Roasted Chicken and Red Onions with Cherry Relish

Name: Roasted Chicken and Red Onions with Cherry Relish
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: For the cherry relish:; 8 oz pitted cherries; ¼ cup finely chopped chives; ¼ cup finely chopped green onions; ¼ cup finely chopped basil leaves; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt; 4-5 grinds of black pepper; For the chicken:; 4 chicken thighs; 4 chicken drumsticks; 2 large or 3 medium red onions — peeled, halved and cut into wedges; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence; ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt; 6-7 grinds of black pepper; 4 oz arugula; Small handful of basil leaves

By Pascale Beale

Updated July 2026

ChickenDairy-FreeFrench-InspiredMain CourseMediterraneanPoultrySpringSummer

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Roasted Chicken and Red Onions with Cherry Relish

Photography by Pascale's Kitchen Studio

Total Time 1 hour, 20 minutes

Difficulty Medium

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

The rich tradition of incorporating fruit into savory dishes is deeply rooted in Asian, Middle Eastern, and African cuisines. Moroccan lamb tagines are enriched with the sweet tang of apricots, while Indian curries are infused with mangoes and spices. Thai cuisine features an array of dishes that simmer meat, poultry, and fish in the creamy richness of coconut milk. Similarly, Turkish, Armenian, Greek, Lebanese, and Syrian dishes are often adorned with pomegranates, succulent dates, and preserved lemons.

In that same vein, this dish celebrates a salty, savory, and sweet culinary marriage, creating a refreshing amalgam of flavors as succulent roast chicken sits on a bed of arugula and herbs, topped with a mouth-popping cherry relish.

Preparation

1
Combine all the relish ingredients in a small bowl. The relish can be made ahead of time and packed into mason jars. Keep it refrigerated.
2
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
3
Place the chicken pieces and red onions in a roasting dish large enough to hold them in one layer. They should fit snugly. Drizzle the olive oil over the chicken and turn the pieces once or twice to coat. Sprinkle the Herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper over the dish. Roast for 50-60 minutes until the chicken is golden brown.
4
Place a handful of arugula and some basil leaves in the center of each plate. Center the chicken on top of the arugula, adding some of the pan juices and red onions. Serve with the cherry relish.

This recipe is featured in FLAVOUR: Savouring the Seasons-Recipes From The Market Table and also in Let The Ingredients Do The Talking, an article written for Edible Santa Barbara - Summer 2026

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Roasted Chicken and Red Onions with Cherry Relish

Preparation

From Pascale's Kitchen Shop

Herbes de Provence

Flavour—Savouring The Seasons: Recipes From The Market Table

Organic Mission Olive Oil

Letters from the Market Table