This blueberry chicken recipe combines sweet fruit with fennel and a touch of maple syrup for a flavorful baked chicken dish that is dairy-free and gluten free. Perfect comfort food for an easy weeknight dinner with all the family!
Love chicken dishes? Check out my 15 best low histamine chicken recipes!
This blueberry chicken dish is a twist on more traditional recipes that use fruit, such as chicken with grapes or mango. We use berries that bubble down into a delicious blueberry chicken sauce, and give a subtle sweetness without being overly sugary. I made this for my mum and she said she would have happily paid for, and enjoyed it, at a restaurant. I think that's a five star review!
Chicken recipes always work so well for family meals, and the rosemary chicken fillets and ginger chicken pilaf traybake are some of the most popular recipes here on the blog. Perhaps you would like to check them out for another dinner idea!
And for a tasty and fragrant idea, my herb cream cheese stuffed chicken is so juicy and easy to make.
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⭐ Why this recipe is so good
The perfect sweetness. Blueberries have a more subtle sweetness than other fruits, giving this blueberry sauce so much flavour but without being too sugary.
Enjoy year-round. While blueberries are usually in most stores year-round, you can always use frozen blueberries if you can't get hold of fresh.
Versatile. Enjoy as a weeknight dinner, or serve with some more fancy sides for a special occasion with friends and family.
🐓 Ingredients
All the ingredients and their quantities are set out in the recipe card below.
This chicken with blueberry sauce uses fresh poultry and fruit, as well as pantry staples. Some notes on a few of the ingredients:
- Chicken breasts - buy fresh, and to the size you prefer for each person. If they are on the larger size, then I suggest to cut the chicken into smaller pieces.
- Blueberries - I tend to use fresh as they are nearly always available, but you can use frozen blueberries also. They may release a little extra liquid, so the sauce could be slightly thinner. Cook down for a few extra minutes if so.
- Fennel - this gives the sauce that delicious aniseed taste. If you aren't sure how to prepare it, then this tutorial on how to cut fennel should be helpful.
📖 Variations to the recipe
I haven't tried it myself, but there's no reason that chicken thighs wouldn't be as equally delicious as blueberry chicken breast.
Have a sweet tooth? You can always add a touch more maple syrup to the sauce.
🔪 Step by step instructions
This blueberry chicken is quite a simple recipe, and the blueberry sauce is very easy to make in a skillet. Then the oven does the work for you!
Step 1
Fry the chicken breast. After seasoning the chicken, fry in a little olive oil until light golden brown (you may need to do this in two batches if your skillet is on the smaller size). Once cooked through, remove from the skillet with tongs and set aside on a plate.
Step 2
Cook the vegetables. Fry the onion and fennel in olive oil until softened, about 5 minutes. You may need to reduce the heat of the skillet if it was higher to fry the chicken (no need to clean the skillet beforehand).
Step 3
Add the berries to the skillet. Add the garlic, blueberries, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, salt and black pepper to the skillet.
Step 4
Make the blueberry sauce. Bring to a light simmer, and cook for around 10 minutes until the blueberries have broken down into around half liquid, with some whole ones remaining.
Step 5
Bake the blueberry chicken breasts. Transfer the chicken to an ovenproof dish and then spoon the blueberry mixture over it. Give it a stir so the chicken is well coated with the sauce. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the chicken has an internal temperature of 165F. Serve immediately with sides of your choice and enjoy!
💭 Recipe tips and notes
- I suggest cutting the chicken breast into smaller fillet-sized pieces with a knife or kitchen scissors.
- Heat the blueberry mixture until the berries break down and are around half dissolved into liquid. If needed, you can press on them with the back of a wooden spoon to help them along. Be careful though, they may spatter!
- Check the chicken has an internal temperature of 165F at its thickest point to ensure it is thoroughly cooked through.
📋 Frequently asked questions
Yes definitely! Frozen blueberries can easily be used to make a blueberry sauce. They will likely release a little more liquid than fresh, so you may wish to cook the sauce down for a few minutes.
