus more if needed)
- -- 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
- -- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- -- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- -- 2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
- -- ½ teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger (from about a ½-inch piece of ginger root, peeled)
- -- a pinch (about ⅛ teaspoon) red pepper flakes *
- -- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- -- 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
- -- 2 ripe peaches, cut in half and pitted
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the peach preserves, olive oil, soy sauce, mustard, balsamic vinegar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes, and season to taste with salt and pepper, keeping in mind that the glaze will mellow a bit once it’s brushed and cooked on the chicken. (I usually don’t need to add salt here, as the soy sauce adds enough saltiness to the glaze, but feel free to add salt to taste, if desired.) Reserve about 3 to 4 tablespoons of the glaze for the peaches.
- Heat an outdoor grill to medium heat and lightly oil the grill grate. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and place them on the hot grill grate. Cook the chicken about 3 to 4 minutes on one side, then turn the chicken over and continue cooking it on the other side for another 3 to 4 minutes. Brush both sides of the chicken with the peach glaze and continue cooking the chicken until it is cooked through, an additional 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the chicken thighs. ** (If you are using chicken breasts, they will probably take a little longer to cook.) If the exterior of the chicken starts to get too dark or charred before it is cooked through, move it to a cooler part of the grill to finish cooking.
- Place the peach halves cut side down on the hot grill grate and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the peaches over, brush with the reserved peach glaze (or olive oil), and grill until the peaches are soft and the cavities start to fill with juices, about 3 to 4 minutes more, depending on the size and ripeness of the peaches.
Notes
* My boys don’t like anything too spicy, so I keep the amount of heat in the glaze to a minimum here. If you would like a little more heat, feel free to increase the amount of red pepper flakes, or add a finely chopped jalapeño pepper and/or a pinch or two of cayenne pepper.
** It can sometimes be tricky to tell when chicken thighs are fully cooked, because unlike the light meat of chicken breasts, which change color from pink to white when done, the dark meat of chicken thighs looks pinkish brown even when thoroughly cooked. For extra assurance, you can use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the cooked thighs: Food safety experts recommend that boneless thighs be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. When in doubt, I err on the side of cooking them a bit longer; with chicken thighs, even if you overcook them slightly, they won’t really dry out.
Recipe adapted from Bobby Flay.
** It can sometimes be tricky to tell when chicken thighs are fully cooked, because unlike the light meat of chicken breasts, which change color from pink to white when done, the dark meat of chicken thighs looks pinkish brown even when thoroughly cooked. For extra assurance, you can use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the cooked thighs: Food safety experts recommend that boneless thighs be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. When in doubt, I err on the side of cooking them a bit longer; with chicken thighs, even if you overcook them slightly, they won’t really dry out.
Recipe adapted from Bobby Flay.
Recipe by Wholesome Family Kitchen at https://www.wholesomefamilykitchen.com/recipe-sweet-and-spicy-grilled-chicken-and-peaches/