Chicken with Orange Fig Sauce
Chicken breasts topped with an orange fig sauce. Perfect dinner recipe to use fresh figs which are in season for fall. Paleo, Whole30, gluten free, dairy free.
My aunt has apple trees, pear trees, and fig trees. She recently came to visit, and asked if I wanted any of her homegrown fruit. Yes please! I told her I would take as much as she had. It’s impossible to give to me too much.
She brought me a big grocery bag full of pears that I turned into pear sauce (Josh is loving it!), and she brought me a gallon ziplock bag packed full of gorgeous black mission figs. I have been eating figs like crazy, and finding fun ways to cook them and incorporate them into recipes.
This chicken with orange fig sauce is my favorite I have created.
You combine the cut figs (so pretty!) with orange juice, balsamic vinegar and salt, and simmer them until the figs are very soft. You then mash them with a potato masher (or you could use an immersion blender), and it breaks down into a thick, flavorful sauce perfect to top chicken breasts.
It’s also great on top of salmon and pork. I would know, I’ve used it on top of both. I told you she brought me a lot of figs! But using it on top of skin-on chicken breasts has been my favorite. I love crispy skin chicken.
The fig sauce is lightly sweet, tangy, and savory. I love it. The figs my aunt brought me were so sweet and ripe I didn’t have to add any other sweetener. But you could add a little drizzle of honey if your particular figs need a little more sweetness added to them.
This is a quick and healthy dinner recipe that I will be making a lot this fall. It’s paleo, gluten free, Whole30, dairy free and low calorie.
Chicken with Orange Fig Sauce
Ingredients
Orange Fig Sauce
- 1 cup ripe figs, stems removed and cut in half
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Chicken Breasts
- 4 boneless, skin on (or skinless) chicken breasts (I get my chicken from ButcherBox, which I highly recommend)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees with the oven rack in the middle.
- Orange Fig Sauce: In a small sauce pan, combine the figs, orange juice, balsamic vinegar and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low so it simmers. Simmer for 20 minutes until the figs are soft. Mash with a potato masher (or use an immersion blender), until it is the consistency of a jam. Taste for salt and season if necessary.
- Chicken: While the fig sauce is simmering, season the chicken breasts generally with salt and pepper. Heat a cast iron skillet (or heavy bottom skillet) over medium high heat. Add the olive oil. Start the chicken breasts skin side down, and cook 5 minutes until the skin is golden brown. Flip the chicken, and transfer the pan to the oven to finish cooking. Cook until the chicken breasts reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees, about 10 more minutes.
- Serve the chicken warm topped with the orange fig sauce. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container for 3 days.
More Paleo Dinners:
Pork Chops with Orange Pecan Pesto
Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Berry Salsa
Mahi Mahi with Chili Lime Butter
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2 Comments on “Chicken with Orange Fig Sauce”
Please clarify the purpose of heating the oven to 400. I first wondered if it was for cooking the chicken, but that says to put cast iron pan on medium high heat.
This chicken looks amazing! I am IN LOVE with that sauce!