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
Wow! I’ve been wanting to make this for awhile, and I finally did tonight. Wow! Really delicious. The spices worked perfectly together and the sauce and apples were delicious. Please keep sharing dinner recipes whenever you can. They’re as amazing as your sweet recipes.
Amazing as always, Sally! I have made several recipes of yours now and they always come out gorgeous. Both in presentation and taste. Thank you for creating these beautiful works of art and sharing it with the world
Would love to serve this to a group of wight.
Two questions:
Recipe should be doubled to double?
Can it be made prior to guests arriving and kept warm or made a day ahead and reheated in a low set oven?
Thank you!!
Hi Kathleen! You can double this recipe. We recommend you reheat on the stove over medium heat, but the dish does taste best fresh!
Great recipe for a savory dish with apples, especially after going apple picking. Whole family loved it!
Yum! Just made this tonight and it was delicious! Family had seconds
Hi! I want to make this for a dinner party and to make things easier, use the oven. Do you have any tips for bone-in, skin-on, and in the oven?
Great recipe- Can I use sliced boneless chicken breasts instead of thighs?
Hi Pat, we recommend sticking with thighs here. 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, we recommend buying the thin-sliced or tenderloin cuts.
Thank you for your advice and thanks again for all these fabulous recipes!
The Skillet Apple Cider Chicken was delicious and easy to make. I reduced the salt to the 3/4 tsp in the spice mix. I also added 1/4 cup white wine with the apple cider. Next time I might switch that up with a brandy. The choice of apples is important otherwise the mixture becomes too sweet if you don’t balance sweet with tart apple varieties.
This was the first time I made this recipe, and it was not only easy, it tasted delicious. My mom even ate all of hers. She’s 93 and usually doesn’t eat very much.
I’m like a advance beginner cook (I normally have boxed food, frozen) and I was so glad that this came out. I was a little confused when the recipe called for 1 teaspoon salt (divided) then in the instructions it called for 3/4 teaspoon salt. Guess it’s a miss print. I didn’t put it in.
I will defiantly look for other easy meals of yours and make this again.
Hi Kathy, not a misprint! You add the remaining salt in step 4. So glad this apple cider chicken was a hit for you!
This is soooooo delicious! Immediately added to the dinner rotation. Quick and easy.
Delicious! My toddlers keep asking for the apple pie chicken now love that it’s easy to prep for beforehand and then quickly cook up
Loved this recipe and it was a big hit. So tasty and so easy—all in one pan. I am going to make it again soon & pair with rice this time.
Question, will using bone in, skin on change anything in this recipe? I do like having crispy skin.
Hi Roque, the cook time will be longer for bone-in chicken thighs, but the rest of the recipe shouldn’t change!
This was delicious! Is there a way to bake in the oven without losing out on flavor? I usually need to double the recipe and want to cut down on doing two batches of chicken on the stove top.
Hi Jenna, you could try pre-baking the chicken in the oven until cooked through, then add to the pan with the apples and cider right before serving. You may lose a bit of flavor this way, though. We’re so glad it’s a favorite for you!
I have a bag of frozen apple slices I need to use. Is there anything I would need to do differently to make this work?
Hi Robin, we haven’t tried this recipe with frozen apples, but worry the texture of the apples wouldn’t be the same after freezing and thawing and may make the sauce too liquid-y. That said, you could certainly try it – it might work just fine! Let us know!
We loved this dinner – served it with couscous, but rice would be equally as good. The mellow, warm spices with the apples and chicken are so good! My advice is to not skip the coriander. That flavor put it over the top delicious!
This was delicious. Will definitely make again!
Can this be frozen? I would like to take this for potluck but need to make it 3 days ahead of time.
Hi Denise, we haven’t actually tested freezing this, because we are afraid the texture of the apples wouldn’t be the same after freezing, thawing, and reheating, and also that the sauce may become too liquid-y. That said, you could certainly try it–it might be fine, especially after only 3 days. Sorry we can’t be of more help here!
This was absolutely delicious. I made it as written. I will definitely make it again.
Does the apple cider need to be reduced first? Some of the baking recipes encourage a cider reduction first for a better flavor. I can’t wait to make this dish.
No need to reduce it for this dish!
Can I use bone in thighs?
Absolutely.
I make this several times a month now. Everyone loves it! I serve with a side of crispy oven roasted rosemary sweet potatoes.
Could I make this ahead of time for a crowd and heat it up, will it dry out?
Hi Rachel, that should be fine!
This is one of those recipes that you keep on repeat, it’s delicious! That slight tang and gentle sweetness will warm your soul and make you want more & more. Be warned that this dish is addictive! It’s simple enough for week night dinners yet elegant & classy for special dinners with guests . You won’t be disappointed!
Good morning, Sally and team! Something happened in my house last night that has NEVER happened before! My husband of 56 years (!) would eat Mexican food for every meal if available.
Last night I made this wonderful recipe! We “yummed” our way through dinner.
When my husband inquired about leftovers for the following evening. I happily replied that we had leftovers – but that we also had leftover home-cooked Mexican and would he prefer that.
Without a second of delay, he replied, “I would like Skillet Apple Cider Chicken!”
This recipe is WONDERFUL!
Since I have made it several times previously, I had frozen cubes of apple cider in the freezer (per Sally’s guidance) and knew that I wanted to increase the apples slightly and triple the amount of thinly sliced shallots. I did not increase the spices and seasonings, and the balance was still perfect!
Thank you for all your passionate work to assist home cooks!
I am looking forward to your new cookbook ~ YEAH for Sally’s tenacious commitment to completing her newest book!
Genuinely one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten. I made this in October. My husband and toddler didn’t love it (they’re both suspicious of a delicious salty & sweet combo), but I was flabbergasted. Incredible! I want to make it for a different crowd who’ll actually appreciate it next fall, it’s so unique and tasty.
Hi Sally, is there any way I could make this with pork instead of chicken? What adjustments would I have to make? If I can’t make it in a skillet, could I just make the sauce and pour it over a pork loin when I go to roast it in the oven? Thanks!
Hi Katy, you certainly can make this recipe with pork. You can follow the same instructions, using your pork instead of the chicken. Other readers have reported delicious success with this swap. Enjoy!
This apple cider chicken was spectacular! I’m buying more apple cider this week to freeze so I can make it all throughout the year! My family and I absolutely loved this dish! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe with us!
Made this for company last night It was scrumptious!! I flowed recipe exactly, didn’t have fresh herbs on hand for garnish so just used a few scallions. I will definitely use this recipe often.
this recipe looks great! do you think it would work to make a triple batch the day before guests arrive and then reheat the day of the get together? if so, would it be best to reheat in a covered pan in the oven or in a pan on the stove? how long to do reckon it would take the heat? thx!
Hi Alison, 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 until warmed to your liking. Hope it’s a hit!
Finally, I was able to make this recipe! It is absolutely one of the best dishes I’ve ever made and I’m no slouch in the kitchen. I was beyond excited to make it as I didn’t have to leave anything out (especially thrilled that there is no garlic in it!) due to medical issues. Absoluely amazing flavor. I did not change one thing, except to double it and we are glad that we have leftovers!
This is an amazing recipe!