Pumpin’ Up the Protein with Spicy Peach Chicken
March is National Nutrition Month which makes for an excellent excuse to make some adjustments to my daily diet before summer creeps in. Naturally, whenever I’m trying to be healthier I find myself leaning towards chicken and veggies as a main staple for healthy eating. Now I must admit that I tend to get bored with plain grilled chicken. So I was incredibly excited to try out this spicy Georgia peach chicken recipe.
To top it off, one of the biggest trends this year for healthy eating is incorporating more protein into the daily diet! According to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), the average adult should be consuming 50 grams of protein a day. With one chicken breast averaging 23 grams of protein packed inside, I had no reason not to give this recipe a try!
So off to the grocery store I went for the quickest shopping experience ever! Most of the ingredients for the chicken utilize everyday kitchen staples. So all I needed to pick up was some spicy ranch and Dijon mustard. I would have never thought to combine these two together in a recipe.
Since I used frozen chicken breasts I chose to bake my chicken in the oven instead of using a pan. I drizzled olive oil on top and halfway through the baking process I seasoned the breasts with salt and pepper. Baking the chicken also allowed me to start on the sauce while waiting for them to cook. As I’ve mentioned in a previous blog, I love multitasking!
After melting the butter and brown sugar together, I poured in the dressing and mustard. The spicy ranch and Dijon mustard mixture made a creamy texture that thinned out a bit as it simmered. Be sure to drain the extra juice from the peaches before adding it to the sauce and then add the chicken. This will allow the flavors to meld together nicely.
Once I had the chicken off the skillet and drizzled it with the sauce, I paired it with some quinoa with brown rice and steamed asparagus! Check out the full recipe below.
Spicy Georgia Peach Chicken
4 Boneless skinless chicken breast halves
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 Tbsp. Butter
½ C. Light brown sugar
½ C. Spicy ranch dressing
2 Tbsp. Prepared Dijon mustard
1 Can (15-oz.) Sliced peaches, drained and cut into chunks
Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, over medium heat add the olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add the chicken and cook for 5 to 7 minutes on each side or until golden and juices run clear. Remove the chicken to a plate. Reduce the heat and add the butter, melt the butter together with the brown sugar, stirring until smooth. Stir in both the dressing and mustard, stirring until bubbly. Return the chicken to the pan, add the peaches and cook until heated through. Serve immediately.
Serves 4
*The recipe is courtesy of Clorox/Hidden Valley.
Laurel Sprague
Association for Dressings & Sauces
