Apple Cider Chicken (One Skillet, Sauteed Apples and a Buttery Cider Pan Sauce)

This apple cider chicken is the dinner that makes my kitchen smell like October: boneless chicken thighs seared deeply golden in a cast iron skillet, then Honeycrisp apple slices and shallots cooked in the drippings, a cup of fresh apple cider poured in to scrape up every browned bit, and Dijon and thyme whisked into the simmering sauce until it is glossy enough to coat a spoon. The chicken goes back in, the sauce gets spooned over and it is on the table in 35 minutes with 34g of protein a serving. I have made a lot of skillet chicken dinners — French onion chicken and chicken piccata are both on heavy rotation — and this is the one I make when the leaves turn.

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Why this apple cider chicken recipe works every time.

• Thighs stay juicy while the sauce reduces. Boneless skinless thighs forgive the extra few minutes it takes to reduce a pan sauce, which is exactly where chicken breast turns dry. They also brown harder, and that brown fond on the bottom of the pan is the backbone of the apple cider pan sauce.
• Real cider, not apple juice. Fresh, cloudy apple cider has acidity and body that apple juice does not. Reduced by half with the shallots and a splash of apple cider vinegar, it becomes a sweet-tart sauce rather than a sugary one. Dijon at the end gives it backbone, the way it does in my smothered pork chops gravy.
• The apples cook in the chicken drippings. Sauteing the Honeycrisp slices and shallots in the rendered chicken fat and butter gives them golden edges and savory depth. They stay just tender, not mushy, and taste like part of the dinner instead of a garnish.

Here's what you'll need.

Thirteen ingredients, most of which you already have in October: boneless skinless chicken thighs, fresh apple cider, two Honeycrisp apples, shallots, garlic, Dijon mustard, butter, olive oil, chicken broth, fresh thyme, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper.

Here's how it all comes together.

STEP 1 — Dry and season the thighs.

Pat the chicken thighs thoroughly dry with paper towels — dry chicken browns, wet chicken steams. Season both sides generously with salt, pepper and half the thyme leaves and let them sit while the skillet heats.

STEP 2 — Sear the chicken golden.

Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron or heavy skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Lay the thighs in smooth side down without crowding and leave them alone for 5 to 6 minutes until deeply golden. Flip and cook 4 minutes more, then move to a plate — they will finish in the sauce.

STEP 3 — Saute the apples and shallots.

Lower the heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the drippings. Add the apple slices and shallots and cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until the apples pick up golden edges and the shallots soften. Add the garlic for the last 30 seconds.

STEP 4 — Deglaze with cider.

Pour in the apple cider and the vinegar and scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to lift every browned bit. Add the chicken broth, raise the heat and let it bubble for 4 to 5 minutes until reduced by about half.

STEP 5 — Whisk in Dijon, thyme and butter.

Lower the heat and whisk in the Dijon, the remaining thyme and the last tablespoon of butter until the sauce turns glossy and lightly thickened. Taste and add salt and pepper — it should be tangy, savory and just a little sweet.

STEP 6 — Return the chicken and spoon over.

Nestle the thighs and any juices from the plate back into the skillet among the apples. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes, spooning the sauce over the chicken, until it reads 165°F at the thickest part and the sauce clings. Finish with a few thyme sprigs.

If one-skillet dinners built on real ingredients and a good pan sauce are your kind of cooking, there are many more like it in the Ultimate Slow Cooker Mediterranean Diet Cookbook.

Things I learned while testing this recipe.

• Use a firm, sweet-tart apple. Honeycrisp, Pink Lady and Braeburn hold their shape in the pan. Red Delicious and McIntosh go to mush in minutes. Leave the skin on for color.
• Do not move the chicken while it sears. A deep golden crust needs 5 undisturbed minutes. If the thigh sticks when you try to flip it, it is not ready — give it another minute and it will release.
• Reduce the cider properly. Reducing by half concentrates the flavor and gives the sauce body without any flour or cornstarch. If your sauce is thin, it just needs a couple more minutes of bubbling.
• Finish with a thermometer. Thighs are done at 165°F and forgiving up to 175°F, where they are even more tender. A quick-read thermometer takes out the guesswork.

Why apple cider chicken is my favorite fall dinner.

• 34g protein and one pan. Two thighs a person gets you to 34g protein in a dinner that cooks in a single skillet with no flour, no cream and no breading. Plug your own numbers into the protein calculator and this one fits easily.
• It tastes special for very little effort. The pan sauce makes it look and taste like a Sunday dinner, but the whole thing is 35 minutes of mostly waiting for things to brown. It is my go-to when friends come over on a weeknight.
• Leftovers are even better. The chicken soaks up the sauce overnight. Slice it over a salad with the apples or tuck it into a sandwich with sharp cheddar — it is a lunch I actually look forward to.

Here's what I'd serve with this.

• Air fryer smashed potatoes — crispy potatoes to drag through the cider sauce
• Air fryer brussels sprouts — crisp, a little bitter, perfect against the sweet apples
• Roasted cauliflower — in the oven while the chicken sears
• Apple crisp — if you are already buying apples, you may as well finish the night properly
• Creamy butternut squash pasta — also new today — the other fall dinner I cannot stop making

Just in case you have leftovers.

Storing: Refrigerate the chicken, apples and sauce together in an airtight container for up to 4 days — the sauce keeps the chicken moist. It also freezes well: cool completely and freeze in a freezer bag for up to 3 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge. The apples soften a little after freezing but the flavor holds.

Reheating: Warm in a covered skillet over medium-low with a splash of cider or broth for 6 to 8 minutes, turning the chicken once, until hot through. In the microwave, cover and heat at 70% power in 90-second bursts. Avoid high heat, which tightens the thighs.

More easy dinner recipes...

French onion chicken Chicken piccata Smothered pork chops Apple crisp

Also new today: creamy butternut squash pasta — roasted squash and a whole head of garlic blended into a velvety fall sauce with crispy sage, and salmon sushi bake for a change of pace.

Real-ingredient dinners for the cooler months

If a skillet of chicken, apples and herbs is the kind of dinner you want more of this fall, the Ultimate Slow Cooker Mediterranean Diet Cookbook is full of simple, whole-ingredient meals that mostly cook themselves while you get on with the evening.

Get the cookbook on Amazon

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