This one-pan Braised Chicken and Peaches recipe has tender chicken, jammy peaches, and fresh basil for a savory-sweet dinner everyone will love!Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.
Prepare fresh ingredients; peel and half Vidalia onions, slice garlic, and slice peaches into hearty slices.
Pat chicken dry with a clean paper towel and then rub chicken thighs with smoked paprika, chili flakes, ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp black pepper.
In a large oven-safe skillet, add vegetable oil, onions, and remaining ½ tsp salt. Sear onions on medium-high heat for 5-8 minutes until they begin to soften and show some color.
Add chicken to the skillet and sear on each side for 5 minutes until golden brown. Move the onions off to the side or scooch them to another spot in the pan. You want the chicken to lie flat in the pan so it gets a good sear on it.
Remove chicken from the pan and cover it off to the side. It will finish cooking in the oven.
Add sliced garlic and collard greens to the pan. Remove the onions once they are golden brown. You'll add them back later.
Stir collards and garlic to cover them with the remnants of juices and seasonings.
Add chicken back to the pan with sliced peaches, cooked onions, and half of the freshly torn basil. Pour chicken broth over the top, sprinkle with the rest of the black pepper, and gently cover with tinfoil or a lid. Transfer to a 350°F oven for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven. The peaches should be soft and tender, and the internal temperature of the chicken should be at 165°F at a minimum. Drizzle honey and squeeze lemon over the top to serve. Serve with additional fresh basil, salt, and pepper.
*I use fresh clingstone yellow peaches, but any type of fresh peach will work. If you've only got frozen peaches, they'll still work, but the texture will be much softer in the finished dish.**This recipe is written for boneless, skinless chicken thighs. You can try swapping in chicken breasts, but they aren't as fatty or flavorful as thighs, and can dry out more quickly when seared and then cooked in the oven. You will need to keep a closer eye on the skillet if using chicken breasts and pull them out of the oven once the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Bone-in thighs can also work, but will likely take longer to cook than boneless.