Ginger & Peach Chicken

This chicken breast dish pairs lean protein with a glossy ginger-peach sauce that’s sweet, bright, and comes together in the same skillet. Canned peaches do the work here. Their syrupy juice becomes the base of the sauce, thickened with cornstarch and sharpened with fresh grated ginger.

Cook the chicken in a nonstick skillet with just cooking spray. No oil, no butter. The breasts brown on their own over medium heat in 8 to 10 minutes. Remove them and build the sauce in the same pan using the reserved peach juice mixed with water, cornstarch, ginger, and salt.

The sauce thickens quickly once it hits the heat. Give it a full minute of cooking after it bubbles to eliminate the starchy taste from the cornstarch. Then fold in the peach slices and sliced water chestnuts gently. The water chestnuts add a satisfying crunch that contrasts the soft peaches.

Serve on a platter with rice and cooked snow pea pods arranged alongside the sauced chicken.

Kitchen Tips

• Grate fresh gingerroot on a microplane for the finest texture. Chunky ginger pieces are unpleasant in the thin sauce.
• Don’t overcook the chicken. At 8 minutes, cut into the thickest piece to check for pink. Dried-out chicken can’t be rescued by sauce.
• Stir the peaches in gently. They’re soft from canning and break apart if handled roughly.

Variations

• Use fresh peaches in season, seared briefly in the pan, for a more intense peach flavor.
• Add a splash of rice vinegar to the sauce for extra tang.
• Swap snow peas for steamed broccoli or sugar snap peas.