This Braised Chicken with Fresh Figs recipe is simple yet elegant, with tender chicken, caramelized figs, shallots, and herbs in a savory-sweet pan sauce. Just 25 minutes of hands-on time!
Love in its fullest form is a series of deaths and rebirths. We let go of one phase, one aspect of love, and enter another. Passion dies and is brought back. Pain is chased away and surfaces another time. To love means to embrace and at the same time to withstand many endings, and many many beginnings- all in the same relationship.
Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Women Who Run With the Wolves
If you spot fresh figs at the market, this is what I would make with them! Braised Chicken with Fresh Figs is one of my favorite ways to use them. Pan-sear the chicken thighs until beautifully golden, then gently braise them in the oven with ripe figs, shallots, garlic, fresh thyme, and wine to create a luscious, savory-sweet pan sauce.
It looks and tastes elegant, but requires only about 25 minutes of hands-on time, making it just as lovely for a fall dinner party as it is for a cozy weeknight meal. Serve it with Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes to soak up all that delicious sauce and simple sautéed greens alongside…so good!
This was exactly what I had in mind for chicken thighs with figs. As usual Sylvia's recipe was delightful. The only addition I made was Kalamata olives. I used dry sherry and chicken broth and didn’t feel the need for honey. Absolutely delicious! Another Feasting at Home five-star recipe!
Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!
A celebration of fig season. Fresh figs have such a short season, and this is one of my favorite savory ways to enjoy them while they're at their peak.
Elegant, yet surprisingly easy. With only about 25 minutes of hands-on time, this beautiful braised chicken feels special enough for entertaining but is simple enough for a weeknight dinner.
That savory-sweet fig sauce! Fresh figs, shallots, garlic, thyme, and wine create a luscious pan sauce that's rich and savory with just the right touch of sweetness.
Tender, juicy chicken. Searing the chicken first creates a beautiful golden crust, while finishing it gently in the oven keeps it succulent and flavorful.
Chicken with Figs Ingredients
- Chicken thighs: Bone-in, skin-on thighs offer the most flavor, but boneless thighs or chicken breasts also work.
- Olive oil and butter: For browning the chicken and creating a rich base for the sauce.
- Shallots: Add delicate sweetness; substitute red onion if needed.
- Garlic: Brings savory depth to the braising sauce.
- Fresh thyme: Adds an earthy, aromatic note; rosemary or sage are lovely substitutes.
- Fresh figs: Become tender and jammy as they cook, lending natural sweetness to the sauce.
- Sherry, ruby port, or white wine: Adds depth and acidity; substitute balsamic vinegar combined with water and honey.
- Chicken broth: Creates the flavorful base for the braising sauce.
*See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to make chicken with Figs
Step one: Preheat the oven to 400F and season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Step two: Heat oil in a skillet and brown the chicken until golden- no need to cook through. Set aside.
Step three: Sauté shallots, garlic, and thyme with some butter over medium-low heat in the same pan until tender, about 8 minutes. Add figs, deglaze with wine, reducing by half. Add the broth and stir well.
TIP! Taste the broth- you want the broth to be flavorful with a little sweetness. If the wine is very dry, add a little honey. If the broth is bland, add salt.
Step four: Nestle in the chicken, positioning figs around and on top, some with their open side up so they caramelize in the oven. Give the pan a good shake.
Step 5: Bake at 400F until the chicken thigh reaches at least 170°F -175F. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs take roughly 20-25 minutes, and boneless thighs and breasts take less time. Check breasts after 10 minutes to prevent overcooking.
Serving suggestions
Serve over creamy mashed potatoes or polenta, spooning the flavorful pan juices over the top. Garnish with a sprig of thyme if you like!
More Favorie chicken recipes
- Coq Au Vin
- One Skillet Creamy Orzo Chicken
- Chicken Cacciatore
- Roasted Chicken Thighs w/ Lemon & Thyme
- Chicken Mole
Enjoy this and let us know what you think in the comments below.
xoxo,
Love this recipe? Please let us know in the comments and leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below the recipe card.
Print Braised Chicken with Fresh Figs
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: chicken recipes, chicken thigh recipe, Dinner, entertaining, fall dinner, holiday, weeknight dinner
- Method: Braised
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten Free, high protein
Description
Elegant yet simple, Braised Chicken with Fresh Figs takes only 25 mins of hands-on time before baking. Perfect for entertaining.
Ingredients
- 4–6 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on ( or sub skinless or chicken breast)
- salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 medium shallots, sliced (or 1 red onion, sliced)
- 4 cloves garlic, rough chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme- or sub rosemary or sage
- 10 fresh figs, halved
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup sherry cooking wine, ruby port, or white wine. ( Or sub 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar plus 1 tablespoon honey)
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
Serve over goat cheese mashed potatoes or creamy polenta with wilted greens.
Instructions
- Season the chicken. Pat the chicken dry and season generously on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Sear until golden. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear until deeply golden on both sides, then transfer to a plate. If using skin-on chicken, start skin-side down and take your time here, lowering the heat to medium if needed, until the skin is beautifully golden and crisp.
- Sauté the aromatics. Lower the heat to medium-low. Add the shallots and sauté until soft and translucent, 7-9 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, and butter and cook for another minute, until fragrant.
- Deglaze the pan. Pour in the wine, scraping up all those flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Simmer until the wine has reduced by about half, then gently stir in the fresh figs.
