Rosemary Peppercorn Chicken

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Cracked peppercorns pounded into chicken gives this dish a nice zing, and the creamy rosemary sauce makes it elegant!

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This, my friends, is a dinner party-worthy chicken supper that uses all of five ingredients and is ready in less than 30 minutes. I KNOW!

The secret is in the peppercorns and the rosemary. The peppercorns are cracked and pounded into the chicken for a little sneaky heat, and the super simple rosemary sauce makes it all kinds of elegant.

My rosemary is still growing merrily in my kitchen garden at the moment…

…but if you decide to cook this recipe up in the winter, you can almost certainly find rosemary in your supermarket’s produce section.

Side note: One of the things that I’ve been delighted to see in my supermarket lately are little teeny packages of fresh herbs.

I’ve always been able to find big bunches of rosemary, but really all I usually want is a tablespoon or two, and with the big bunches I am then left with the rest of the bunch of sage or rosemary or whatever looking reprovingly at me from the crisper.

And my life is complicated enough without having my vegetable drawer make me feel guilty, so whomever invented the little packages of herbs? I like you a lot.

As for the peppercorns, you have a few options. If you have a pepper grinder, you can adjust coarseness of grind by adjusting the screw top of the pepper grinder to make them as big or small as you want.

And if you are really brave? Smash them with a mallet inside a plastic bag for bigger, more peppery chunks. (I am not that brave. I have been known to use the smallest grind option on my pepper grinder).

Now grab some chicken and let’s make it!

How to make Rosemary Peppercorn Chicken!

Spread a towel on the counter and top with a sheet of plastic wrap. Lay four skinless, boneless chicken breast halves on the plastic wrap and sprinkle 1 tablespoons of cracked peppercorns on top.

Place another sheet of plastic wrap on top and pound the chicken with a meat mallet until the peppercorns are embedded in the chicken.

Flip the whole thing over, scatter the remaining peppercorns on top, replace the plastic wrap and pound again until the chicken is 1/2 inch thick.

Melt two tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sauté the chicken breasts until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Add two more tablespoons of butter to the skillet along with a half cup of cream and three tablespoons of fresh chopped rosemary and heat until bubbling and heated through, about 3-4 minutes.

Return the chicken to the skillet with any juices and turn to heat and coat with the sauce.

Ladle a puddle of sauce on each plate, top with chicken and spoon more sauce on top.

More tips for making Rosemary Peppercorn Chicken!

Can I just use regular ground pepper?

Yep! Ground pepper won’t be as, well, peppery as cracked peppercorns, but especially if you want a milder taste it will work just fine. Use about a quarter to half teaspoon per side of chicken, and still pound it in.

Can I use dried rosemary for this recipe?

Nope, sorry about that. It is too dry and prickly, and you want the lovely oils from the fresh stuff.

I like a nice thick sauce – what can I do to thicken it up?

I hear you! A little flour whisked in at the very end will do the trick – Wondra is the best flour for this, but you can also shake a couple tablespoons in through a fine mesh strainer (this will ensure you don’t have lumps), whisk for a minute or two and it will thicken right up!

When you bite into the chicken it will be a creamy, peppery, rosemary-infused taste of deliciousness. And your kitchen is going to smell like heaven, by the way.

Elegance, right? I love elegance. Especially when it comes in less than 30 minutes!

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Rosemary Peppercorn Chicken

Author: Kate Morgan Jackson
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

Cracked peppercorns pounded into chicken gives this dish a nice zing, and the creamy rosemary sauce makes it elegant!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons black peppercorns
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 4 ounces or so each)
4 tablespoons butter
½ cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

Instructions

First, crack the peppercorns! If you have a pepper grinder, you can put it on the coarsest setting and grind away. If you want a LOT of peppery bite, you can also put the peppercorns in a plastic bag and whack them with a meat mallet or a rolling pin until they are cracked. And if you are a spice wimp like me, you can also just use plain old fresh ground pepper.
Spread a towel on the counter and top with a sheet of plastic wrap. Lay the chicken breasts on the plastic wrap and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the cracked peppercorns on top. Place another sheet of plastic wrap on top and pound the chicken with a meat mallet until the peppercorns are embedded in the chicken. Flip the whole thing over, scatter the remaining peppercorns on top, replace the plastic wrap and pound again until the chicken is 1/2 inch thick.
Melt half the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sauté the chicken breasts until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
Add the rest of the butter to the skillet along with the cream and the rosemary and heat until bubbling and heated through, about 3-4 minutes.
Return the chicken to the skillet with any juices and turn to heat and coat with the sauce.
Ladlea puddle of sauce on each plate, top with chicken and spoon more sauce on top. Serve at once.

Notes

Need to add something to your kitchen equipment to make this recipe? Below are some of the items we used in the Framed Cooks kitchen to help cook this up. These are affiliate links to things we use and love, which helps to pay for all that bacon I keep buying (without any extra cost to you)! Thanks for using them to keep our kitchen cooking…xoxo!