Honey Butter Peach Chicken recipe

My Honey Butter Peach Chicken recipe is the perfect savory sweetness for a delicious dinner. Packed with flavor it uses fresh peaches, pancetta, honey and butter to make an unforgettable dish. And it only takes 30 minutes to make! Save this recipe today!

With peaches in season right now I wanted to find a way to incorporate them into dinner. Usually I’m not a big fruit-with-my savory-things-kind-of-person but peaches are one of those fruits that seem to transcend my rule. In fact, for some reason I think all stone fruit works much better for this than berries. That said, I really love savory so I didn’t want to overload our dinner by making it too sweet. My Honey Butter Peach Chicken recipe is a perfect blend of a recipe that is savory with just a touch of sweetness. It’s also one of those recipes that will taste like a unique, restaurant quality dish that you can make right at home. 

Making the sauce

The farm down the street from us has a huge fruit stand so they have a ton of peaches right now. Besides eating them and making jam (which is my plan for this weekend) or using them in desserts like my Oatmeal Peach Cobbler {HERE}, I really wanted to use the unique dinner in a savory way. My Honey Butter Peach Chicken recipe takes a simple peach and pairs it with this beautifully, rich sauce that really has some complex flavors going on. In fact, I start the sauce with diced shallots and garlic, which is not something you think of when you think “peach”. But I promise you, this works. Next, I add in some chicken broth, then the honey and butter to really make the sauce a fantastic, flavorful part of the dinner.

One pot meal

Before the sauce, I cook some pancetta in the pan and the chicken too. This is a one pot meal! I love a good one pot meal because it means less dishes and it often means more flavorful food. The flavors all have a chance to really mingle well when it is all cooked in one pot. I use my Le Creuset Braiser pot for this recipe and many others. You can find it {HERE} if you need a good braiser. They’re a little bit of a splurge but I use it at least once a week so for me it is worth it. The different colors also cost wildly different amounts, which doesn’t full make sense to me but it is what it is. 

What about the peaches?

So the peaches are actually the last ingredient that gets added in my Honey Butter Peach Chicken recipe. You don’t want them to get overcooked or else they will essentially fall apart on you. You don’t want that. You want them to be soft but still have a presence. So that they don’t overcook, I add them in at the end and broil the whole dish for a few minutes. This cooks up the peaches fast while also giving the top of the chicken a little caramelization. 

Also – and this is really important – before the chicken and the peaches go into the oven, spoon the sauce over the chicken/peaches. This keeps everything from drying out. It also helps retain the moisture in the dish. 

Using chicken thighs versus breasts

I use chicken thighs in this recipe for Honey Butter Peach Chicken. They’re dark meat and we prefer dark meat to white meat. It retains it’s moisture and flavor better than white meat. However, if you prefer breasts you can use them. Just make sure to tenderize the breasts then so they are all of similar size and know you will probably need to cook them for 20 minutes once they go into the oven. 

Tips for making my Honey Butter Peach Chicken recipe

• For the best flavor, make sure to use extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.
• If you don’t have or can’t find Pancetta, you can substitute it with bacon.
• Make sure to use fresh peaches in this recipe. I leave the skin on but you can remove it if you like. Just don’t pre-boil them. 
• Make sure to remember to spoon the sauce over the chicken before adding it to the oven. This keeps it from drying out while cooking. Repeat this before the dish gets broiled. Again, it’s very important for the moisture of the dish.
• I don’t recommend making the Honey Butter Peach Chicken in advance. If you have leftovers you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for two days. Then re-heat it in the oven at 350 degree.

Looking for more chicken dinner ideas? 

If you’re looking for more delicious dinner ideas, try these!

• French Onion Chicken {HERE}
• White Wine Dijon Chicken {HERE}
• Mediterranean Chicken Skewers {HERE}
• Bacon & Mushroom Smothered Chicken {HERE}
• Chicken Tortellini Soup {HERE}
• Creamy Poblano Chicken Enchiladas {HERE}

Thank you so much for visiting today, friends! I hope you love my Honey Butter Peach Chicken recipe. You can find a full, printable recipe below with all the ingredients and steps. You can also find me on instagram @sugarmaplefarmhouse and @sugarmaplekitchen. Our YouTube channel is @sugarmaplefarmhouse. Happy eating!

Honey Butter Peach Chicken

My Honey Butter Peach Chicken recipe is the perfect savory sweetness for a delicious dinner. Packed with flavor it uses fresh peaches, pancetta, honey and butter to make an unforgettable dish. Save this recipe today!

Print Pin Rate

Course: dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken with peaches, Honey butter peach chicken, Honey Chicken, Peach Chicken

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Rachel

Equipment

• 1 large sauté pan that can also be used in the oven

Ingredients

Seasoning for the chicken

• 2 tsp. sea salt, divided
• 1 tsp. fresh cracked pepper, divided
• 1 tsp. oregano, divided
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. paprika, divided

Ingredients for the Honey Butter Chicken Recipe

• 8 oz. pancetta
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 4-6 chicken thighs
• 1 large shallot
• 3 cloves garlic, grated or pressed
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 stick of butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 large peaches, sliced
• Fresh basil and additional fresh thyme for topping

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then season the chicken with half the seasonings on one side and half on the other. Set aside.
• Add the pancetta to the saute pan and cook about 3 minutes or until it is looking dark red. Remove the pancetta and oil from the pan and put it on a plate with a paper towel so the towel soaks up the excess oil. Lightly wipe out the pan.
• Add 1 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil to the pan and then add the chicken. Cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes per side. The time will depend on thickness.
• Remove the chicken and set aside. Add 2 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil to the pan and add in the shallots and cook for 2 minutes. Stir frequently. Then add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes stirring frequently.
• Add the chicken broth and deglaze the pan, scraping all the brown bits. Cook for 3 minutes over medium heat. Scrape the entire time.
• Add in the butter and the honey. Stir the butter around until it is completely melted. Then add the chicken back in and add the thyme sprigs.
• Spoon the sauce over the chicken (This is really important!) and cover the pan. Cook in the oven for 15 minutes.
• When the time is up remove it, add the peaches. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and the peaches. Broil for 3-5 minutes or until the peaches start to look soft and cooked. Keep an eye on it if you're not familiar with using your broiler. In my oven it takes 5 minutes.
• Remove and serve immediately with basil, extra thyme and sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.