One-Pan Roasted Chicken with Grapes, Garlic & Rosemary

A beautiful Autumn dinner

If you have never roasted chicken with fresh fruit, this is the perfect recipe to try it out! The rustic elegance of this dish is only second to how easy it is to make – it takes under 10 minutes to get into the pan. Making everything in the same skillet means clean-up is a breeze. The flavor and texture combo of the crispy chicken, juicy seared grapes bursting with sweetness, the soft and mild roasted garlic, and the herby deliciousness of the fresh rosemary is a fragrant culinary delight! After giving this a try, if you embrace the idea of cooking fruit with chicken, please check out my recipes for peach chicken and mango-strawberry chicken.

The ingredients are straightforward, nothing fancy. I prefer chicken thighs for my chicken recipes; however, feel free to use chicken breast or cut-up whole chicken or chicken legs—no need to change the recipe to accommodate the switcheroo. Give the chicken a generous coating of salt and pepper. Take the chicken out of the fridge while getting organized, so it has a chance to warm up to room temp.

Kitchen hacks

Fresh rosemary is a necessary ingredient; unfortunately, dried rosemary won’t work. The fresh rosemary adds flavor, aroma, color, and visual appeal. Three-inch long sprigs work the best. If necessary, cut longer sprigs in half.   

Peeling the garlic is the only actual prep that needing effort. Use the flat edge of a knife to smash the cloves, and the peel practically falls off. An alternative to peeling garlic is to buy it pre-peeled in the grocery store; make sure you check out the freshness date. If you’re not a fan of garlic, feel free to use fewer cloves.

Red grapes add a beautiful autumn color. I always take advantage of in-season, on-sale produce. A few months ago, I bought a couple of pounds of red grapes. I used what I needed and froze the rest of the grapes in a couple of freezer bags. Grapes freeze and thaw beautifully and are perfect for this recipe.

Brown on stove, bake in oven

The first step is to brown the seasoned chicken in a large, oven-proof skillet in a couple of tablespoons of canola oil. Avoid using olive oil. It will smoke due to the high heat. (Check out Navigating Best Practices: Cooking with Oil for more info.) Remove the chicken from the pan onto a plate when it’s brown and crisp on both sides.

In the hot skillet, add the grapes, rosemary, and garlic. Let the grapes sear for a minute or two and return the chicken to the pan. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and place in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes. 

Rustic elegance!

Let the chicken rest for ten minutes before serving. Enjoy! Pan-roasted chicken is baked with red grapes, fresh rosemary and garlic cloves for a rustic yet elegant autumn dinner.  Easy prep and easy clean-up make this a perfect weeknight dinner that is impressive enough to serve on special occasion.

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