Saucy Peach Chicken
This saucy peach chicken is made with peach preserves so you can make it even when fresh peaches are not available!
Are you like me in that even though you are an adult, you still go through “phases”? I remember when my kids were young, I would hope that so many behaviors were “just a phase”. Well, now I’m a lot older and I hope a lot wiser, but I still go through phases.
Thankfully a lot of my phases are centered around my cooking and my eating, so nothing too bad can happen. Unless of course it’s a really fattening phase…
The phase I seem to be in now is a cooking with fruit phase. I don’t know what it is, and I didn’t even recognize that I was doing it until recently, but every recipe I’m cooking lately has fruit in it. I’ve been using all versions — fresh, frozen, jarred… I’m Stacey and I’m addicted to fruit.
Also a few months ago, everything I was making was vegan. Now, I’m in a chicken mood. I stopped trying to figure out why these food moods come and go, and I just assume that my body craves what it needs so I just go with it!
The last recipe I posted was a recipe for orange chicken that used the whole entire orange — rind and all — it’s so good: Orange Peel Chicken.
Today’s recipe uses fruit in a whole different way. There’s no fresh fruit in this recipe, but there’s a whole jar of amazing peach preserves in it. I got the idea for this saucy peach chicken recipe when I was reading one of my favorite food blogs: Half Baked Harvest. The sauce for this chicken is a fruity combination of the preserves mixed with the healthy equivalent of a Russian dressing. This is awesome and simple and so amazing, you have to try it!
I just love when a recipe tastes decadent but really is good for you:
Peaches moisten the body; they can alleviate a dry cough, help with dry mouth, and can be good if you are experiencing constipation. In Chinese medicine, we have an herb that is made from the peach kernel (Tao Ren). This herb is great for constipation and some menstrual problems. Isn’t it great when something so delicious is also so healthy?
Chicken is something I push people to buy organic if possible. Organic chicken is a great, healthy protein to give you energy, lessen the pain of some types of arthritis, and boost your system when you are particularly weak — like after surgery or childbirth. People who have some conditions that we consider “excess heat” conditions should limit the amount of chicken they eat. So, if you have an illness that gives you a bright red tongue or severe dryness in your body, check with your doctor first. For example, if you have a lot of burning stomach acid, you should avoid chicken for awhile…
Turmeric is actually a Chinese herb (Jiang Huang). It is great for reducing inflammation throughout the body. If you suffer from aches and pains in your joints, try turmeric. It can help relieve menstrual pain and some other abdominal pains but, if you are pregnant, ask your doctor before you eat too much turmeric.
Chili powder is rich in vitamins A and C and also in essential minerals. Spicy pepper is one of the most nutritious spices available. Consuming small amounts gives you a great source of potassium, iron, zinc, magnesium and selenium. Spicy peppers have also been shown to ease the pain of some types of arthritis and muscle soreness.
Raw apple cider vinegar is one of the most amazing ingredients available today. My husband and I really do take a big spoon of it every day along with our other supplements. It helps you maintain a healthy alkaline level in your body, detoxifies the liver, and is good for your heart. This vinegar helps intestinal function, much the way probiotics do. It also acts as an antacid and can help break down mucous in the body. In this recipe I only used a teaspoon of it, but I really think it would be could with a lot more. The next time I make this, I will keep adding the apple cider vinegar by the 1/2-tsp to see how much I can add and still have it taste so amazing!
Saucy Peach Chicken | Print |
- 8 bone-in chicken thighs (preferably organic)
- 1 Tbs coconut oil
- sea salt and black pepper
- 1-1/2 cups of a healthy mayonnaise (I like this one)
- 1 cup ketchup (try to use one with natural ingredients -- I've used this one in the past) or you can make your own (here's my recipe)
- 3 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp (or more) raw apple cider vinegar (here's my favorite)
- 10 oz jar peach preserves (I used this kind)
- Preheat your oven to 400°F convection setting or 425°F regular bake setting.
- Grease a 9x13 baking dish with coconut oil.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper and arrange it in a single layer in the baking dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour them over the chicken.
- Bake until the chicken is cooked through and starting to get a few brown patches on the top. (Mine took 35 minutes on the convection setting.)
- Enjoy!