This beautiful and lip smacking Peach Poblano Chimichurri Chicken is my entry for another edition of #ImprovCooking, our monthly challenge to take two ingredients and create a recipe that highlights them. This month we had to combine peaches and peppers. This combination of flavors and textures is truly amazing!
Today is another edition of #ImprovCooking, our monthly challenge to take two ingredients and create a recipe that highlights them. This month we had to combine peaches and peppers, and I made this beautiful and lip smacking Peach Poblano Chimichurri Chicken. Amazing!
A while ago I made a more traditional chimichurri and served it over flank steak. While this traditional sauce is extremely delicious (just ask my friend Debi) it was fun to take this concept in a totally different direction. That’s what I did today and boy is it good!
What flavors would taste best with ripe peaches and poblano peppers? I used cilantro, parsley, green onions, and garlic. Then I added fresh mint to enhance the sweetness of the fruit and freshly squeezed lime juice to brighten the sauce. Serving this combination over grilled meats is incredible. Sweet and savory all in the same bite.
I barbecue all year long, but especially in the hot summer months when I don’t want to heat up my kitchen. Chicken, turkey, steak, pork chops, ribs, vegetables, seafood, you name it and I grill it. You don’t need a lot of fancy seasonings – let the smoke enhance the food’s natural flavors with just a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
If you don’t want to use your barbecue, you can roast the chicken (or other protein) and serve it with the bright, fresh sauce. Your family will be delighted!
The simply seasoned chicken was the perfect accompaniment to this fruit, pepper, and herb sauce. It sounds funny because a sauce is usually the accompaniment to the meat, but in this case it is the sauce that really shines! I used mild poblano peppers but feel free to add in some jalapenos or serranos if you want a spicier bite.
This peach poblano sauce would be wonderful with duck, turkey, or pork too. And if you really want to add interest and complexity to your fish tacos, use this instead of the typical salsa. And it is so good that it would make a great fruit salad – just cut the peaches in slightly bigger pieces and add plums, cherries, pluots, apples, etc. Use whatever is fresh at the market.
Put this Peach Poblano Chimichurri Chicken on your must make list – it is fabulous! Make sure you check out all the other wonderful recipes from the talented bloggers listed below! They are always so creative and inspiring!
Have a fabulous weekend friends!
Did you enjoy this recipe? Let me know in the comments, I love hearing from you!
Key Ingredients for Peach Poblano Chimichurri Chicken:
- Chicken breasts, poblano peppers, olive oil
- Peaches, green onions, mint, parsley, cilantro
- Vinegar, honey, lime juice and zest, garlic
Do I have to grill the chicken?
No, you can cook it any way you prefer … roasting, pan-searing, braising, etc. Whatever way you like is fine, the sauce is good with them all! If you don’t use the barbecue for the chicken, you can char the peppers under the broiler until blackened and then peel and chop.
PRO Tip:
Leaving the peel on the peaches adds beautiful color. But if you have kids who don’t like the fuzzy skin, try using nectarines instead. Peaches and nectarines are essentially the same fruit with one difference – peaches have fuzzy skin and nectarines are smooth. In either case, look for freestone varieties. They have been bred to have pits that nearly fall out when the fruit is cut in half. It makes them so much easier to work with!
PRO Tip:
If you hate the taste of cilantro, you can replace it with more parsley or just leave it out entirely. The sauce will still be delicious.
How to make Peach Poblano Chimichurri Chicken:
- Grill the chicken until it reaches 162°F; remove from the heat and tent with foil to finish cooking
- Grill the peppers until blackened on all sides, transfer to a bowl and let steam under a towel before peeling and chopping them
- To make the sauce, cut up the peaches and chop the onions, mint, parsley, and cilantro; add the chopped poblano peppers
- Make the dressing by combining the oil, vinegar, honey, lime juice and zest, and garlic; whisk until emulsified then pour over the peach mixture, tossing to evenly coat everything
- Transfer the chicken to a platter, top with some of the sauce and pile the rest alongside; garnish as desired and serve immediately
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
- Chef’s knife
- Paring knife
- Cutting board
- Zester
- Citrus reamer
- Charcoal BBQ or gas grill
- Instant read thermometer
Gluten-Free Tips:
This recipe is naturally gluten-free except for the BBQ dry rub – you need to watch mixes for gluten ingredients. It is safer and really easy to mix up a batch of your own and keep it on hand all summer long. You can find a good rub recipe on my ribs recipe, here.
