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Sweet, sticky and spicy Jalapeno Peach Chicken. A delicious recipe for tender chicken pieces tossed in a flavorful sauce made with peach preserves and thinly sliced jalapeno peppers. It’s such a yummy and easy skillet chicken recipe!
The combination of jalapeños and peaches have always had a place in my heart.
I mean, just take a look at my peach agua fresca with sliced jalapenos.
There’s just something about a sweet and spicy combination that makes your tastebuds do the tango. And I thought, we love a good stir fry – one pan, tender chicken, a delicious sauce. The perfect blend of savory, sweet and spicy – and so here we are. Let me intro you to this jalapeño peach chicken recipe 🔥
We’ll use chicken thighs, tenders, or chicken breasts, wahtever you like. Then cut them into bite-sized pieces and toss then in a little baking soda to make it extra tender. Then toss it in some cornstarch so that that peach glaze just clings to the chicken pieces.
Fry this up in a pan and then toss it in a peach glaze made with rice vinegar, soy sauce for umami, and minced red peppers. It’s actual perfection.
And if you’re thinking that not going to work, that’s a weird dish… well let me ask you this, do you like Sweet and Sour Chicken? Orange Chicken? Sesame Chicken? Teriyaki Chicken?
If you answered yes to any of those, then there’s no reason for you to not love this dish. The sweetness from the peaches, the heat from the jalapenos and the tender savory chicken are going to make your taste buds sing.
It’s no secret that I live for quick weeknight dinners. I mean, my ponzu zucchini chicken, sticky gochujang chicken, turmeric black pepper chicken, and jalapeno chicken, are often on heavy rotation because 1) they are easy to make and 2) they have so much flavor.
So when it comes to easy dinner recipes, I love serving quick stir fry’s, like my Jalapeno Peach Chicken, with fluffy jasmine rice that I cook on the quick setting in my favorite rice cooker and steam some broccoli as a side. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!
Ingredients for Jalapeno Peach Chicken
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken: Use succulent chicken thighs, protein-packed breasts, or even juicy tenders. Just be sure to cut them down into small 3/4-inch pieces so that they all cook up in roughly the same amount of time.
- Baking Soda: is an ingredient commonly used to raise the pH of the chicken. This the chicken to become super tender and moist.
- Sugar: just a pinch helps the chicken get a little color in the pan when we’re browning it.
- Seasonings: For the seasonings, you’ll need some kosher salt, white pepper, garlic powder, and some red pepper flakes. I happend to have some fresh red jalapenos on hand for another recipe I’m testing, so I swapped those for the red pepper flakes this time. Feel free to use either, they both work beautifully.
- Soy Sauce: You’ll need a splash of low-sodium soy sauce for marinating the chicken and for another splash for the peach preserve sauce that we’ll toss everything in at the end. I suggest using low sodium as the recipe also contains salt.
- Cornstarch: we toss the chicken in cornstarch before frying in the hot oil. This will help the chicken retain moisture and then help the peach glaze cling to the chicken pieces.
- Avocado Oil: You’ll need a high-heat oil to fry the chicken and then saute the garlic. I like to use avocado oil for this recipe but use any high-heat oil you typically have on hand.
- Jalapeno: This is where most of the spiciness in the recipe comes from. If you’re sensative to spice, I suggest using less of the sliced jalapenos.
- Peaches: you’ll need fresh peaches for this recipe. Unfortunately I haven’t tested the recipe with canned peach slices, so I’m unsure how much they would effect the overall taste and texture of the recipe.
- Peach Preserves: We’ll need 1/3 cup peach preserves for this reicpe. Feel free to use peach preserves or apricot preserves if you have some of that on hand. Both have been tested and both work well for the purpose of this recipe.
- Rice Vinegar: I like to add a splash to help balance the sweet elements of this recipe. Feel free to swap with apple cider vinegar if that’s what you have on hand, however, rice vinegar is best.
- Sesame seeds: These are optional and act as only a garnish for this recipe.
