Peach Salsa Chicken from the Pot

Fresh, vibrant, and flavorful Peach Salsa Chicken with glazed and grilled chicken breasts and a simple grilled-peach salsa to top it off!

Make the most of peaches this summer with this straightforward Peach Salsa Chicken, peach lemonade, and peach pie for dessert!

Fresh Peach Salsa Chicken

I love pairing fruit with grilled chicken, and it’s been a summer tradition with mango, pineapple, cilantro lime chicken, and citrus chicken. Today, I’m using one of my favorite summer fruits—peaches—to make a peach salsa to top grilled chicken.

But if fresh peaches are hard to find, don’t worry! The glaze is made with peach jam and a few other ingredients, giving the chicken lots of flavor. While the salsa is a favorite, the glaze works evenly on its own, too!

How To Make Peach Salsa Chicken

• Prep chicken: Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness so they’ll cook evenly later on. This is best accomplished by a meat mallet. Drizzle the breasts with olive oil and generously season with salt and pepper
• Prep glaze: This glaze is simple! Stir together peach preserves, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, olive oil garlic and jalapeño. This glaze will baste the chicken as it cooks and also gets brushed on the finished and cooked chicken.
• Cook: Grill, bake, or sauté the chicken until it reaches 165 degrees F. (You can take the guesswork out by using a digital meat thermometer)
  • Cooking times will vary depending on several factors, so I always recommend using a thermometer to test your chicken as it cooks. Aim to hit exactly 165 degrees Fahrenheit. (undercooked = unsafe; overcooked = dry chicken)
• Baste: As you cook the chicken, brush it occasionally with the glaze.
• Peach salsa: While the chicken is cooking, it’s the reliable time to whip together the salsa. Grill the peaches alongside the chicken and prep all the other ingredients (dicing the cilantro, red onion, pepper, and jalapeño) while it’s cooking.
• Finish it off: Top chicken with a bit more glaze and spoon hefty amounts of the salsa right on top.

Recipe Tips

• Slice the chicken breasts in half or flatten to an even thickness for even cooking—don’t thin them, just make them even.
• If cooking on the grill, oil the grates by soaking paper towels in vegetable or canola oil and rubbing them on the grates with tongs.
• For smoky salsa, cook the peaches on the grill. It’s skippable, but grilling improves their flavor, making them more juicy and sweet.

How To Grill Peaches

• Preheat the grill to about 400 degrees and clean the grates with a grill brush. Oil the grates to ensure the peaches don’t stick to them.
• Prepare the peaches by halving them and removing the bit. Brush the cut sides with olive oil.
• Grill the peaches cutside down for 2-4 minutes. I leave them undisturbed for 2 minutes, and then rotate (to get cross-grill marks) and leave peaches (cut side down) for another 2 minutes. Then flip the peaches and cook for another 1-3 minutes or until skins are lightly charred and peaches are soft. Cook time will vary depending on the size of the peaches, actual heat of the grill, ripeness of peaches, etc.
• Remove the grilled peaches and let stand until cool enough to cut.

When grilling peaches for the salsa, I do like them to be a little firmer, so they’ll chop easily and remain intact in the salsa. I typically grill them for about 4 minutes total (at 400-450 degrees F) for this salsa.

Peach Salsa

The salsa is loaded with those gorgeous grilled peaches, freshly chopped cilantro, diced red onion, diced red pepper, and a diced jalapeño.

• Make sure to season the salsa to taste with salt and pepper (the salt enhances flavors and balances the sweetness).
• I also like to add a little chili powder for flavor and heat. If you’re sensitive to heat, reduce the amount of jalapeño or chili powder, or omit both entirely.
• If you’re sensitive to red onion you can omit it or soak the diced red onion in cold water for about 10 minutes and then thoroughly drain. This will take away the “bite” of the onion.

Quick Tip

If you’re sensitive to spicy foods, be careful when preparing jalapeño peppers. The capsaicin in hot peppers can burn, so use care when cutting. Don’t touch your face or eyes while working with them, and you may even want to wear gloves to be safe. The heat is in the seeds and membranes and those oils can also move to the knife and cutting surface. Wash hands, cutting board and utensils with soap and water after working with jalapeños!

Alternate Cooking Methods

Cooking times can vary, so use a thermometer to check your chicken. Aim for 160-165°F (the heat will bring it to 165). Undercooked = unsafe, overcooked = dry chicken.

