One skillet is all you need to make this tender and juicy apple cider chicken. The process is really easy: coat chicken thighs with a cozy, flavorful mix of warm spices and cook them in a skillet. Remove, and then prepare a super simple apple cider pan sauce with sweet apples and shallots. This is a quick, crowd-pleasing 35-minute dinner recipe you’ll want to make on repeat all autumn long!
One reader, Juliev, commented: “Delicious! I made a double batch of this for my bigger family last night and it was wonderful. The warm savory spices and mild sweetness of the sauce are so good together. Chicken and apples both came out beautifully. Definitely making again. ★★★★★“
If you love spiced apple cider and jump for joy at the thought of a quick & easy chicken dinner, you’ll flip for this generously spiced apple cider chicken dish. It’s wonderfully savory, and has a kiss of sweetness from the apple cider and brown sugar.
FALL IN LOVE!
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Apple Cider Chicken
- Quick and easy 1-pan meal
- Extra tender, juicy chicken
- Basically fall in a skillet 😉
- Cozy warm spices with salty, sweet, and savory flavors
- Apple cider and butter obviously make a delicious pan sauce
- Undeniably crowd pleasing, so you’ll want to make again and again
If there’s one stand-out meal you make during the fall season… one that will have everyone talking and demanding you make on repeat… it’s this. See my list of 30 delicious fall dinner recipe ideas for even more inspiration.
The best part of this dish, obviously besides its ease and the FABULOUS apple cider pan sauce, is the robust mix of spices. I adapted this dish from a Cooking Light recipe I found, and added quite a bit more spice so the flavors really stand out.
Use These Spices for the Best Flavor
- Salt & Pepper
- Ground Coriander
- Ground Cinnamon
- Ground Nutmeg
- Dried Thyme Leaves
If you’ve made this maple-roasted squash kale salad before, you already have most of these spices in your kitchen!
You also need chicken, a little butter and olive oil, a touch of brown sugar, apples (no need to peel), shallots, and… the star of the show… apple cider. Be sure to use apple cider, the nonalcoholic beverage, and not apple cider vinegar. You’ll be deeply disappointed with that mistake!
A little tip: Fresh apple cider typically appears in grocery stores and farm markets around late summer, but can get harder to find by the end of the year. To ensure I can make this cozy recipe all throughout the winter, I like to freeze some apple cider in an ice cube tray, then defrost a couple of frozen cider cubes whenever I want to make it. You can also use it to make this baked apple cider French toast and honeycrisp apple sangria throughout the season. Or try making your own homemade apple cider!
Success Tip: Use Chicken Thighs Instead of Chicken Breasts
If you want to make this recipe with chicken breasts instead of thighs you can, but you’ll lose some flavor. Chicken thighs are a fattier cut of meat, so they taste much richer than chicken breast meat. They are also smaller than most chicken breasts, so they cook faster on the stove. If you use chicken breasts, I recommend buying the thin-sliced or tenderloin cuts.
But for best results with this recipe, I strongly recommend chicken thighs.
Start the Chicken, Then Make the Pan Sauce
Ideally, you want a pretty big skillet for this recipe, and I usually use my 12-inch cast-iron skillet. This is the same skillet I use to make creamy garlic chicken and walnut crusted chicken. If your skillet is small, you can cook the chicken in batches. You can also use a Dutch oven.
Sprinkle the spice mixture on both sides of the chicken thighs, then cook the chicken in a little oil, flipping once, until both sides are golden-brown and the internal temperature has reached 165°F (74°C).
Remove the chicken and set aside.
Add the butter to the pan (don’t wipe it out first—you want the flavorful spices and drippings from the chicken in there for the pan sauce!), and swirl to coat. Add the apple and shallot slices and sprinkle with the remaining salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften. Pour in the apple cider, and cook until the apples are crisp-tender, and the sauce has thickened a bit.
Finish up by adding the cooked chicken back to the pan—just for a couple minutes, to warm it back up and mix everything together.
The process is a lot like my reader-favorite cilantro lime chicken and this creamy lemon thyme chicken (one of my all-time best dishes!).
I like to garnish the dish with more thyme, plus some fresh rosemary if I have it on hand. To serve, place the chicken thighs on plates, then top each piece of chicken with a big scoop of apples and shallots, along with that delicious apple cider pan sauce.
FAQs
Coriander brings a lot of flavor to this dish, so I don’t recommend skipping it or substituting it. In an absolute pinch, you can substitute with ground caraway, or with 1/4 teaspoon each dried oregano and ground cumin.
You can, but you’ll lose some flavor. Apple cider is fresh, unfiltered, and typically unpasteurized, so it’s more like the raw, purer version of juiced apples. Apple juice has had the pulp and sediment filtered out, and is pasteurized to extend its shelf life.
