Log In / Sign Up

Buttermilk Chicken with Peach-Tomato Salsa Recipe

Buttermilk Chicken with Peach-Tomato Salsa
Difficulty: Easy | Total Time: | Makes: 6 servings

Some of our favorite Southern flavors combine in this easy yet impressive dish.

Game plan: We made this in a grill pan, but you could also cook it on an outdoor grill over medium heat (about 350°F) for 10 minutes per side.

Read more about grilling.

This dish was featured as part of our summer ingredients recipe slideshow.

INGREDIENTS
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing the pan
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from 1 medium lemon)
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 cups well-shaken low-fat buttermilk
  • 6 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • Peach, Tomato, and Sweet Onion Salsa
  • 3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans (about 3 ounces), toasted, for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Whisk together the measured olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, pepper, and salt in a large, shallow, nonreactive dish. While whisking, pour in the buttermilk and mix well. Add the chicken breasts and turn to coat in the marinade; cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
  2. To make the chicken, heat a grill pan over medium heat and lightly brush it with olive oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade, let any excess drip off, and place the breasts in the grill pan (you may have to do this in batches). Cook until the chicken is golden brown and the juices run clear, about 10 minutes per side.
  3. When the chicken is done, remove it from the heat, top with the salsa and toasted pecans, and serve.

Beverage pairing: Edna Valley Chardonnay Paragon Vineyard, California. Even though purists tend to malign this wine, there’s a time and place for a fruity, generous California Chardonnay. Edna Valley makes a really nice one, with crisp, fine fruit and an underlying minerality. Its notes of peach and citrus will match with the salsa, while the body is just right for the chicken breast.

    Write a review | 5 Reviews
  • My change to this was using tilapia (about an hour in the buttermilk) instead of chicken. Also, a bit of traditional salsa add-ins, a dash of white wine vinegar, peppers and cilantro. Excellent, light, summer meal.

  • I love this recipe! It's very simple and easy to do. Just be sure to plan for marinating time; I marinated for 24 hours, and then grilled the chicken on gas. It was super moist, and the fresh summer peaches make such a bright, wonderful salsa. A nice, light summer dinner.

  • Yum! If only the chicken were breaded and pan-fried this would be heaven!

  • I made this on a grill pan for dinner. It's a nice southern comfort food meets southwest flavors recipe. The chicken was moist, tasty and nicely grilled on the outside. I added diced jalapeno and cilantro to the peach salsa, which is sweet and fresh, but needed a kick IMHO. Served it with a black bean and corn salad for an easy summer dinner.

  • Looks interesting but I keep thinking I want some kind of cheese mixed in there - maybe a goat's cheese, only slightly softened.

Share with your friendsX