I’m always cooking chicken. I try to step my game up when I do make it so John doesn’t grow tired of it. I usually cook chicken thighs because they hold so much flavor and he’s been requesting chicken breasts. One day I’ll grant his wish. I didn’t always cook with chicken thighs though – in fact, I HATED chicken thighs. My opinion has now changed, obviously. As I was about to embark on another boring chicken dinner I thought, how can I *really* step my game up? STONE FRUIT ROASTED CHICKEN.
Have you heard of such a thing? It’s not necessarily a new technique but I recently read that roasting meats with stone fruits is a big thing in South Africa. Not sure if this is true but it sounds believable, doesn’t it? I really sort of used my instincts with this dish and I’m glad I listened. This dish was very flavorful. I wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out but good lord, we should be cooking all the things with fruit. Stone fruit roasted chicken is my new jam.
So what’s a stone fruit?
It’s really as simple as a fruit that has a pit or stone in the middle. Think: peaches, cherries, plums. Here’s a few more examples over on The Pioneer Woman. Stone fruits are strong. You can roast them with your favorite proteins, grill them – whatever. They hold up pretty well. Don’t be afraid to experiment with it – I promise it will turn out delicious.
Stone fruit roasted chicken
Whenever I cook chicken, I typically follow the same technique every time: sear briefly on both sides (we like a bit of a crispy skin) then let the oven do the rest. It’s really the simplest way to have the most delicious chicken on a consistent basis. It’s easy, doesn’t require a ton of prep or cooking experience either. You can do this.
This time for my stone fruit, I used black plums. Oh yeah. But use whatever fruit your heart desires. I imagine this would be really tasty with peaches – maybe even cherries? I’d give it a try at least.
Ingredients
- 4-6 chicken thighs, skin on
- Salt & pepper
- Garlic powder
- Dried oregano
- Creole seasoning (like Tony Chachere)
- Olive oil
- Chicken broth (or white wine)
- 2-3 black plums (or other stone fruit), sliced
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- Fresh herbs (like thyme)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375 degrees.
- Season the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and Creole seasoning.
- Heat olive oil in an oven-safe skillet then sear the chicken (skin side down) until browned. Turn over and then deglaze the pan with chicken broth. Add in the plums, onions and herbs.
- Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes or until the chicken has cooked through (cooking times may vary depending on your oven).
- Serve and enjoy!
I haven’t tried roasting chicken with stone fruit! I’ve done oranges, pears, and apricots. You have the perfect sear on that chicken!