• Baked Peach Chicken: Heat oven to 425°F. Place chicken on a parchment-lined sheet. Bake for 18 minutes, flipping and glazing halfway. Cover with foil, rest for 5-10 minutes, and top with leftover glaze and salsa.
• Sautéed Peach Chicken: Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan over medium-a hot burner. Cook chicken for 4-6 minutes per side, brushing with glaze. Let rest covered with foil for 5-10 minutes. Top with leftover glaze and salsa.

Variations

Recipe Variations

• With grains: Serve Peach Salsa Chicken over quinoa, brown rice, or another similar whole grain.
• Spicy chicken: If you’re looking to amp up the spice; add some cayenne pepper (1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon) to the glaze. You can also add some red pepper flakes to the finished dish.
• Use chicken thighs: Switch out boneless skinless thighs for breasts in this recipe (adjust cooking times as needed).

Peach Salsa Chicken Side Dish Ideas

• Fruit Salad with a 3-ingredient dressing
• Mandarin Orange Salad with a citrus dressing
• Roasted Brussel Sprouts crispy and satisfying
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes readers favorite
• Elote simple to make

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups diced fresh peaches (1 large peach or 2 small/medium peaches)
• 1/2 cup red pepper (diced)
• 1 tablespoon jalapeño (finely diced, seeds/ribs discarded)
• 1/3 cup red onion (diced)
• 1 lime
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro (coarsely chopped)
• 1/8 teaspoon chili powder (skippable)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teeaspoon pepper
• 1 cup peach preserves
• 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more for brushing)
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
• 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 1-1/2 tablespoons finely diced jalapeño

Method

1. Prep chicken : Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness so they’ll cook evenly later on. This is best accomplished by a meat mallet . Drizzle the breasts with olive oil and generously season with salt and pepper Prep glaze : This glaze is simple! Stir together peach preserves, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, olive oil garlic and jalapeño. This glaze will baste the chicken as it cooks and also gets brushed on the finished and cooked chicken. Cook : Grill, bake, or sauté the chicken until it reaches 165 degrees F. (You can take the guesswork out by using a digital meat thermometer ) Cooking times will vary depending on several factors, so I always recommend using a thermometer to test your chicken as it cooks. Aim to hit exactly 1 65 degrees Fahrenheit . (undercooked = unsafe; overcooked = dry chicken) Baste : As you cook the chicken, brush it occasionally with the glaze. Peach salsa : While the chicken is cooking, it’s the reliable time to whip together the salsa. Grill the peaches alongside the chicken and prep all the other ingredients (dicing the cilantro, red onion, pepper, and jalapeño) while it’s cooking. Finish it off : Top chicken with a bit more glaze and spoon hefty amounts of the salsa right on top.
2. Peach Salsa: Heat grill or grill pan to medium-a hot burner (about 400–450°F.) Generously oil the grill—don’t skip this step (see note 1). Halve the peaches and remove the pits. Lightly brush the sides and skins with oil. Grill peaches until tender and lightly charred but still firm enough to chop, about 4–5 minutes total, flipping halfway. Chop peaches into small, even pieces and add to a medium bowl. Add diced red pepper, diced jalapeño, diced red onion, 1 tablespoon lime juice, coarsely chopped cilantro, chili powder, and salt and pepper (or to taste). Gently toss and taste. Adjust to preference (more salt/chili powder/lime juice). Refrigerate until ready to eat. Toss again right before adding.
3. Glaze: In a large bowl, combine peach preserves, olive oil, soy sauce, mustard, garlic, and jalapeño. Season to taste with the salt and pepper. keep nearby 1/3 cup of this glaze for the end of the recipe.
4. Halve the chicken breast(s) horizontally and pound the pieces to even thickness (not super-flat, just even so it will cook evenly). Drizzle each side with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Flip pieces and repeat—oil, salt, pepper, seasoning. Place prepared chicken on the grill. Grill 8–10 minutes, flipping once halfway, and brushing generously with the peach glaze (not the 1/3 cup that you keep nearby), or until chicken juices run clear and internal temperature is 160–165°F. (carryover heat will take the chicken to 165°F). Tent chicken with foil and let stand 5–10 minutes.
5. Brush the remaining 1/3 cup of the peach glaze over the cooked chicken and top with peach salsa (taste again before adding on top of the chicken and add any additional salt/pepper). Enjoy while hot.