Most apple varieties work for this recipe, though I’d steer clear of softer, mealier varieties like Red Delicious and McIntosh, which could cook down into mush. I tend to use one tart apple (like Granny Smith) and one sweet apple (like Honeycrisp). I use this same half tart/half sweet trick pretty much every time I bake with apples, whether I’m making apple pie or apple cinnamon bread.
My best apples for baking also applies here. 😉
What to Serve With Apple Cider Chicken
This chicken recipe pairs with many different side dishes. I like to serve it with green beans and rice, which can both be made on the stove as well. (Sometimes I have to give my oven a night off!)
But this apple cider chicken is also tasty with potatoes or sweet potatoes, a fresh green salad, dinner rolls or brown butter sage dinner rolls, asiago-crusted skillet bread, sweet potato dinner rolls, or cornbread. If you’re feeding a larger crowd and want some more substantial side dish options, try warm brussels sprouts salad, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, mushroom puff pastry tarts, or zucchini casserole.
Have leftover apples on your hands? Try apple cobbler or apple turnovers for dessert!
Skillet Apple Cider Chicken
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: serves 4
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Description
One skillet is all you need to cook this tender, juicy chicken with sweet apples and apple cider sauce. A blend of spices add impeccable flavor, and the apple cider sauce is made right in the same skillet! Review recipe Notes before starting.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound (454g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 Tablespoon light or dark brown sugar
- 2 cups (250g) apple slices (about 1/4-inch-thick slices, no need to peel)
- 1/3 cup (40g) chopped shallots (or yellow onion)
- 1/3 cup (80ml) apple cider (NOT apple cider vinegar)
- optional: fresh thyme and rosemary, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large 12-inch skillet over medium heat. I usually use a cast iron skillet, but any skillet this size works. You can also use a Dutch oven.
- In a small bowl, mix together 3/4 teaspoon salt, the coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, dried thyme, and pepper. Sprinkle the spice mixture over both sides of the chicken thighs.
- Add a drizzle of oil to the hot skillet, and swirl to coat. Add the chicken thighs to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes, then flip and cook for 5 more minutes or until cooked through (internal temperature should be at least 165°F (74°C)). Transfer chicken to a plate and cover lightly. You’ll add it back to the pan in the end of the next step.
- Add the butter to the pan (no need to wipe it out first), and gently swirl to coat as it melts. Add the brown sugar, apples, and shallots, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until apples begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Pour in the apple cider and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cider sauce has slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken back to the pan and cook for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Spoon the apple mixture over the chicken to serve. Garnish with fresh thyme and rosemary, if desired.
- Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for a few days. The butter in the sauce will solidify, but once you reheat, it all comes back together. You can reheat on the stove over medium heat or in the microwave.
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Cast-Iron Skillet | Tongs | Instant-Read Thermometer
- What can I use instead of coriander? Ground coriander brings a lot of flavor to this dish, so I don’t recommend skipping it or substituting it. In an absolute pinch, you can just leave it out or substitute ground caraway, or 1/4 teaspoon each dried oregano and ground cumin.
- Can I use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs? You can, but you’ll lose some flavor, and they may take longer to cook. For best results, I strongly recommend boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- Can I use apple juice instead of apple cider? You can, but you’ll lose some flavor. Apple cider is fresh, unfiltered, and typically unpasteurized, so it’s more like the raw, purer version of juiced apples. Apple juice has had the pulp and sediment filtered out, and is pasteurized to extend its shelf life.
- Recipe adapted from Cooking Light.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 247
- Sugar: 19.7 g
- Sodium: 523.1 mg
- Fat: 9.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 23.1 g
- Protein: 17.4 g
- Cholesterol: 95.2 mg
Reader Comments and Reviews
This is phenomenally flavorful dish and an easy one to pull together. I always go to you for baked goods. Now I know I need to try more of your savory dishes.
This was such a delicious recipe! I haven’t had cooked apple for a while, so this was quite a treat. I decided to make this, as it was in your email “10 Baking recipes for the weekend.” Sounded good, and did not disappoint. My 4 year old gave it a thumbs-up! I love your recipes! I definitely recommend this recipe, with no changes!
This recipe was so amazing! I could drink the sauce, joking! Sorta. This would be also good with pork tenderloin. I made the recipe as is, but I bet a splash of heavy cream in the sauce would be awesome!
I made this for dinner last night. So easy. Absolutely delish. I would make it again and I’m definitely going to try this with pork chops!
Best Rosh Hashanah meal of all time, thanks to your incredible recipe !
This is really good fall flavors. Served it with garlic green beans and rice-o-roni (i cheated with this since time is of the essence, LoL).
I made this for my family and it was a hit. Cider was not yet in season but unfiltered apple juice was, and it worked. Thank you for this great recipe!
My family loved this Chicken recipe very tender.
We loved this!! Made it with your sweet potato casserole. Such a delicious dinner. Thanks Sally!
This dish was absolutely delish! A new family favorite
Made this the other night and it came out delicious! Followed the directions exactly, super easy, love that it’s all made in 1 dish. I used Fuji apples since that’s what I had and came out great! Will be making again!
