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Vineyard Chicken

January 16, 2024

This simple and rustic baked chicken dish is all about the shallot and thyme sauce that is enriched with butter. It’s elegant enough to serve for guests, and easy enough to make any night of the week.

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oven baked chicken breast sliced in a serving bowl with cooked  shallots, parsley and red grapes
Photography by Gayle McLeod

Our most beloved chicken skillet dinners

An Easy Chicken Breast Recipe Whose Looks Are Deceiving

Our easy vineyard chicken recipe is made with a bunch of pantry staples–garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and honey–and turns them into something really elegant. Shallot, thyme, and grapes on the vine add so much to this simple and rustic baked chicken dish. We serve it with a fluffy grain, Farro or Quinoa would both be great, and a nice Simple Butter Lettuce Salad. For even more inspiration, be sure to check out our 60 Best Chicken Breast Recipes.

4 raw chicken breast, grapes, bread, ricotta, spices, parsley, thyme, olive oil, sherry vinegar and butter in prep bowls

Ingredients You’ll Need To Make Roast Chicken With Grapes

  • Chicken breasts

  • For the sauce – shallots, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, honey, thyme, and pepper

  • Seedless red grapes – on the vine

  • To finish – cold butter, fresh parsley

  • To serve – Crusty bread and ricotta cheese

olive oil, vinegar, shallots, garlic, honey, thyme, and pepper in a small glass bowl
chicken being seared in olive oil in a skillet
vineyard chicken in a skillet with olive oil, vinegar, shallots, garlic, honey, thyme, and pepper.
vineyard chicken cooking in a skillet with shallots, garlic and red grapes

How to Make Vineyard Chicken

  1. Brown the chicken in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.

  2. Make the sauce. Combine the remaining olive oil, vinegar, shallots, garlic, honey, thyme, and pepper in a small bowl. Pour the mixture over the chicken, turning to fully coat. Add the grapes to the skillet.

  3. Roast the chicken and grapes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F on an instant read thermometer, and the grapes are wilted, about 15 minutes.

  4. Add butter! Enriching a sauce with butter is a technique known as monter au beurre. Stir the butter into the sauce until melted and the sauce is slightly thickened. Return the sliced chicken to the skillet and baste with the sauce. Sprinkle with parsley and additional pepper.

  5. Serve the chicken. We like to serve this with a good loaf of crusty bread. Spread the bread with ricotta, and top with roasted grapes, before serving.

homemade vineyard chicken in a skillet
vineyard chicken sliced in a serving bowl with cooked shallots, parsley and red grapes

How to Store Leftovers + Tips

  • Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. The chicken breasts can be frozen for up to three months wrapped well in a labeled, air-tight container.

  • If you don’t have ricotta around, other soft, fresh cheese will work. We also think a spreadable goat cheese would be great.

  • This is the perfect way to use grapes that are lingering in your fridge. Once they come out of the hot oven, you’ll never know that they started out a little wilted!

2 slices crusty bread topped with ricotta cheese and roasted red grapes
vineyard chicken sliced in a serving bowl with cooked shallots, parsley and red grapes

More Great Baked Chicken Recipes From The Modern Proper

A Chicken Recipe For Every Occasion

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Vineyard Chicken

  • Serves:  4
  • Prep Time:  10 min
  • Cook Time:  35 min
  • Calories:  561

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup cooking sherry vinegar
  • 2 small shallots, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 2 fresh thyme sprigs
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, plus more for serving
  • ¾ pound seedless red grapes, on the vine
  • 4 tablespoons cold salted butter
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
  • Crusty bread, toasted for serving (optional)
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese (optional)

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the center position.

  2. Season the chicken all over with the salt.

  3. Heat 1½ tablespoons of the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the chicken and cook undisturbed until golden, about 4 minutes each side.

  4. Meanwhile in a small bowl, combine the remaining olive oil, vinegar, shallots, garlic, honey, thyme, and pepper. Pour the mixture over the chicken, turning to fully coat. Add the grapes to the skillet.

  5. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F on an instant read thermometer, and the grapes are wilted, about 15 minutes.

  6. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 minutes, then slice. Reserve the sauce in the pan. Turn on the broiler. Return the skillet to the oven and broil for 3-4 or until the grapes are slightly charred. Transfer the grapes to the cutting board with the chicken.

  7. Stir the butter into the sauce until melted and the sauce is slightly thickened. Return the sliced chicken to the skillet and baste with the sauce. Sprinkle with parsley and additional pepper. Serve the chicken and grapes with the crusty bread if using. If using the ricotta, spread it on the crusty bread and top with grapes, before serving.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories 561
  • Protein 1 g
  • Carbohydrates 22 g
  • Total Fat 29 g
  • Dietary Fiber 1 g
  • Cholesterol 223 mg
  • sodium 755 mg
  • Total Sugars 18 g

Vineyard Chicken

Questions & Reviews

Join the discussion below.

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  • Jessica

    Can you substitute red grapes for black grapes?

    Sure! Hope you enjoy Jessica!

  • Katie

    What would be the best vinegar to sub for the sherry vinegar?

    Rice vinegar has the closest flavor profile.

  • Meg

    Made this for company and it was a hit with both kids and adults. Delicious! It felt fancy, but was easy to make.

    YAY! So glad it was enjoyed, thanks Meg!

  • Erin

    This was absolutely delicious-- I paired with mashed potatoes and a veggie and did not include the ricotta/bread. The subtle sweetness of the roasted grapes was incredible with the sauce/shallots. Next time, I will remove the grapes from the stem because it was annoying to pluck them off when I was ready to eat!

    Thanks Erin, we are so glad you loved it!

  • Anna

    Loved this dish!!! Did not have sherry vinegar so used rice vinegar and it was so good!

    Thanks Anna, so happy you loved it!

  • LINDA

    Made the Vineyard Chicken recipe last night. It was delicious. This recipe is a keeper. It is simple to make, incredibly flavourful, and elegant enough for company.

    Thank you Linda! We are so happy that you loved them!

  • Roholiz

    So good. It's a keeper!

    Thanks Roholiz, we are so glad you loved it!