Chicken Tenders with Balsamic-Fig Sauce

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Servings: 4
Yield: 4 servings

Description

Chicken tenders are drizzled with a fig sauce that’s both sweet and savory, made with garlic, shallot, red wine, and balsamic vinegar for a bit of tang.

Ingredients

1 pound chicken tenders
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
4 fresh figs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon butter

Directions

1 Make the chicken: Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides, then lightly coat with flour, shaking off excess.
2 Heat olive oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until tenders are golden brown, no longer pink in the centers, and the juices run clear, 5 to 6 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm.
3 Make the sauce: Add shallot and garlic to the same skillet and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add red wine and balsamic vinegar; simmer until reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in figs, thyme, mustard, honey, and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low or medium-low and simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in butter.
4 Spoon sauce over warm chicken tenders, or add chicken back to the skillet to briefly reheat. Serve immediately.