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Home » Blog » Recipes » Cherry Chicken (Whole30)

Cherry Chicken (Whole30)

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One of my favorite cherry-full recipes is Cherry Chicken, a fab Whole30-friendly recipe we created years ago for our Webby Award-winning app. Cherries are my spirit fruit. I frantically hoard ’em when they make their fleeting appearance at the local farmers’ market each early summer. These plump, ripe drupes are my secret kitchen hack, adding a triple punch of sweetness, tartness, and crimson brightness to any recipe—even savory ones.

A plate of cherry chicken with vegetables on the side.

I’m not gonna lie: your kitchen’s gonna look like a crime scene if you prepare this recipe with a sack o’ fresh cherries and a pitter. The red splatter gets everywhere, people—so make sure you line your counters with paper towels or a big plastic tarp like the guy in Dexter. (Yeah, you can make this chicken dinner without the mess by using frozen pitted cherries. But where’s the fun in that?)

You can either blitz the cherry sauce ahead of time and refrigerate the marinating chicken, or make it just before dinner—it’ll taste great regardless. However, I wouldn’t marinate the chicken for longer than a day ’cause the acidity will break down the texture of the chicken.

Watch me cook this in my home kitchen by clicking here!

**Please note that this chicken marinade will not result in a sticky-sweet saucy dish. The cherries lend a subtly sweet flavor that balances the savory notes. If you’re looking for a sticky-sweet chicken dish, make Orange Sriracha Chicken or Julie Bauer’s Sticky Sesame Teriyaki Chicken Wings. These two dishes aren’t Whole30-friendly, though!**

Time to make Cherry Chicken!

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 2 small shallots, roughly chopped
  • 1 pound ripe sweet cherries, pitted (or 10 ounces frozen pitted sweet cherries)
  • 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (regular balsamic will also work)
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • ⅓ cup avocado, macadamia, or olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 pounds chicken drumsticks

Equipment

  • Cherry pitter
  • Cutting board
  • Chef’s knife
  • Measuring spoons
  • Measuring cup
  • High speed blender or food processor
  • Pepper mill
  • Stainless steel wire rack
  • Rimmed baking sheet

Method

Make the marinade by tossing the shallots, pitted cherries…

Making the marinade for cherry chicken with shallots and pitted cherries.

…balsamic vinegar, fish sauce, oil, salt, and pepper into a blender or food processor.

Making the marinade for cherry chicken with fish sauce, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.

Blitz until you get a smooth sauce.

Blitzing the marinade in a blender.

Taste it for seasoning, and add more salt and pepper if needed. It should be a good balance between savory, tangy, and sweet.

A close up of the bubbly, pink, cherry marinade in the blender.

Place the drumsticks in a large bowl…

Raw drumsticks are lined in a bowl.

…and pour on the marinade.

Pouring the pink cherry marinade in the bowl of chicken drumsticks.

Make sure the marinade coats the chicken. You can let the chicken marinate in a covered container in the fridge for one hour and up to 12 hours.

A closeup of the coated chicken drumsticks in the cherry marinade.

Preheat the oven to 400°F or 375°F if using a convection oven.

Place a wire rack on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and arrange the chicken on top. Make sure you shake off any excess marinade.

The marinaded chicken drumsticks on a rack ready to bake.

Bake the chicken for 40 minutes, flipping the chicken pieces over at the halfway point.

Crispy and baked cherry chicken drumsticks.

The chicken’s ready when the skin is crisp and browned an the internal temperature reaches 165°F.

Prepared and cooked cherry chicken on a plate.


Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).


PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD

Cherry Chicken by Michelle Tam / Nom Nom Paleo https://nomnompaleo.com
Print Recipe
4.63 from 16 votes

Cherry Chicken

This Whole30-friendly Cherry Chicken is perfect for weeknight dinners when cherries are in season! The cherries lend a subtly sweet flavor that balances the savory notes.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Total Time2 hrs
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken, gluten-free, paleo, Primal, Whole30
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 397kcal
Author: Michelle Tam

Ingredients

  • 2 small shallots roughly chopped
  • 1 pound ripe sweet cherries pitted (or 10 ounces frozen pitted sweet cherries)
  • 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar regular balsamic will also work
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • ⅓ cup avocado macadamia, or olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 pounds chicken drumsticks

Instructions 

  • Make the marinade by tossing the shallots, pitted cherries, balsamic vinegar, fish sauce, oil, salt, and pepper into a blender or food processor. Blitz until you get a smooth sauce.
  • Taste it for seasoning, and add more salt and pepper if needed. It should be a good balance between savory, tangy, and sweet.
  • Place the drumsticks in a large bowl, and pour on the marinade. Make sure the marinade coats the chicken. You can let the chicken marinate in a covered container in the fridge for 1 hour and up to 12 hours.
  • Preheat the oven to 400°F or 375°F if using a convection oven. 
  • Place a wire rack on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and arrange the chicken on top. Make sure you shake off any excess marinade.
  • Bake the chicken for 40 minutes, flipping the chicken pieces over at the halfway point. The chicken’s ready when the skin is crisp and browned an the internal temperature reaches 165°F.

Notes

This chicken marinade will not result in a sticky-sweet saucy dish. The cherries lend a subtly sweet flavor that balances the savory notes. If you’re looking for a sticky-sweet chicken dish, make Orange Sriracha Chicken or Julie Bauer’s Sticky Sesame Teriyaki Chicken Wings. These two dishes aren’t Whole30-friendly, though!
Tried this recipe?Mention @nomnompaleo or tag #nomnompaleo!

Nutrition

Calories: 397kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 20g | Fiber: 2g
17

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anne says

    July 1, 2021 at 4:31 pm

    Sounds yummy. Anyone try this on the grill?

    Reply
    • Michelle Tam says

      July 1, 2021 at 7:07 pm

      It works on the grill!

      Reply
  2. Ronit says

    July 9, 2022 at 4:00 pm

    Looks delicious! I love cherries. Can I make this in the air fryer too?

    Reply
    • Regina Chan says

      July 10, 2022 at 1:21 am

      I haven’t tried with this exact recipe but I think it would work! Try 400F in your air fryer for 18-20 minutes, or until meat is 165F on your meat thermometer!

      Reply
  3. Jan says

    July 16, 2022 at 2:41 pm

    Would this work with chicken breast?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Regina Chan says

      July 18, 2022 at 6:17 am

      It would, but chicken thighs would be closer!

      Reply
  4. Virginia says

    July 17, 2022 at 12:54 am

    Have you used other cuts like chicken thighs?

    Reply
    • Regina Chan says

      July 18, 2022 at 6:16 am

      This would be great on chicken thighs, too!

      Reply

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