This baked cherry chicken is full of a perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors. It is a great light summer recipe and the best way to use up those fresh cherries!
I first had cherry chicken at my grandmother’s house when she made it for my husband and I for dinner. The flavor combinations were somehow amazing though. I never thought to put chicken and cherries together. Although, when you took a bite of it, it just made sense. The cherries and chicken complimented each other so well.
When I saw fresh cherry recipes were becoming popular, my first inclination was to create a dessert. Although, with all the other desserts I do for the blog, I felt like I needed a rest from the sweets ha-ha! That’s when I remembered this yummy savory dish that my grandmother had made.
I asked her to send over the recipe, and when I read it in full, I didn’t love what was in it. It called for things that I, and most people, don’t just have in their pantry. So, I knew I had to tweak it a bit to make it a more realistic dinner idea. I really only feel right promoting a recipe if it something that is simple and not overly pricey or unique.
Why You Will Love This Cherry Chicken Recipe
- Fresh – This recipe is made with seasonal fresh cherries which makes it all the more yummy and refreshing.
- Light – Heavy recipes in Summer just aren’t appealing. I feel like that is more of a Winter thing. This recipe is light with the fruitiness of the cherries yet savory with the chicken.
- Versatile – When making this recipe, whatever cut of chicken that you have on hand will work. This cherry chicken can also be made with either fresh or frozen pitted cherries.
Best Side Dishes for Cherry Chicken
- Potatoes – you can never go wrong with pairing chicken and potatoes. Especially roasted ones with fresh herbs from the garden.
- Roasted vegetables – I am a strong believer that roasted vegetables beat steamed vegetables any day. If you want to make your life easier, bake the vegetables and potatoes all in one dish!
- Salad – My family is a big salad family. We love having salads with lots of toppings! They are great fillers for any meal.
- Dinner rolls – You can never go wrong with a good dinner roll!
- Sourdough – Similar to dinner rolls, I made a loaf of sourdough to go with my meal. It was a great way to get every drop of that sauce with!
Ingredients to Make Baked Cherry Chicken
Chicken – in any form you would prefer, with or without skin
Red Cherries – I use fresh ones and pitted them myself for this recipe because that is what I had on hand. Although, frozen will work just as great.
Dijon Mustard
Cornstarch – this will work as our thickener for the cherry sauce.
Lemon Juice – One whole lemon will do the trick, although feel free to use concentrate!
Orange Juice – This will help add acidity to our dish as well as balance out the lemon juice. I just bought a small container of orange juice. Although, fresh oranges squeezed work just as well.
Brown Sugar – Can never go wrong with adding a little sweetness.
Tools You Will Need
- Medium saucepan
- Measuring cups/spoons
- Baking dish
How to Make Cherry Baked Chicken Step-by-Step
- If using fresh cherries, start by pitting the cherries. As well as preheating the oven to 375 degrees.
- Now, in a medium sized saucepan, mix together half of the cherries, water, mustard, cornstarch, lemon juice, orange juice, and brown sugar. Heat on medium thick, stirring constantly, until thickened.
- Arrange chicken into a baking dish and pour the thickened sauce over the chicken. Scatter the rest of the cherries around in the baking dish.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or up to 1 hour depending on what kind of chicken being used. Baste the chicken with sauce periodically.
- Serve immediately.
Baked Cherry Chicken
This baked cherry chicken is light and fruity yet also so savory. A perfect summer dinner and a great way to use up those fresh cherries!
Ingredients
- 2 cups cherries, divided in two bowls (1 cup in each)
- 3 pounds chicken, in any form
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
- juice of 1 lemon
- orange juice (poured in with lemon juice until total liquid equals 1/2 cup)
- fresh thyme and rosemary for garnish. optional
Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees F.
- For step 2, pit the fresh cherries if choosing to use fresh.
- Next, combine half of the fresh or frozen cherries, brown sugar, cornstarch, mustard, lemon juice, and orange juice into a medium sized saucepan. 1 cup cherries, 1 teaspoon mustard, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1 lemon juiced, orange juice (added into the lemon juice until the total liquid amount is 1/2 cup)
- Heat all of that on medium heat stirring constantly until it thickens up. Once thick, remove from heat.
- Arrange the chicken in a baking dish, I used a cast iron, and pour the thickened sauce all over the arranged chicken. Scatter the reserved 1 cup of cherries on top of the chicken and sauce.
- Add herbs on top if desires and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or up to 1 hour depending on type and size of chicken. If using chicken with skin on, it will take closer to an hour. Just check it periodically with a thermometer and baste with the sauce occasionally.
- Serve immediately with desired side dishes!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 486Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 160mgSodium: 133mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 1gSugar: 24gProtein: 41g
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