Walnut Cranberry Glazed Grilled Chicken
Tender grilled chicken breasts coated in a sticky, sweet-and-tart homemade cranberry sauce and topped with crunchy toasted walnuts. A restaurant-quality meal ready in 30 minutes.
Equipment
- Outdoor Grill or Grill Pan
- Small saucepan
- Meat Thermometer
- Basting Brush
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- ⅓ cup maple syrup (or honey)
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary (minced)
- ½ cup walnuts (roughly chopped and toasted)
Instructions
- Season Chicken: Pat the chicken breasts dry. Rub them with olive oil and season evenly with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Toast Walnuts: In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the chopped walnuts for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Set aside.
- Make Glaze: In a small saucepan, combine cranberries, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, and rosemary. Simmer over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until berries burst and sauce thickens. Stir in half of the toasted walnuts.
- Grill: Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Grill chicken for 6-7 minutes per side.
- Baste: In the final 2 minutes of grilling, brush the cranberry glaze generously over the chicken.
- Serve: Remove from heat. Top with remaining walnuts and extra sauce if desired. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
If you are using very thick chicken breasts, consider pounding them to an even thickness before grilling. This ensures they cook evenly without drying out the edges.