You can also use balsamic vinegar for this sauce. However, this wouldn't be suitable for my low histamine readers who may wish to either use white distilled vinegar or leave out vinegar completely from the sauce.
Rosemary would also be good!
🔪 Equipment needed
Skillet - to fry the chicken and make the blueberry sauce.
Ovenproof dish - to bake the chicken. You want one that is suitable for two chicken breasts (or more if you are increasing quantities).
Kitchen tongs - to remove the chicken from the skillet.
Meat thermometer - to check for an internal temperature of 165F for the chicken.
🍽 How to serve
These blueberry chicken breasts can be served with a variety of sides. I suggest the following as tasty options:
- Potatoes are always a good idea for a comfort food dinner, so a simple sweet potato mash or my potato cauliflower mash would be good. For something a little different, my celeriac sweet potato mash is also delicious.
- Rice or couscous is always good with sauces, or perhaps my cauliflower rice for a lower carb option.
- Vegetables make a balanced meal, so roast up some of my asparagus and Brussels sprouts, rosemary sweet potato and zucchini or cook up my garlic spaghetti squash.
🥣 More tasty chicken recipes
There are lots of tasty ideas on my chicken recipes page such as my baked thinly sliced chicken breast, easy panko chicken and chicken leek risotto, as well as these recent recipes for you to try out:
I’m always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to hear of new recipes. And please do leave a star rating ⭐⭐⭐ if you've tried the recipe!
📖 Recipe
Blueberry Chicken
Equipment
- Skillet
- Ovenproof dish
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts cut into smaller pieces, if required
- 1.5 cups blueberries
- ½ small white onion diced
- 1 small fennel diced
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced or finely diced
- 2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C (400F).
- Cut the chicken breasts into smaller pieces if required. Season with salt and black pepper (if using). Add a tablespoon of olive oil to your skillet and fry the chicken each side on a medium heat until light golden brown (you may need to do this in two batches if your skillet is on the smaller size). Cook time is about 10-12 minutes overall, depending upon the size of the fillets. Set aside on a plate.
- Reduce the heat to low and, in the same skillet, fry the onion and fennel in olive oil until softened for about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, blueberries, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, salt and black pepper to the skillet. Bring to a light simmer, and cook for around 10 minutes until the blueberries have broken down into around half liquid.
- Add your chicken to an ovenproof dish and then spoon the blueberry sauce over it. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the chicken has an internal temperature of 165F.
Notes
- Cut the chicken breasts into smaller fillets if required.
- Heat the blueberry mixture until the berries break down and are around half dissolved into liquid. If needed, you can press on them with the back of a wooden spoon to help them along. Be careful though, they may spatter!
- Check the chicken has an internal temperature of 165F at its thickest point to ensure it is thoroughly cooked through.
- Please note that nutritional information is offered as a courtesy. It is auto-generated and should be understood to be an estimate.
- apple cider vinegar and garlic, which score 1.
- black pepper, which scores 2.
Nancy says
hi I'm making this tonight and I'm wondering do I use the entire fennel or just the lower bulb part.. thank you and thank you for what looks like an amazing recipe
Claire says
Hi Nancy, there is a link to how to cut fennel in the post. You don't want to use the stalks or fronds, or the tough root at the bottom.
Paula Carter-Cooper says
Outstanding recipe, easy to make, great flavors and make it
all the time. Even my regular eating husband loves this recipe.
Claire says
Lovely to hear that you both enjoy it Paula!
Sarah says
I'll preface my review by saying I did omit the fennel (due to not having any on hand) and vinegar. But this is absolutely delicious!!!! I admit I was a bit skeptical going in as I've never had blueberries in a savory dish, but it was fantastic. Also was the first meal in a few weeks that I didn't have a histamine reaction to haha. This is definitely going in my regular rotation of go to meals!!
Claire says
So glad you like it Sarah, and even better it didn't cause you any issues! I'll also admit I was a bit skeptical the first time I made it, thinking it would be too sweet, but it works so well doesn't it. Thanks so much for being in touch!