Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts with Red Wine-Cherry Glaze

Rich, tasty glazes and sauces turn simple chicken breasts into flavor-loaded dinners. I like using various fruit preserves as bases for glazes because they’re already a bit thick and sticky. Cherry preserves are especially good because you get lots of whole pitted cherries in the mix—which enhances both flavor and visual appeal. 

Tip: As they cook down, gently smash some of the cherries against the side of the pan to help them combine with the other ingredients and thicken the glaze.

For this recipe, I balanced the sweetness of the preserves with a little dry red wine for deeper, richer flavor (and color).

Also check out Chicken and Shallots with Cherry-Apricot Sauce and Chicken Breasts with Pan-Seared Grapes.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
• 2/3 cup cherry preserves
• 1/4 cup dry red wine
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp finely chopped rosemary 
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 6-oz boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Glaze Ingredients

Preparation

1. Heat a small saucepan over medium-low heat and melt the butter. Add the shallot and cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes.
2. Add the cherry preserves, wine, and mustard and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a light simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently and gently smashing some of the whole cherries, until slightly thickened, 10-11 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped rosemary. Let stand while the chicken cooks. (The glaze will continue to thicken as it cools.)

Shallot in Butter 

Glaze Beginning to Cook

Cooked Glaze

Red Wine-Cherry Glaze

1. Heat a large, heavy (preferably cast-iron) skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil, swirling to coat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the skillet. Cook until golden on the bottom, 7-8 minutes.
2. Turn the breasts over and cook until golden on the other side and just cooked through, 7-8 minutes longer, depending on thickness. (Tip: Lay a sheet of aluminum foil lightly over the skillet to help retain moisture as the chicken finishes.)
3. Add the red wine-cherry glaze to the pan and turn the breasts several times to coat.

Chicken Beginnning to Cook 

After Turning

Pan-Seared Chciken Breasts

Plate the chicken and spoon remaining glaze from the pan on top.

Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts with Red Wine-Cherry Glaze