Description
This sweet‑and‑savory chicken dish combines juicy chicken breasts with a jammy blueberry & thyme sauce, glazed with balsamic and honey for a gourmet flavor that’s surprisingly easy to make.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (≈ 6 oz each)
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 °F (190 °C). Pat chicken dry and season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
- In a medium saucepan, combine blueberries, balsamic vinegar, honey, and thyme. Over medium heat, gently smash some blueberries with a fork—but leave some texture. Simmer ~5 minutes until jammy.
- Heat olive oil in an oven‑safe skillet over medium‑high until it shimmers. Sear chicken breasts 2–3 minutes per side until golden brown.
- Pour the blueberry sauce over the seared chicken in the skillet.
- Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake 20–25 minutes, or until chicken reaches 165 °F (74 °C) internally.
- Remove from oven, let rest about 3 minutes, then serve the chicken with extra sauce drizzled on top, garnished with fresh thyme if desired.
Notes
- Don’t skip searing—the browned crust helps lock in juices.
- If the sauce becomes too thick, thin it with a splash of water or chicken broth; if too thin, simmer a bit longer.
- Every oven is different—use a meat thermometer rather than relying solely on time.
- Leftover sauce and chicken keep well for up to 3 days in the refrigerator; reheat gently with a bit of liquid to prevent the sauce from separating.
- Frozen blueberries can be used in a pinch—thaw and drain first. The texture will be smoother.
- Variations: add lemon juice, a pinch of cinnamon, or other fresh herbs (e.g. rosemary) to the sauce for flavor twists.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast with sauce
- Calories: 285
- Sodium: 95 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 54 g
