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
Sally – This was ABOSOLUTELY delicious! I would have never thought to combine these ingredients for a lovely surprise dish. I served it with seasoned spaghetti squash night one and with cubed roasted sweet potatoes and roasted brussels sprouts on night two – to rave reviews from my family. I have also made ice cubes of the remaining apple cider (a lot remaining!) for use in the future. Thank you for all your wonderful recipes and cooking/baking hints! I think of you and your team very fondly almost every day!!! Your recipes have caused me to “step out of my box” and season and cook in new ways . . . with something as simple as cooking with boneless, skinless chicken thighs – which I have avoided as I have always had a preference for chicken breasts! I will avoid them no longer as I have a bag in the freezer!
Thank you so much for this kind note, Tricia! We’re so glad you enjoy our recipes. Thanks again!
I’m going to try this tonight. I purchased bone in, skin on thighs due to the price difference. What adjustments do I need to make.
No adjustments at all.
Made this exactly as written and it was delicious. Perfectly seasoned warm spices on the juicy chicken thighs. The apples and onions cook in the sauce and smother the chicken to balance out the dish. I served with roasted Brussels sprouts, and it was like Autumn on a plate.
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.
Super savory and delicious!
This recipe was the best dinner my daughter has had. Thanks for such a delicious dinner.
I made it exactly as directed and it was delicious! Id love to make it for company this fall. How would you recommend a double (or triple) batch, preferably to make ahead and reheat in oven.
Thanks for all your wonderful recipes! ❤
This was a HUGE hit. Delicious fall flavors and so easy. Easy to memorize when you just do 2 apples sliced and 2 shallots- will definitely be a go to.
This recipe is easy and absolutely delicious! I am adding this to my cooking repertoire. And I love the idea of freezing cubes of apple cider to have on hand when the orchards stop producing it for the season. Great recipe! Thanks.
Could I swap real Maple Syrup for the brown sugar?
Hi Rachelle, that should work, although the cider sauce may not be quite as thick. Let us know if you try it!
Made this last night and it was a huge hit. I’ve done ciders and apples with pork, but chicken was tasty, too. Delicious fall flavors!
Absolutely perfect! I made this for our dinner tonight and we both loved it (and I usually like chicken breasts over thighs. Not for this recipe though) I’m sure the chicken thighs were much more flavorful! Thank you for a superb recipe!
This was very good! I ended up using two pounds of chicken (still boneless thighs) and probably a little over two cups of apple slices. We had it with a wild rice blend and some mashed butternut squash.
This was delicious! I served it with farro cooked in some of the extra apple cider and it paired wonderfully. I think next time I’ll cut the apple into chunks and the thighs about the same size. It will definitely be added to our dinner rotation.
This was DELICIOUS!! I did not have coriander so i used oregano & cumin instead. I also sprinkled some raw walnuts on top! I’ll Definitely make this again!
Made this tonight and it was so easy and quick. The flavor was wonderful, woth my fresh picked apples
I love cooking with cider and apples, and this dish certainly doesn’t disappoint! Moist and flavorful, it hit the spot. I’d never want to leave out the coriander; it lends such an amazing flavor!
This recipe was fantastic! Perfect fall entre. Double it! I used 1.25 lbs of thighs and it was just enough for 4. Would have been fine with a good starch like rice pilaf Flavorful doesn’t begin to describe this. So easy to make. Family will LOVE it.
So glad you enjoyed this fall dinner, Bob!
Made this last night and we loved it! So delicious and flavorful. Will definitely be a staple in our fall meal rotation!
Very delicious, and something different when you’re in a dinner rut. Doubled it for my family of 6 — not a morsel was left in the pan. Everyone loved it and it was easy to prepare. Really enjoyed these flavors and the cooked apples.
We all loved this dish. Easy
to make and definitely will make it again and again
Loved this recipe so much! Easy to make and delicious with fall flavors.
Delicious recipe! One question for you, Sally! I have your Cookie Addiction cookbook and love it! Every recipe is a winner. I just wonder why you have not included cookies with coconut! It makes fabulous cookies that many people would like (me included!) So I just wonder why?
We’re so glad you loved this dinner recipe and that you’re enjoying Sally’s Cookie Addiction cookbook! If you take a look at the Index at the back of the book, you can find a list of recipes by ingredient—there are a few with coconut. You can also see all our coconut recipes on the website, including a few of our favorite cookie recipes. Hope you find a few new recipes to try!
Made this last night for dinner. Served it with herbed broad noodles and candied beets from my garden. There were no leftovers.
Perfect fall recipe. Didn’t have nutmeg so I substituted with a 1/4 tsp of ground cloves. Definitely will be making this again. Family really enjoyed it.
I made this for dinner tonight. It was different, but good! The apples were more like dessert rather than the main part of the meal to me. My sauce cooked down too much and I didn’t have much to spoon onto the chicken, but it still tasted good. When I read “apple slices”, I didn’t think to cut them in half, so I had to do that when I put them in the skillet after I went back and looked at the pictures. I served this with mashed potatoes, English peas and Brioche rolls.
Fabulous. We love this dish. Made exactly as written. Wouldn’t change a thing. So easy and so much flavor. Served with roasted acorn squash slices. My husband has requested that I make this often.
A+, 10/10, 100%
This was a hit at my house! A perfect autumn recipe. I forgot the thyme, so mine came out extra sweet, but it was great. It filled my home will the aromas of autumn
Very easy to make. Thank you Sally!
I made this tonight using chicken apple sausage instead of the chicken thighs and it was great! We served it with your honey butter rolls and roasted delicata squash. It was a great meal as we transition into fall. Thanks, Sally!
This recipe is fabulous! Easy to prepare and tastes amazing!!
The most fall you can make in a chicken dish. I put the chicken back in and cooked a little more with the cider mixture, which I think added some flavor.