Growing up, I used to love watching Chopped on Food Network and then trying to do my own little chopped competitions at home. And I fully credit that as what has made me so creative in the kitchen. A couple weeks ago, I was cleaning out the fridge and trying to make dinner with whatever we had on hand. All I could find was a frozen chicken breast and some persimmons. I decided to marinate the chicken in some Greek yogurt and harissa paste, then I seared it in my cast iron, added in some shallots and the persimmons and threw it in the oven. What I ended up with is one of my new favorite one-skillet meals!
I made this persimmon chicken again yesterday with more deliberate measurements and I'm just so happy with how it turned out that I couldn't wait to share! It's a little sweet, a little spicy, and full of amazing flavor!
Recipe notes
I always use my favorite Lodge cast iron skillet* to make this one-skillet chicken, but you can use any pan that can go from the stovetop to the oven.
You just need a few ingredients to make this easy weeknight meal, but some are items you probably don't keep on hand.
greek yogurt & harissa marinade
I love marinating chicken in Greek yogurt because it tenderizes the meat very gently, which means you can leave it in the marinade overnight (unlike with heavily acidic marinades). If you don't have Greek yogurt, regular plain yogurt works great too!
Harissa* is one of my favorite things to keep in my pantry! It's a spicy chili paste that packs a ton of flavor! It's pretty spicy so feel free to add more or less depending on your preferences.
how to choose persimmons
There are two main types of persimmons that you're likely to see at the grocery store come October-Januray, Â hachiya and fuyu. Hachiya persimmons are elongated and shaped like a heart or acorn, they are very astringent before they are ripe and personally, I'm just not a fan. You don't want to eat them unless they are extremely soft (almost soupy on the inside). But for this chicken skillet we want to use fuyu persimmons.
Fuyu persimmons are shaped like a tomato and have a delicately sweet flavor. They can be eaten when they are still very firm and are still delicious when they soften. I prefer them on the firmer side, especially for this recipe. I recommend choosing fuyu persimmons that are very firm because then they will last at home for about two weeks if stored in the crisper draw in the fridge. Fuyu persimmons are also delicious in my winter persimmon salad!
This chicken skillet is delicious with a simple side like rice, couscous, or my sourdough naan!
If you make this harissa and persimmon chicken, please leave us a rating and review at the bottom of the page! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers!
Harissa and Persimmon Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
Harissa Yogurt Marinade
- 1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt, substitute plain full-fat yogurt
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1-4 teaspoons harissa paste, to taste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Chicken Skillet
- 2-3 chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup white cooking wine
- 1 large shallot, sliced
- 4 fuyu persimmons, sliced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together all of the marinade ingredients. Place the chicken breasts in a shallow dish or Ziploc bag, cover with the marinade and toss to coat. Let marinate for 1 hour at room temperature. (You can also marinate the chicken in the fridge overnight, just be sure to let it come to room temperature for an hour before cooking).
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken breasts for 3-4 minutes on each side or until there is a golden brown crust (you can shake off excess marinade before searing but don't wipe it all off as that's what gives you the flavorful crust).Â
- Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, then toss in the thyme, sliced shallots and persimmons.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (internal temp of 160°F).
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Nutrition
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Harissa and chicken are a match made in heaven!
Such a great dish, I absolutely adore harissa and have been using it a lot in my kitchen. This chicken must taste incredible!