Chicken with Cherry-Wine Pan Sauce is an elegant yet easy 20 minute dinner recipe that's perfect for date night at home, or entertaining. Simple yet impressive!
As a food content creator, I start planning and prepping for food-centric holidays weeks in advance so that by the time the actual holiday rolls around I’ve pretty much moved on.
Case in point, I saw a Valentine’s Day commercial the other day and wondered why the heck it was still airing. Oh yeah, because Valentine’s Day isn’t until next week!
Watch How to Make It!
Luscious Chicken with Cherry Pan Sauce
What have I been working on for said sweet holiday? Chicken with Cherry-Wine Pan Sauce!
Simply seasoned chicken breasts are seared then smothered in a dreamy, wine-soaked cherry sauce made right in the same skillet.
Between the wine and festive ruby-red cherries, there is no better dish to make and celebrate the holiday at home with.
20 minutes, one skillet, and totally elegant, yet easy enough to make any night of the week.
How to Make this Recipe
Start by searing chicken breasts that have been pounded to an even thickness in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Brush or mist both sides with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then add to the hot skillet and saute for 3-4 minutes a side, or until cooked through. Remove to a plate then tent with foil to keep warm.
Next melt butter in the same skillet then add chopped shallot and saute until tender, about 2 minutes.
Once the shallots are tender, carefully pour in red wine (I like Cabernet,) chicken broth, and balsamic vinegar.
Let the sauce simmer and reduce by about half, 3-4 minutes.
Next add pitted sweet cherries which add just the right amount of sweetness to the pan sauce.
Feel free to use fresh or frozen pitted sweet cherries. If you’re using frozen, you don’t need to thaw them first.
Once the cherries warm in the hot skillet, press lightly on them with a wooden spoon to help break them up a bit. Next sprinkle in chopped fresh thyme (you could use a pinch of dried thyme…in a pinch!)
Continue to reduce the sauce until thickened but still syrupy, 2-3 minutes, then stir in butter and the fresh lemon juice.
The lemon TOTALLY makes this dish!
Plate the chicken then spoon the luscious, ruby-hued sauce over the top — yum!
Serve simply with a fresh side salad or roasted broccoli as you see pictured here. That’s just fresh broccoli florets tossed with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper then roasted for 10 minutes at 425 minutes. Perfection!
Whether you make this dish to celebrate Valentine’s Day, or simply to make a Tuesday evening feel extra special and elegant, I hope you enjoy every last drop!
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, ~2lbs, pounded to an even thickness
- extra virgin olive oil, for brushing
- salt and pepper
- 2 Tablespoons butter or vegan butter, divided
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1 cup red wine, Cabernet recommended
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 12 oz fresh or frozen pitted sweet cherries, no need to thaw if frozen
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
- 1/2 lemon
Directions
- Brush both sides of the chicken with extra virgin olive oil then season with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat then add the chicken and saute until cooked through, 3-4 minutes a side. Remove chicken to a plate then tent with foil to keep warm.
- Melt 1 Tablespoon butter in same skillet then add shallots and saute until tender, 2 minutes. Add wine, chicken broth, and balsamic vinegar then simmer until the sauce is reduced by nearly half, 3-4 minutes. Add the cherries and fresh thyme then continue to simmer the sauce until slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes, pressing down on cherries gently with the back of a wooden spoon.
- Remove skillet from heat then stir in remaining Tablespoon butter and lemon juice. Spoon over chicken breasts then serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
This looks so yum – I love the addition of cherries!! PS, sweet shout out in Fitness magazine. :)
I was just needing a good recipe to use some cherries I have – this looks perfect!
I am totally adding this to my menu next week! Plus it looks pretty Weight Watchers friendly. Just have to add in the points for the butter and chicken broth. (I won’t count the wine!) :) Thank you so much for the great post!
Looks delish! I recently made a similar dish with dried cherries and pork. Was so tasty!
I don’t know much about wine, except that my favorite red is Pinot Noir…would that work? Or no way? Because I know there are rules with wine. Anyone know? Thanks for the great recipe!
This looks so yummy and it looks a lot more labor intensive than it is because of the sophisticated flavors!
I’m thinking a card and macaroons for Vday this year!
Wait. There are people who don’t like balsamic vinegar? Hm.
Anyway, this looks amazing!
Pinning! Just reading about this made my mouth water! Can’t wait to try it out!
My husband gets Valentines Boxers every year too, ha!
I’m pinning this right away! Looks divine. I have frozen tart cherries right now picked fresh in Door County {Wisconsin}, so I will definitely be using a few for this.
I love this idea. I love fruit in chicken dishes and cherries is not something I would have thought to use. Thanks for the inspiration!
This dish looks too good to be true. Will definitely be making it soon, thank you for yet another great recipe (thats quick too).
I just recently started experimenting cooking with wine. So this came at the perfect time. I’ll have to add it to my wine cooking experiments. Plus, cherries are just delicious so it must be done. Love the deep red color against the chicken. Looks like an awesome stay at home romantic dinner for valentine’s day!