Gluten-Free Herb-Crusted Chicken Rolls
Elegant stuffed chicken breasts filled with prunes and almonds, wrapped in bacon and foil-roasted until tender, then finished with a bold blackberry-wine reduction. Warm spices (cinnamon, oregano, thyme, garlic) echo through both the chicken and sauce, creating a sophisticated balance of savory and tart-sweet. Serve for dinner parties or special occasions when you want impressive plating without fussy technique. This version combines the hominess of fruit-and-poultry with restaurant-quality presentation and surprising flavor depth from the wine-based sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp garlic powder, McCormick, ground
- ½ tsp cinnamon, McCormick, ground
- ½ tsp oregano leaves, McCormick, dried
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper, McCormick, ground
- ¼ tsp thyme leaves, McCormick, dried
- 6 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, thin-sliced, about 1.5 pounds
- 12 prunes, pitted, drieddried apricots or figsequal weightlighter fruit flavor
4
- ¼ cup almonds, coarsely chopped, toasted
- 1 tbsp butter, melted
- 6 bacon slices, cooked, halved crosswise
- 1 cup blackberries, finely crushed
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick, McCormick
- 1 tsp lemon peel, grated
Instructions
- 1
Mix garlic powder, cinnamon, oregano, salt, pepper and thyme together. Set aside half a teaspoon for the sauce.
- 2
Season both sides of chicken breasts with remaining spice mixture. Cover and refrigerate 10 minutes.
- 3
Preheat oven to 350°F.
- 4
Slit each prune down the middle and stuff with chopped toasted almonds.
- 5
Brush six sheets of foil (12x8-inch) with melted butter. Place one chicken breast on each sheet.
- 6
Layer half a slice of bacon, two filled prunes, and another half slice of bacon across the short end of each breast.
- 7
Roll chicken tightly from the short end and wrap in foil, twisting edges to seal completely. Place on baking pan.
- 8
Bake 20 minutes, then unwrap carefully, place back on pan, and bake another 20 minutes until cooked through.
- 9
While chicken bakes, combine blackberries, wine, sugar and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan.
- 10
Bring to boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- 11
Stir in lemon peel and reserved seasoning mixture. Simmer 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
- 12
Serve chicken rolls with blackberry sauce.
Tips
Pound chicken breasts to even thickness before seasoning so they roll tightly without breaking and cook evenly throughout.
Toast almonds yourself for deeper flavor and better texture than pre-toasted versions; watch closely as they burn quickly.
Prepare and refrigerate foil packets up to 4 hours ahead, then bake when needed for simplified dinner timing.
Good to Know
Cover and refrigerate cooked chicken rolls and sauce separately for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on low heat or in 300°F oven with foil covering to prevent drying.
Assemble foil packets (seasoned chicken with filling, rolled, wrapped) up to 4 hours ahead. Refrigerate until ready to bake. Make sauce while chicken finishes cooking, or prepare completely and reheat.
Place one chicken roll on plate, spoon blackberry sauce over or alongside. Pair with roasted root vegetables, wild rice, or a green salad dressed simply so sauce remains the star.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip initial 10-minute refrigeration to avoid seasoning sliding off when rolling.
Do not unwrap foil until fully cooked or chicken will dry out; the foil steams the meat.
Do not crush blackberries too finely or sauce becomes grainy; coarse crushing gives better texture.
Substitutions
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FAQ
Can I use fresh chicken breasts instead of thin-sliced?
Yes, but pound regular breasts to 1/4-inch thickness with a meat mallet first so they roll without cracking and cook evenly. Uneven thickness causes dry edges and raw centers.
What if I don't have cinnamon sticks for the sauce?
Substitute 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon stirred in at the end instead of simmering with the stick. Stick adds deeper flavor, but ground works in a pinch; add it after removing from heat to avoid bitterness.
How long can I keep the chicken rolls in the fridge?
Store covered for up to 3 days. Reheat gently at 300°F in foil or covered baking dish to prevent drying. Sauce keeps separately up to 4 days and can be frozen up to 3 months.