This simple one pot meal elevates any weeknight in less than 30 minutes. The saltiness of the prosciutto wrapped chicken nicely balances with the fennel and pomegranate seeds. I love an effortless recipe that feels fancy and lets me forget it is a weekday. It makes for a perfect impromptu mid-week dinner party dish that will make your guest wonder how you do it all!
The pomegranates 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.
How to Make Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken with Fennel and Pomegranate Seeds
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 or two slices of prosciutto, place the chicken in the center, add the pepper and thyme 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!
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!
Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken with Fennel
Ingredients
- 4 small chicken breasts, bones and skin removed (1 pound)
- 8 slices prosciutto
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme (4 whole, 4 leaves removed)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1-2 tbsp coconut oil
- 3 med fennel bulbs cut into wedges, fronds reserved
- 1 med onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 3/4 cup chicken stock or bone broth
- 1/3 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 bacon fat in large oven proof 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 bacon fat.
- 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 of needed.
- AIP Compliant: Omit black pepper, replace white wine with additional stock and sub chopped cranberries for pomegranate arils.
My name is Jen. I believe that food (and life) should be fun. Join me as I create healthy recipes that focus on healing your body through food. Who says healthy has to be boring? 
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