How to Make Jalapeno Peach Chicken Stir Fry
- Velvet the chicken. Cut the chicken into roughly the same sized pieces.You want them to be diced about the same side as the peaches. Toss them in a bowl with water, baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, sugar, white pepper, garlic powder, and some soy sauce. Once combined, sprinkle the cornstarch over the chicken and thorughly mix. The baking soda will raise the pH of the chicken and cause it to become tender.
- Make the sauce. In a small bowl, mix together a splash of water, preserves, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and red pepepr flakes. Stir to combine.
- Stir fry the chicken. Kick the heat to medium-high and place a skillet on the stove. Once warm, add a splash of oil and 1/2 the chicken pieces. Let them cook undisturbed for a couple minutes before flipping and cooking the other side. Remove to a plate, and cook the remaining chicken the same way, adding in the jalapeno slices to the last batch.
- Saute and sauce. Drop the skillet temperature to medium heat. Then add the garlic to the remaining oil in the pan and let it cook until fragrant. Pour the prepared preserve mixture into the pan and let it cook and simmer for a couple seconds to thicken up. Then add the chicken and jalapenos. The juice from the chicken will mingle with the sauce and make it a bit savory. Add the diced peaches for the last 30 seconds, otherwise the rice vinegar will break them down too much.
- Serve it up. Scoop jalapeno peach chicken over fluffy rice, sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired and serve with your favoite steamed veggies on the side.
It’s such a flavorful recipe the whole family will love and it’s perfect to enjoy when peaches are in full season!
FAQs about this recipe
You could steam some broccoli on the side, or make crispy green beans with garlic, garlic sauteed broccolini, or even corn and zucchini saute.
Yes! The sweet floral notes of peaches works beautifully with the umami from the chicken.
To store leftovers, pop them into an airtight container and keep in the fridge. Eat the leftovers sooner rather than later as the vinegar does start to breakdown the peaches.
We find that the recipe has a kick, but with the sweetness from the peaches and the preserves, it doesn’t feel overwhelming. If you’re worried, you could always use less of the jalapenos and omit the red pepper flakes.
If you like this recipe you might also like:
- Pineapple Salsa Salmon with Brown Sugar Glaze
- Chicken BBQ Ranch Salad
- Sweet Peach Goat Cheese Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Grilled Peaches with Cookie Crumble and Ice Cream
- Summer Cobb with Charred Corn and Peaches
Jalapeno Peach Chicken
Ingredients
Jalapeno Peach Chicken:
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into ¾-inch pieces
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce or GF tamari
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 jalapeño thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 small peaches diced into pieces (or 1 large)
- Sesame seeds optional (for topping)
Sauce:
- ⅓ cup peach or apricot preserves
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or ½ minced red jalapeño
Instructions
- VELVET: cut the chicken into small, ¾ inch pieces. To a bowl, add 1 tablespoon water, baking soda, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, sugar, white pepper, garlic powder, and 2 teaspoons soy sauce. Stir well with a spoon until the baking soda dissolves. Add the chicken, sprinkle with cornstarch, stir, and let sit for 10 minutes.
- SAUCE: While the chicken is velveting, in a bowl, add the preserves, rice vinegar, remaining 2 teaspoons soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and 2 tablespoons water in a measuring cup. Whisk to combine.
- FRY: Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add ½ of the chicken and cook on one side undisturbed for 2-3 minutes before flipping and cooking the other side for another 2-4 minutes, adding the jalapeño slices during the last 30-45 seconds, in the last batch. When the chicken is golden and cooked, remove to a plate along with the jalapeños. Add more oil as needed, and cook the rest of the chicken.
- SAUTE: Drop the skillet temperature down to medium-low. Add the garlic to the remaining oil in the pan and cook for 45 seconds. Pour the sauce into the skillet and let it sizzle and thicken, 45 seconds. When bubbly, add the chicken and jalapeños and toss to combine. Add the diced peaches for the last 30 seconds. Toss one last time, and remove from heat.
- SERVE: To serve, scoop jalapeño peach chicken over fluffy rice, sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired, and serve with your favorite steamed veggies on the side.
Notes
- Peaches: For this recipe, it’s best to use a peach that is a bit firm. The rice vinegar in the recipe will break the peaches down quickly once cooked in the sauce, so firm peaches stand a better chance, especially if you anticipate leftovers!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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