Maple Glazed Chicken with Caramelized Onions and Pears! A one-pan dinner that you can serve straight from the pan. A touch of mustard in the glaze gives the chicken that certain something.
In New England, where I live, there are so many large maples that the syrup fits in everything.
You can often find it in pots of baked beans instead of molasses, as well as in all kinds of cakes, tarts, and other sweet desserts.
Start by searing the chicken itself, then brown some onions until they start to turn golden. Add a few sliced pears to the pan to brown them as well.
Brush the seared chicken breasts with a maple and mustard glaze and place on top of the onions and pears. The juices from the chicken baste the fruit and onions as they cook, making them extra juicy, while the glaze gives the chicken a beautiful golden color. The onions also caramelize in the oven.
This is a one-pan meal, and you can serve it straight from the pan. I like to use a cast iron skillet, but any ovenproof skillet will do. (If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet, you can put the onions, pears, and chicken in a casserole dish before sending it into the oven.)
Here’s something to look for when buying maple syrup: Check the label and make sure the bottle contains only maple syrup and no fillers. Many syrups sold to be served with pancakes are not pure maple syrup (they are often diluted with corn syrup).
Maple Glazed Chicken with Caramelized Onions and Pears
If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet, in Step 4, add the cooked onions and pears to a casserole dish, place the chicken on top and cook.
ingredients
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4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (1 1/2 to 2 pounds total)
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1 teaspoon salt, divided, plus more to taste
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1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper divided, plus more to taste
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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2 tablespoons butter
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1 large Spanish or yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
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2 large ripe pears with firm flesh (like Bartlett) or 3 smaller pears
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2 tablespoons maple syrup
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1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
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3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
method
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Roast Chicken:
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Sprinkle the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Heat the olive oil in the pan over medium heat. When hot, add the chicken and cook, without disturbing, until the underside is golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip and fry the other sides for another 3 to 5 minutes, until the other side is golden brown. Place chicken on a large plate.
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Cook onion:
Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Add the onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 8 minutes or until onion begins to brown.
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Prepare and cook pears
While the onions are cooking, peel and core the pears. Cut into quarters (large pears can be cut into 6 pieces.)
Move the onions to the center of the pan. Add the pears, cut side down, along the rim. Cook for 4 minutes or until the pears are brown on the bottom. Stir the onions occasionally.
Flip the pears and fry the other cut sides for a further 3 minutes. Stir the onions occasionally.
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Return the chicken to the pan and glaze:
Gently stir the pears and onions together and flatten them slightly to create a bed for the chicken. Place the chicken on top of the pears and onions. In any pan, pour juices from the plate into the pan.
In a small bowl, stir together the maple syrup and mustard. Spread the glaze over the chicken breasts with a spoon.
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Bake chicken:
Place pan in oven and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until glaze is browned, pears are tender when pierced and chicken is cooked through. A meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breasts should read 165°F.
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Serve Chicken:
Divide the pears and onions among plates, add the chicken breasts and sprinkle with the parsley.