Such a great fall recipe. Easy and tasty.
The only reason I gave this recipe 5 stars was there weren’t 10 or I would have given it 10. There are no words to describe how incredibly delicious it was. It was very easy to prepare. I didn’t have apple cider so I used apple juice and added some apple pie spice along with a bit of white cooking wine. It’s amazing how tasty this dish is although there is very little in the recipe that is high in calories. Both my husband and I could have licked the plate. Served it with yams sliced and baked with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. Yummy. I will make this often.
Just made this for dinner. Absolutely delicious! The flavors were wonderful and will definitely make again.
We had this for dinner last night and my husband could not stop raving about how good it was, even hours after we had finished! It tasted like fall, and the whole house smelled delicious. Thank you for a wonderful savory recipe!
This was excellent! When I read the recipe I couldn’t quite picture what this would taste like. I’ve not cooked savory dishes with cinnamon or nutmeg before. I love those flavors so I was excited to see how they tasted . The coriander and black pepper balance out the cinnamon and nutmeg nicely giving it depth. In the sauce the mild shallots balance out the slightly acidic apples. Having it paired with chicken thighs was clever. I’m used to seeing apples paired with pork. The more flavorful dark meat of the chicken held up great. I unfortunately did not have boneless skinless chicken thighs and so I did that part myself. I’ll definitely buy the package already done. I think this is an exceptional recipe with well thought out ingredients, easy to follow instructions, and a dish my family and I will be enjoying for years. The mix of a tart with the sweet apples was spot on as well. I have liked everything I’ve tried from your site. The most recently being soft pretzels. They were ridiculously easy to make. Have a nice chew, and made me look like a rock star at home. Thank you Sally!
Hi Gretchen, thank you so much for your kind feedback. We’re thrilled to hear how much you and your family are enjoying our recipes!
Delectable! Lick the plate and pan delectable! I’m doubling the apples and the sauce next time. So, so good!
Made this tonight and it was delicious! None of the stores near me had apple cider in stock so I used apple juice instead with some extra spices, and it worked out really well!
Delicious recipe! My sauce did not thicken at all without some flour, but was yummy nonetheless !
Wow Sally – you hit it out of the park on this one ! I had bone in thighs so I removed skin, rubbed in your spice mix, browned on both sides in skillet and then placed in a roaster. Made the sauce in the skillet as per your recipe. Poured sauce over the browned bone in thighs and baked for 45 minutes at 375 and it was amazing ! The gravy is was so delicious we spooned it out over our potatoes and carrots that I cooked in foil packets next the roaster ! I am going to make for guests next weekend and serve on a platter – with the carrots and potatoes on the bottom, chicken on top spooning all the gravy and I am sure it will wow the crowd! Thanks again for all your hard work to bring us such delicious recipes! This one is deserving to be in a 5 star restaurant!
I am celebrating the holidays this weekend and am cooking chicken for a crowd. I was scouting the internet for an apple bases dish. So hard to find and then I got your email and all the amazing reviews. This is it! I’m wondering if I could make this keeping the chickens whole Or cutting it up and using all the pieces.
Fantastic – a new fall favorite! Made this exactly as written with just a bit more chicken and spices (left sugar/cider/butter as is) and I let the chicken marinate in spices before cooking. It is easy and delicious, a nice combination of sweet & savory. Thanks for this new go-to meal.
OK, I have been accused, rightly so, for not following a recipe the way it has been written at least for the first time. But change this one I did…..I use Pork Tenderloin that I cut and pounded a bit in place of the chicken. I also used Sage in place of the Thyme. Everything else was done as directed. This is a keeper and I will try it with chicken although I can’t imagine it being better!
How about doing a recipe for fried apple fritters ? please !
One of my goals! Thank you for the suggestion, Deb.
Would hard cider work?
I haven’t tried it, only the non alcoholic beverage.
What apples work best?
Hi Barb, I like using Granny Smith and a sweet variety, like Honeycrisp.
I really want to try this recipe but with pork. How would you go about that?
Hi Shannon, you can absolutely use pork. Pork chops or tenderloin work. Same instructions; the cook time may be a little longer depending on the thickness.
I want to make this recipe, but I would love to use pears! I have a pear tree. Will this work with pears?
I can’t see why not. Yum!
Can I make this in my slow cooker ?
Thanks
Hi Dolli, I recommend the stove for this. But if you try a version in the slow cooker, let me know how it turns out!
I am enjoying your recipes. Recently tried your lemon blueberry cake. All loved it that I shared with.
Made the Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies for a friend that has to be very careful with gluten and she loved them. Do you have other GF recipes that I might share with her?
Thank you
Hi Linda, thank you so much! I have a lot of gluten free recipes, and I’m happy to share them with you. You can find all of my gluten free recipes here.
I Haven’t Made It Yet But I Will Try It.