Boneless Chicken Stuffed with Bing Cherries

Since watching my video on How to Debone a Bird, you must be wondering: what do I make with this beautiful fine-feathered beast once I’ve deboned it?

Well, how about this recipe? Bing cherries are in season, but so are a lot of delicious fruits so feel free to switch it up–try peaches!

Or, like I said, try some beautiful Bing cherries. They will need to be pitted of course, or sometimes you can find them frozen and already pitted for you. That’s what modern times are for, machine pitted cherries.

Get a big bunch of fresh herbs. Here I have parsley and some basil, but go wild, you can’t have too many fresh herbs.

Then you’ll need a few cups of quinoa and a medium onion. You’ll sweat the onion in some oil, add the quinoa, along with the pitted cherries, add some water, cover and cook until fluffy but with a bit of bite. Mix in the chopped herbs and then…

Stuff the cavity with the mixture until it is plump. You’ll use some toothpicks to close the cavity so the quinoa doesn’t come tumbling out. And you will roast it for slightly less time than a bone-in chicken, which is mighty convenient on a busy weeknight.

Here is the printable recipe for you, give it a try! But watch the video first to help you debone it.

Print Recipe

“Boneless Chicken Stuffed with Bing Cherries”

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time55 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons grape seed oil
• 1 medium white onion diced
• Salt
• 1 cup pitted cherries
• 2 cups quinoa
• 1 cup chopped fresh herbs like parsley and basil
• 1 whole boneless chicken

Instructions

• In a heavy bottomed Dutch oven or pot, add the grape seed oil over medium heat and then the onions. Sprinkle with salt to help release the juices and sweat until tender.
• Add the cherries and stir for 2 minutes.
• Add the dried quinoa and stir for 2 minutes. Cover with 4 cups of water and stir. Cover and let cook until tender but slightly crunchy, about 15 minutes.
• Add the chopped herbs and stir until well combined.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the chicken in a baking dish or cast iron skillet and stuff the cavity of the chicken with the quinoa mixture until it is plump. Close and fasten the opening of the cavity with toothpicks so that the quinoa doesn't come tumbling out.
• Season the chicken with salt and pepper all over, and place in the oven for 10 minutes at 425 degrees F, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees F for 20 minutes more.
• Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.