- Make the braising sauce. Add the chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer. Taste and season with salt, pepper, and honey as needed. The sauce should taste savory, rich, and just slightly sweet-the sweetness will intensify as the figs cook.
- Braise. Nestle the chicken into the sauce, skin-side up if using skin-on chicken, arranging the shallots and figs around it. Turn a few figs cut-side up for a beautiful presentation. Once gently simmering, transfer the uncovered skillet to the oven.
- Cook until tender. Braise until the chicken is cooked through. Bone-in thighs will take roughly 20-25 minutes; begin checking boneless thighs or chicken breasts after 10-15 minutes. Cook chicken to a safe internal temperature appropriate for the cut you’re using.
- Season to taste. Add a pinch of salt, a touch of honey for sweetness, or a splash of vinegar for brightness, if needed.
- Serve. Spoon the chicken, figs, shallots, and plenty of pan sauce over Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes or creamy polenta, with sautéed or wilted greens alongside.
Notes
Leftovers will keep up to 4 days in the fridge or can be frozen for 3 months.
Can this be made with dried figs? Yes. Cut the dried figs into quarters or slices, and simmer in the broth (adding a little more broth if needed) covered, until tender. Then nestle in the chicken. This will be a little sweeter, so you may not need the honey- add to taste.
To make ahead: make the whole dish and reheat in a 350F oven with a little extra broth.
To make with chicken breast: Pound the chicken breast into equal thickness. Optional- dredge in a little flour after seasoning. Prepare the same way. It will not need to bake as long, check after 10 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 thigh
- Calories: 441
- Sugar: 19.6 g
- Sodium: 385.9 mg
- Fat: 26.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 26.3 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 23.7 g
- Cholesterol: 135.4 mg
Recipe FAQs
Yes, make the whole dish ahead and reheat in a 350F oven with a little extra broth.
Yes. Cut the dried figs into quarters or slices, and simmer in the broth (adding a little more broth if needed) covered, until tender. Then nestle in the chicken. This will be a little sweeter, so you may not need the honey- add to taste.
Yes. pound the chicken breast into equal thickness. You could dredge in a little flour after seasoning. Prepare the same way, browning first, then braising. It will not need as long to bake- check after 10 minutes.
This chicken fig recipe was delicious and felt decadent! I use homemade chicken stock (your recipe), which I believe gave it added richness. I served it with your garlic mashed potatoes with goat cheese recipe and broccolini. So good…as all your recipes are!
Nice to hear this Patti! Thanks for taking the time to leave your kind review. 🙂
Friends were visiting and we cooked together! We made this chicken plus your polenta recipe and the green beans with a walnut vinaigrette! The three dishes complemented each other perfectly! The polenta really brought it all together! Restaurant quality food! Thank you!
Wonderful, thanks for taking time to review!
This dish is wonderful. I have an old fig tree in back garden and I was so pleased when I found this recipe. I did not want to open a bottle wine so I used Apricot preserves and omitted the honey. It was really good. I am making this tonight for the second time. Don’t be afraid to use those figs. They just kind of melted into the sauce. Thanks so much
Ooo love that switch Linda! Thanks for the helpful review. 🙂
This was exactly what I had in mind for chicken thighs with figs. As usual Sylvia’s recipe was delightful. The only addition I made was kalamata olives. I used dry sherry and chicken broth and did not find the need for honey. Absolutely delicious! Another Feasting at Home five star recipe!
Great to hear Carla! Appreciate your review. 🙂
Fantastic dish – I couldn’t find figs so used dried dates and served over bulgur wheat with fennel/cucumber salad.
Yum! Glad it worked out.
Thank you again Sylvia!!! This was sooo good.
So glad you enjoyed!
This was delicious. Fresh figs aren’t available and I had dried apricots, so I used those. Used white wine and no honey as it tasted fine without to us. Made your polenta recipe with it. Delicious!
Great ot hear Lisa!
Can you make this with a fruit other than figs? What would you suggest?
Yes, I bet grapes, plums or apples would work well here!
Absolutely Delicious!!! unique flavour combination & beautiful presentation served over cauliflower, leek & roasted garlic mash with your yummy roasted brussel sprouts recipe on the side. Made with bone-in, skinless chicken thighs and drumsticks dredged in flour before browning as per your suggestion. As well used dry white wine with some honey. Will definitely make this again. It was sooo good with the fresh figs! Will try with dried figs when they are out of season. Highly recommend trying this dish!! Thank you for another amazing recipe! xxx Paula
Thanks Paula- glad you enjoyed this!
Thank you so much Sylvia for another wonderful recipe! I used Marsala wine instead of white wine, and I added a touch of pure maple syrup instead of honey. Simply delicious!
Perfect Sylvie!
Would it be okay to substitute fresh figs with dried figs?
Yes! See the FAQ’S section inthe recipe post!
If I can give this recipe more than five starts, I would give it double or triple five stars. My family loved this dish and kept asking me to give them more and more! I served this with Sylvia’s moroccan quinoa salad with some green leaves and they still matched well. It was easy to make without sacrificing taste. Thank you, Sylvia!
Awesome Irene! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed this.
Can I substitute dried figs instead and achieve the same results?
Yes Amy- please refer to the FAQ section in the post body above!
What would be a great dessert to serve with this recipe?
Hummmm, how about our Pear Galette?