Is anything better than prosciutto-wrapped chicken? We think not! This simple one-pot meal elevates any weeknight in less than 30 minutes.
The saltiness of the prosciutto livens up basic chicken breasts and nicely balances with the fennel and pomegranate seeds. I love an effortless recipe that feels fancy and lets you forget it is a weekday.
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Proscuitto wrapped chicken also makes for a perfect impromptu mid-week dinner party dish that will make your guest wonder how you do it all! We live to serve with a gluten-free flatbread and a simple salad.
We are also obsessed with pomegranate right now. They feel festive so I always find myself making this between Thanksgiving and New Year's when I am strapped for patience and time but crave real flavor.
Fennel and pomegranates are packed with vitamin C so I feel like we are getting an extra dose of cold-fighting healthy. However, this recipe is a Mr. Peel favorite so I am pretty sure he would eat it any time of the year.
🧾Ingredients
This is not a bland weeknight chicken recipe. We had loaded it with unique flavors that are anything but boring.
- Chicken- Boneless skinless breasts. This is great for smaller pieces of chicken. We cut down the larger oversized pieces.
- Prosciutto- Thinly sliced pieces. You only need 8 so I typically order the precise count from the deli counter.
- Fennel- This recipe uses both the bulb and the fennel fronds. When I want to beef up the veggie content of the recipe I add 1 to 2 carrots peel and cut into 4-inch wedges.
- Onion- A medium-sized white or yellow onion.
- White Wine- Or sub chicken stock.
- Chicken Stock- Or bone broth. And veggie broth works too if that is all you have.
- Fresh Thyme
- Pomegranate Arils- You can either buy a whole pomegranate and break it up to remove the arils or buy them in a container ready to go.
- Coconut Oil, Kosher Salt, and Black Pepper
⏲️Instructions
The key to any successful one pot meal is prepping the ingredients correctly. Both the chicken and fennel should be the right size to ensure even cooking and a low stress evening.
To start you need to assess the chicken. If the chicken breasts are oversized you will need to trim them down and pound them out. I find that removing the tender for another purpose and slicing in half works best. Flattening the chicken allows it to cook quickly and be a manageable size.
Next, laying out one slice of prosciutto, place the chicken in the center, add the pepper, and fresh thyme leaves from one sprig. Gently fold the prosciutto over the chicken and give a light press to seal the ends. and give it a light wrap.
When we sear the chicken, the prosciutto will tighten up like skinny jeans in the dryer.
When prepping the fennel, the key is to keep the wedges intact while removing the tough core. After removing the fennel fronds, cut into wedges and use a paring knife to slice out the core at an angle. Super easy!
Add oil to a large frying pan over medium heat. Your pan needs to be ovenproof. Place chicken in the pan seam side down, brown for two minutes per side. Move the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium-low and add fennel and cook until it begins to soften. Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes more. If the pan gets to dry you can add additional oil.
Pour the wine into the pan to deglaze it. Wait for the wine to evaporate and add the chicken stock, remaining thyme sprigs, and the prosciutto-wrapped chicken back to the pan.
Place in oven uncovered for 15 minutes or until chicken reaches 165F.
Now I am going to tell you specific instructions on how to remove the seeds from a whole pomegranate. Just kidding! POM Wonderful sells the arils ready to go.
We are trying to get this wrapped up in 30 minutes; what did you expect? Besides it is Wednesday, I am feeling fancy so I am pretending my sous chef took care of the prep for me. Don't judge.
Our recipe calls for white wine so feel free to pour yourself a glass, you have 15 minutes to relax while it finishes baking!
Once the chicken is ready sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and the fennel fronds and serve.
This recipe pairs well with a simple green salad.
🥗More Easy Weeknight Recipes
Then check out some of our other favorite quick and easy weeknight recipes that all take less than 30 minutes! All these delicious recipes are also gluten-free and dairy-free. Winning!
If you try this recipe, be sure to post a photo on Instagram with #peelwithzeal! Follow Peel with Zeal on Pinterest, Instagram, or Facebook for the latest posts.
📖 Recipe
Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken with Fennel
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 small chicken breasts, bones and skin removed (1 pound)
- 8 slices prosciutto
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme remove leaves from half the sprigs
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1-2 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil
- 3 med fennel bulbs cut into wedges, fronds reserved
- 1 med onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup white wine
- ¾ cup chicken stock or bone broth
- ⅓ cup pomegranate arils
Instructions
- Preheat over to 425F.
- Pound chicken into even thickness between two sheets of parchment (if necessary).
- Place two slices of prosciutto overlapping on cutting board, add one chicken breast, seasoning with thyme leaves and pepper, wrap prosciutto around chicken, it does not have to fully cover. Repeat with remaining pieces.
- Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil in large ovenproof pan over medium-high heat.
- Place chicken in pan seam side down, brown 2-3 minutes, flip and brown 2-3 minutes. Remove to plate.
- Reduce heat to medium and add fennel, cook until it begins to soften about 5 minutes. Add onions, cook 2 minutes. If the pan gets to dry you can add additional oil.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine, once evaporated add stock, thyme and chicken back to the pan.
- Place in oven uncovered for 15 minutes or until chicken reaches 165F.
- Sprinkle chopped reserved fennel fronds and pomegranate arils over the dish and serve.
Notes
- You may notice the lack of additional salt, between the prosciutto and our homemade salted chicken stock I don't find it necessary, but salt to taste at the end if needed.
- Chopped dried cranberries can be substituted for the pomegranates.
Jenna says
A unique one pot meal. I never know what to do with fennel (other than a salad) so this was perfect.