Honey Roasted Chicken and Figs

This Honey Roasted Chicken and Figs has onions, shallots and figs roasted in a garlic honey sauce that gets a little love from red wine vinegar. So good.

When roasted, figs slowly break down and turn into a custard like fruit that’s sweet in flavor and jam-like in texture. These get a little extra love from a garlic honey sauce that is savory and offset with some tang from red wine vinegar. Add to the dish the chicken and this Honey Roasted Chicken and Figs is a complete meal too good not to share. Doesn’t this one scream comfort food goodness and Autumn?

I made this several times with three different vinegars. First I tried rice wine and it was too sweet. Next up was with apple cider vinegar, and while I loved it, the red wine vinegar was the perfect acid to off set the sweetness of the figs and honey.

This Honey Roasted Chicken and Figs is a wonderful comfort food dinner without the carbs like a pasta dish or with mashed potatoes. Slow roasted chicken in an insanely delicious garlic honey sauce with sweet figs. Sound good? I swear to you it is indeed.

I like to use bone-in, skin on chicken thighs for this one. I feel the thighs have more flavor and I love the rendered and crispy chicken skin on top. Salt and peppered all over the chicken thighs get a pan sear, then in the same pan go the onions, shallots and garlic. A mixture of red wine vinegar, honey, red pepper flakes and cornstarch make the sauce.

Back in the pan with the sauce go the thighs and sliced figs to round it all out for a little roasting. What you have is one delicious Autumn dinner.

The flavor weapon here is definitely the red wine vinegar, but the fresh oregano is key as well.

The figs are so delicate and fork tender. Sweet, delicious and compliment the tangy garlic honey sauce. Take a look at this beauty!

I’ve made this as a one pan meal using my 12 inch cast iron, but feel free to use a large skillet able to go into the oven after the pan sear. Recently I doubled this recipe and after the pan sear roasted everything in my trusty 13×9″ stone bakeware for a party. This one got rave reviews and everyone said to please post this recipe, so here it is people! Who’s with me?

The sweet figs are incredible in this and the sweet and tangy sauce is fantastic, but if you like crispy chicken skin do not pour the sauce over or baste.

If you like this, try my Balsamic Apricot Pork Chops. Enjoy!

Honey Roasted Figs and Chicken

This Honey Roasted Chicken and Figs has onions, shallots and figs roasted in a garlic honey sauce that gets a little love from red wine vinegar. So good. Adapted from Sunset magazine’s 12 Favorite Fig recipes

4.93 from 13 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner, Main

Cuisine: American, Western

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 655kcal

Author: Kevin Is Cooking

Ingredients

• 2-3 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (6 to 8)
• 1 tsp salt divided
• 1 tsp pepper divided
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup honey
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 large white onion thinly sliced
• 2 large shallots thinly sliced
• 8 cloves garlic whole
• 2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves chopped, plus 2 tbsp whole leaves
• 8 fresh figs (See Note 1)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400°F. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, water, honey, red pepper flakes and cornstarch. Set aside. Sprinkle chicken on both sides with salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
• Heat a heavy 12 or 14 inch cast iron or ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add oil and place chicken skin side down. Brown until skin is deep golden and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn over and brown other side, 2 to 4 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
• Discard all but 2 tablespoons of fat from frying pan, reduce heat to medium, and cook onions, shallots until translucent, 5 minutes. Add whole garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add cornstarch mixture, chopped oregano, and remaining black pepper. Cook until mixture thickens, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Fry Pan Roasting: Set chicken skin side up in frying pan and add quartered figs. Roast in oven until figs soften and caramelize slightly and meat is no longer pink at bone, about 15 minutes, OR internal temperature is 165°F. Divide chicken, figs, and sauce among plates and top with whole oregano leaves. 
• 9×9” Baking Dish: If doubling, use 13×9” baking dish. Pour onion, shallot sauce mixture on bottom of baking dish. Set chicken skin side up on top of onion shallot sauce mixture and add arrange quartered figs around chicken. Roast in oven until figs soften and caramelize slightly and meat is no longer pink at bone, about 15 minutes, OR internal temperature is 165°F. Divide chicken, figs, and sauce among plates and top with whole oregano leaves. 

Notes

With using fresh, trim stems, halve (quarter if large).  IF using dried. Re-constitute by covering in boiling water by 1 inch and steep for 30 minutes, covered. Drain and use.

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Nutrition

Serving: 1oz | Calories: 655kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 188mg | Sodium: 736mg | Potassium: 744mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 290IU | Vitamin C: 6.9mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 2.1mg

Have you made this recipe? Let me know on InstagramTag @KevinIsCooking and hashtag me #keviniscooking!