This recipe for Braised Chicken with Fresh Figs is simple and rustic and highlights fresh ripe figs-perfect for fall gatherings and entertaining, yet easy enough for weeknight dinners.
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
Make this recipe for Braised Chicken with Fresh Figs before fig season ends! Chicken is pan-seared on the stove top until golden, then braised in the oven a flavorful broth infused with fresh figs, shallots and thyme.
Serve with a savory starch and a fresh veggie! We loved this with Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes and Simple Sautéed Greens. So good!
Table of Contents
Ways to Serve Chicken with Figs
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes ( add goat cheese!)
- Creamy polenta
- Simple Sauteed Greens
- Cauliflower mash
- Green Beans with Toasted Walnut Vinaigrette
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients in Chicken with Figs
- 4-6 chicken thighs (bone-in skin-on, or boneless skinless, or sub chicken breasts)
- olive oil and butter
- shallots or sub-red onion
- garlic cloves
- fresh thyme- pr sub rosemary or sage
- fresh figs
- sherry cooking wine, ruby port, or white wine or (sub 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar plus 1 tablespoon honey)
- chicken broth
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 the 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: Saute shallots, garlic, and thyme with some butter, over medium-low in the same pan until tender, about 8 minutes. Add figs, deglaze with wine, reducing by half. Add the broth and give a good stir.
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 carmelize in the oven. Give the pan a good shake.
Step 5: Bake at 400F until chicken is cooked through to 165F. Bone-in skin-on chicken thighs will take roughly 20-25 minutes, and boneless thighs and breasts will take less time. Check breasts after 10 minutes to prevent overcooking.
How to serve it!
Serve over creamy mashed potatoes or polenta, spooning the flavorful pan juices over the top. Garnish with a sprig of thyme if you like!
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.
More chicken recipes you may like
- 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.
PrintBraised Chicken with Fresh Figs
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: chicken recipes
- Method: Braised
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Elegant yet simple, Braised Chicken with Fresh Figs requires only 25 mins of hands-on time before baking in the oven. 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
- Preheat oven to 400 F
- Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper on both sides.
- In a large, ovenproof skillet, add olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken on both sides. If using skin-on chicken, take your time here to get the skin crispy and golden and lowering the heat to medium. Once golden, set aside on a plate.
- Add the shallots to the skillet and lower heat to medium-low and saute until softened and translucent about 7-9 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme and butter, saute a few more minutes until the garlic is fragrant. Saute 1 minute. Add the wine, scrape up any browned bit and let it reduce by half. Stir in the figs.
- Stir in the broth and bring to a gentle simmer, taste the broth and season with honey, salt and pepper if needed. You want the broth to be rich and flavorful and slightly sweet. ( If using wine, I’ll add a bit of honey).
- Nestle the chicken, skin side up, into the simmering pan, arranging the onions and figs around and between, (turn some figs, open side up), and once simmering, give a good shake, and place in the oven, to finish cooking the chicken through to 165F. If using bone-in chicken, allow 20-25 minutes, if using breast or boneless thigh, check after 10 -15 minutes.
- Serve over goat cheese mashed potatoes or creamy polenta, with wilted greens, spooning some of the flavorful pan juices overtop.
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
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?