Cherry Chicken (Whole30)

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.

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…

…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 one 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.

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

4.59 from 17 votes

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time2 hours hrs

Servings 6 servings

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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.

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 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!

Nutrition

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

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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