Peach Poblano Chimichurri Chicken (Gluten Free)
Are you looking for a new way to serve chicken or a special occasion dish? Check out this Peach Poblano Chimichurri Chicken. I've combined fresh peaches, peppers, and herbs for a twist on the traditional herb chimichurri sauce. It adds incredible flavor and brightness to poultry and pork dishes!
Ingredients
Grilled Chicken
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves
- Olive or vegetable oil
- Kosher or fine sea salt and freshly grated black pepper
- BBQ dry rub blend, optional
- 2 poblano peppers
Chimichurri Sauce
- 5 large Freestone peaches or nectarines (or any stone fruit you like)
- 3/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves, lightly packed in the cup
- 2 green onions, trimmed and finely sliced
- 3 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
- 3/4 cup organic olive oil
- 1/4 cup champagne vinegar or rice wine vinegar, or to taste
- 2 tsp honey or agave syrup
- Zest of 2 limes
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- Kosher or fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Garnishing
- Fresh peach wedges, brushed lightly with lime juice (to keep them from turning brown)
- Chopped parsley
- Fresh mint sprigs
Instructions
- Set up your BBQ: If you are working with charcoal, build a medium-hot fire until coals are partly covered with ash, then bank most of the coals on one side and about 1/3 scattered over the rest of the surface. This creates a 2-tiered fire that gives you more control when cooking. If you are working with a gas grill, preheat on High for about 15 minutes, then turn half the burners to Low and the rest to Medium.
- Grill the Chicken: Brush the chicken breasts lightly with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. If you want you can also rub it with your favorite dry rub, but you don't really need it. Set the chicken, skin side down, on the hotter side of the grill and cook until you have grill marks and the chicken releases easily. Flip over, move the breasts to the cooler side of the grill, and cook until the chicken reaches 162°F on an instant read thermometer inserted in the center (without touching a bone). Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet and cover loosely with foil. The chicken will finish cooking as it rests and the juices will migrate back to the center.
- Grill the Peppers: When you move the chicken to the cooler side of the grill, put the poblano peppers on the hot side and cook, turning to char the skin on all sides. When the entire pepper skin is black, place them in a bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let rest for 10 minutes to steam, then peel off the skin (discard it). Do not rinse - you want all that smoky flavor. Remove the stem and seeds, then finely chop the grilled peppers. Set aside.
- Make the Chimichurri: Cut the peaches in half and remove the pits, peel if you want, and chop into 1/4-inch pieces. Do not use a blender or food processor - you want the sauce to be a little chunky. Place in a medium mixing bowl and add the green onions, mint, parsley, and cilantro. Add the grilled poblano peppers. Toss to combine.
- In another bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, honey, lime zest, lime juice, and garlic. Whisk vigorously until smooth and the oil is emulsified. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding salt and pepper to taste. If needed, add a little more honey to balance the sourness of the vinegar and lime juice. Pour the dressing over the peach mixture, tossing until all the pieces are evenly coated. Taste again to be sure you have the flavors balanced.
- To Serve: Transfer the chicken breasts to a serving platter. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and pile some alongside, sprinkle the top with parsley. Garnish the plate with the peach wedges and tuck a few sprigs of mint around. Serve immediately.
Recipe Source: The Heritage Cook
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1050Total Fat: 63gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 48gCholesterol: 186mgSodium: 790mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 8gSugar: 40gProtein: 71g
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Here are more recipes from The Improv Cooking Challenge just for you!
If you’re interested in participating in the Improv Cooking Challenge, read more about it on Nichole’s page or check out our Facebook group. The concept is simple – two ingredients are chosen for each month and fellow bloggers are challenged to make a recipe using them. We post on the second Thursday of every month. Come join in the fun!
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Nichole L (Cookaholic Wife)
This is right up my alley. I love a good chimichurri sauce but peaches and poblanos take it to a whole new level!
Colleen
Chimichurri and peaches…now you’re talking! This sounds like something I would want to see on my plate after a long day at work! Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck – Colleen
Jane Bonacci
It is so refreshing Colleen, especially with the mint in the chimichurri. And it would be good on a wide variety of proteins or grilled veggies!
Melody Shingler
Oh wow! Your plate is sooooooooo beautiful, Jane. And I hear ya on the grilling all summer to beat the heat in the kitchen! If only the hubs would build me a brick pizza/bread oven out back we’d be all set… 😀
Jane Bonacci
Thank you so much Melody! I dream of having a pizza oven too, you get such delicious foods out of them!