Chicken Breasts with Fig Sauce

Fresh figs, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, shallots and thyme make this amazing sweet and sour fig sauce that pairs beautifully with chicken, fish or pork.

My neighbor has a beautiful fig tree. And every year she shares her harvest of these sweet juicy figs. Usually, my family nabs them and eats them straight up, but sometimes we get a big harvest and that’s when I get to play!

Besides eating them as is, I have baked figs in puff pastry and made fig jam, but this time I decided to make a savory recipe with figs. So I created this recipe for pan seared chicken breasts with homemade fig sauce.

Why this recipe is so awesome

If you are new to fresh figs, then you probably don’t realize the many number of colors and varieties that are available today. For fresh figs, you will probably have to pass up the big grocery stores and hit your farmer’s market or local middle eastern markets. Trader Joe’s also sells fresh figs, too.

Figs are a middle eastern favorite and are plentiful in late summer thru fall here in the northern hemisphere. And figs are plentiful here in California. Yea, we’re spoiled. And many of these varieties are relatively easy to find all over the US.

The most common figs are the Black Mission figs, which are a deep dark purple color, the Brown Turkey Figs which also have a dark purple skin, and these green skinned varieties like the Adriatic and Calimyrna figs.

Any of these figs work in this balsamic fig sauce as long as the figs are ripe and sweet. And if you are growing figs and are looking for a new savory way to enjoy this, this easy and delicious fig sauce is calling your name.

You can use it over chicken, pork or even seafood like shrimp and fish.

Ingredients needed

• Boneless skinless chicken breast: I make everything in one pan, so boneless skinless chicken breast is preferred over bone in. This also works well with boneless pork chops.
• Fresh thyme: I’m a sucker for fresh herbs, but you could use dried if that is all you have. Remember 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs = 1 teaspoon of dried. You can also use fresh rosemary.
• Pantry staples: Extra virgin olive oil, ground black pepper, salt
• Butter: I sear the chicken in olive oil and then add a pat of butter to cream up and add flavor to the sauce.
• Shallots: You can also use a little onion and garlic.
• Fresh figs: Any delicious fresh fig you have can be used to make this sauce.
• Balsamic vinegar: Balsamic vinegars come in a variety of flavor profiles. Choose which ever one you like. The thicker the vinegar, the more syrupy the sauce will be.
• Broth: I add chicken broth to the sauce, but you can also use vegetable broth. You can also add a splash of white wine, if you like.
• Lemon juice: You can use freshly squeeze or bottle lemon juice. If you have fresh lemons, add a bit of grated zest for more flavor.

Step-by-step directions

1. Season both sides of chicken with thyme, salt and pepper. Brown chicken on both side in a large skillet with olive oil. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking chicken until done. Remove chicken and transfer to serving dish, tent with foil.

2. Add butter to hot skillet and stir in shallots. Cook until shallots soften. Stir in figs, balsamic vinegar, broth and lemon juice. If you want a finer sauce, you should purée the figs with the chicken broth in a blender. I personally like the chunkier texture, so I skipped this step.

3. Scrape up any browned bits and simmer until sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Pour sauce over chicken or serve on the side. Garnish chicken with remaining thyme.

Expert tips and recipe FAQs

This balsamic fig sauce is thick sauce. If you want it thinner feel free to add more chicken broth until you get to the consistency you prefer. Finish the sauce with some thyme and you’re good to go.

If you are using dried thyme, add it when you add the figs to the sautéd shallots.

Serve with steamed vegetables and some sticky rice, and you’ve got a delicious meal that is quick and easy for any busy weeknight.

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Yield: serves 4

Chicken Breasts with Fig Sauce

Print

Fresh figs, balsamic and lemon juice make this sweet and sour fig sauce that pairs beautifully with chicken, fish or pork.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast
• 2 ½ teaspoon fresh thyme
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• 1 TBS unsalted butter
• 2 TBS diced shallots
• 2 fresh figs, peeled and mashed with a fork
• 2 TBS balsamic vinegar
• 3 TBS chicken broth
• 3 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions

1. Season both sides of chicken with 1 ½ teaspoon thyme, salt and pepper. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat add oil.
2. When oil is hot, but not smoking, add chicken breasts. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken over and sear other side for 5 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking chicken, until done, about 10 more minutes. Remove chicken and transfer to serving dish, tent with foil.
4. Add butter to hot skillet and stir in shallots. Cook until shallots soften, approximately 2 minutes.
5. Stir in figs, vinegar, broth and lemon juice. Scrape up any browned bits and simmer until sauce thickens, about 3 minutes.
6. Pour sauce over chicken or serve on the side. Garnish chicken with remaining thyme.

Notes

Cooking Tips: For the chicken to cook faster and more evenly, you can also flatten with a mallet to make cutlets. You can also use split chicken breasts. After searing the breasts, skin side down, for 5 minutes, put in a hot oven set at 385ºF and cook until internal temperature reads 160ºF with a meat thermometer, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and continue with recipe from step 8.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1 chicken breast
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 293Total Fat: 10.6gSaturated Fat: 6.4gCholesterol: 114mgSodium: 299mgCarbohydrates: 7.6gFiber: 1.2gSugar: 4.7gProtein: 38.8g

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