You've got to try this easy summer recipe! Fire up the grill and let's get started. This simple dinner is jam packed full of summer flavors!
Table of Contents
❤️ Why you'll love it
- Fresh, juicy summer peach compote adds extra flavor.
- Quick and easy on an indoor or outdoor grill.
- Fancy enough for company but SO simple to make - it's about to be one of your favorite chicken recipes.
Every, single bite of these tender grilled chicken breasts is covered in sweet and spicy bourbon peach compote. Best of all, it takes less than 30 minutes to cook!
Grilling is an easy way to get dinner on the table quickly in the summer - and it's so delicious!
Cooking outdoors just gives everything loads of flavor whether you're using a gas or charcoal grill. Plus it doesn't heat up the kitchen.
This refreshing cucumber salad is the perfect side on a hot summer day.
🧾 Ingredients
📖 Recipe
Grilled Chicken with Bourbon Peach Compote
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, thighs
- 32 ounces peaches, canned in juice
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup sugar, you can use part brown sugar if you like
- 1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo, mashed
- ½ cup bourbon
- 2 cups onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
Cinnamon Dry Rub
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon, roasted cinnamon if you can find it
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon chipotle powder
Instructions
- Mix the ingredients for the dry rub.
- Cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally, creating 2 thinner pieces - 8 pieces total.
- Cover both sides of the chicken with the dry rub and set aside.
- Drain half the juice from the peaches and discard it or save it for another use.
- Chop the peaches into bite sides pieces.
- Chop the onions.
- Add the chopped peaches, onions, and the reserved juice to a heavy pan with the balsamic vinegar, the sugar, garlic, and the mashed chipotle.
- Add about ¼ cup of bourbon.
- Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has almost evaporated completely and the sauce is thick.
- Add the rest of the whiskey and simmer about 2 minutes.
- Set aside and keep warm.
- Preheat the grill to medium high, about 375°.
- Brush the grill with a light vegetable oil.
- Place chicken down on the hot grill.
- Grill on one side until there are char marks and chicken is browned on the underside - about 6 minutes.
- Turn with tongs and grill until the chicken is 160° in the center - about 8 more minutes.
- Remove to a clean platter and let stand, tented with foil, for 5 to 10 minutes. The chicken will continue to cook to a safe 165°.
- Spoon about half the bourbon peach sauce over the chicken on the platter. Add the remaining sauce to the table to be added as desired.
Oven instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°.
- Spray a 13x9 inch casserole dish with nonstick spray.
- Sprinkle the chicken breasts with the dry rub and place in the casserole dish.
- Cover with the bourbon peach mixture.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until and instant-read thermometer registers 160°.
- Let stand for 10 minutes while you finish dinner preparations.
Notes
- Once the dry rub is on the chicken you can cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- I find canned peaches work best in this but if you want to use frozen or peeled and pitted fresh peaches you'll want to add about ½ cup of peach nectar or water when you simmer the sauce.
- Buttermilk makes a good marinade - you can soak chicken in it for 30 minutes before adding the dry rub and continuing with the recipe. It's a great way to keep the chicken moist and adds so much flavor.
- Center cut pork chops can be substituted for the chicken breast.
- You can use water, ginger ale, or juice instead of bourbon.
- To save time sprinkle the chicken with the dry rub then put it in zip-top bag and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator when you are ready to cook it. Once it's thawed it can go straight on the grill.
- The bourbon peaches can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. keep refrigerated.
- Take the it off the grill when the meat thermometer (or instant read thermometer) reaches 160 degrees f when stuck in the thickest part of the chicken. Let it rest of 5 to 10 minutes while you finish setting the table as the internal temperature will rise to a safe 165 degrees f during that time.
- You can cook this in the oven. See the recipe for oven instructions.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
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📖 Variations
- You can use chicken thighs instead of boneless skinless chicken breasts.
- This is good with thick-cut boneless pork chops, too!
- You can use teriyaki sauce instead of balsamic vinegar for a little different flavor.
- If you don't want to use bourbon just replace it with peach nectar, ginger ale, or water.
- In the fall try using apples instead of peaches!
🔪 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.
- Sprinkle chicken breast with rub.
- Place on preheated grill.
- After about 5 minutes flip and grill the other side.
- Serve with the peach bourbon compote.
- Add sauce ingredients to a heavy pan.
- Simmer, stirring ocasionally.
- Let most of the liquid evaporate but don't let the mixture scorch.
- Spoon over the grilled chicken.
🎥 Video
🥫 Storage
Store leftover grilled chicken in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to four days.
The peaches can be spooned into a food safe storage container. Refrigerate for up to a week.
You can freeze this dish for up to three months in an airtight freezer container but the texture breaks down a little bit.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Once the dry rub is on the chicken you can cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- I find canned peach slices work best in this but if you want to use frozen or peeled and pitted fresh peaches you'll want to add about ½ cup of peach nectar or water when you simmer the sauce.
- Buttermilk makes a good chicken marinade - you can soak chicken in it for 30 minutes before adding the dry rub and continuing with the recipe. It's a great way to keep the chicken moist and adds so much flavor.
- If you'll clean grill grates then brush with oil or spray with a nonflammable no stick spray (especially for grills) your chicken breast will have nice grill marks and not stick. I messed these up the first time by not taking a minute to do that.
- Be sure to keep scraping the bottom of the pan when simmering the peaches. If they scorch there's no coming back from that.
- To save time sprinkle the chicken with the dry rub then put it in zip-top bag and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator when you are ready to cook it. Once it's thawed it can go straight on the grill.
- The bourbon peaches can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. keep refrigerated.
- Take the it off the grill when the meat thermometer (or instant read thermometer) reaches 160 degrees f when stuck in the thickest part of the chicken. Let it rest of 5 to 10 minutes while you finish setting the table as the internal temperature will rise to a safe 165 degrees f during that time.
- You can cook this in the oven. See the recipe for oven instructions.
👩🍳 FAQs
Here are the questions I am most frequently asked about this recipe.
About 10 to 12 minutes total for boneless skinless chicken breasts. It also depends on the size of the meat. I usually grill mine for 5 minutes to get good grill marks then flip and cook until an insta-read thermometer registers 160F. You can butterfly the chicken breast or pound it thin with a meat mallet first. In that case, you'll only need about 3 minutes per side.
Marinate the chicken breast in a combination of olive oil and Italian herb blend for at least 3 hours. The chicken will soak up the flavor and the oil will help keep it moist when it's cooking. Don't overcook it. Cook just until the interior temperature is 160F then remove from heat and let it rest for 5 minutes.
📚 Related recipes
If you love grilled chicken you'll want to try these easy recipes:
- Cajun grilled chicken is just a little spicy.
- Grilled chicken breast is wrapped in bacon. The bacon helps keep it moist and juicy!
- Make enough grilled chicken to have leftovers for this grilled chicken Alfredo. YUM!
🍽️ Serve with...
Serve with make-ahead side dishes and desserts to keep this meal easy! I love a creamy broccoli and cauliflower salad with this recipe. It's rich and creamy with a crunchy texture that's perfect with the chicken.
For dessert I usually choose either a no bake pie or this easy red white & blue jello poke cake.
📞 The last word
Let's be real - no one can resist a juicy piece of chicken with gorgeous grill marks!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
First published May 12, 2021. Last updated June 30, 2023 to include more tips and better instructions.
Patricia says
This was absolutely amazing. Will definitely make it again and again. Thank you❤️