Braising is a wonderful cooking method to create flavorful one-pot meals with little effort. Cider Braised Chicken Thighs with Apples and Onions is perfect for fall and takes about 60 minutes to get on the table. Pan seared chicken thighs are combined with apple cider, fresh apples and onions to bake in the oven for an easy dinner recipe.
I think there is a happy meeting place between delicious recipes and easy, quick preparation for busy nights or frankly when you aren’t in the mood to slave in the kitchen.
Braising is a wonderful way to harvest the flavors of some select ingredients with a bit of sautéing and cooking in the oven to produce savory, succulent cuts of meat brimming with great flavors.
The other advantage of braising is the process produces a sauce and even a side dish depending on what is cooked with the protein, cutting the effort down even further.
This recipe is perfect with homemade Spiced Apple Cider!
What is Braising?
If you haven’t done braising it’s a simple one pot method of sautéing meat and usually some vegetables or aromatics, then combining with liquids and bake in the oven. Generally the recipes don’t require loads of ingredients; braising relies on distinct flavors to create a memorable dish. Another favorite braising recipe that is a great example of this is Vermouth-Braised Lemon Chicken Legs. It includes fingerling potatoes so the entire meal is almost done when the pan comes out of the oven. Another favorite for lemon-lovers is Irresistible Lemon-Garlic Chicken Thighs!
I love cooking with seasonal ingredients and the varieties of apples popping up is really exciting! A favorite of mine are Honeycrisp apples and I love making fresh applesauce or slow cooker apple butter with them to eat with everything. Apples traditionally are paired with pork however I wanted to cook them with my favorite piece of chicken: the thigh. The thigh is the most flavorful meat (along with the drumstick) and being dark meat it also is a juicier piece of the chicken.
Cider Braised Chicken Thighs with Apples and Onions. This simple fall-inspired recipes combines chicken thighs, yellow onion, fresh apple slices with spiced apple cider, apple brandy, broth and stoneground mustard for a luscious, flavorful recipe. Served with a side grain and the pan sauce will remind you why fall is a favorite season of all who enjoy cooking!
How to Make Cider Braised Chicken Thighs with Apples and Onions:
Cider-Braised Chicken Thighs with Apples and Onions
This simple, rustic fall dish is easy to prepare and sings with apple flavors. Braising keeps the chicken thigh moist and tender and produces a savory broth to serve with the cooked onion and apples. Ready, start to finish, in a bit over an hour. Serves 4-6.
Ingredients
- 8 Chicken Thighs (bone in, skin on), rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel
- Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 large Yellow Onion , peeled, halved and cut into 1/4 –inch slices
- 4 Garlic Cloves , diced
- ½ cup Apple Brandy
- ½ cup Spiced Apple Cider (regular apple cider may be substituted)
- 1/2 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
- 1 tablespoon Stoneground Mustard
- 1/3 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 ½ pounds Apples , peeled, cored and rough chopped into large pieces
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken thighs.
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In a 3 ½ quart braiser or large heavy skillet with lid, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When it is shimmering, place the chicken thighs skin-side (top) down into the skillet. Flip over after 5 minutes using a spatula to gently release any skin that might be sticking to the pan.
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Cook for more 5 minutes and remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
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Drain all the fat from the pan except 1 tablespoon. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion slices and garlic. Sauté until onions are limp; approximately 5 minutes.
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Raise heat back to medium-high and add the apple brandy, apple cider and chicken stock (be careful of any hot splattering of the liquid). Scrape the bottom of the pan with a heatproof spatula to release any pan drippings into the liquid. Boil for 1 minute.
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Add the mustard and heavy cream; stir to fully combine. Add the apples. Return the chicken thighs to the pan, cover and place into the preheated oven.
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Cook for 35 minutes. The final temperature should register 165 degrees on a meat thermometer.
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Serve the chicken thighs on a bed of the onions and apples, drizzled in some of the pan sauce.
This delicious recipe was originally published in October 2015 and has been updated in 2017.
Suzy says
I have heard of pork and apples but not chicken and apples! I bet I would LOVE this! It looks so inviting!
cathy says
Made this for dinner and it was absolutely amazing. Thanks for the great recipe.
Becky Hardin says
I bet the flavor in the chicken thighs are amazing. YUM
Sam says
Such a great idea to use cider for braising chicken. SO GOOD!
Catalina says
These chicken thighs look so inviting! An easy and delicious dish that is perfect for weeknight dinner!
Ruth I says
This looks like an incredible recipe to try! It’s filled with many great flavors and taste. I think my friends would love this.
Celebrate Woman Today says
I love that you use apples in this very seasonal dinner entree. What a tasteful experience!
Latricia says
Inhave neve braised anything before. I do love chicken though and want to try your recipe. It looks delicious!
Sherry says
I love the pairing of apple with the chicken. A delicious fall dish.
Kathy says
This looks really good. I have never had this before. I’ll certainly have to give this a try now. I do love chicken, so I’m interested in trying this.
debra p says
This recipe is so perfect for fall. I love the idea of Cider braising and apples and onions seem like they would add a unique and yummy flavor.
Latoyia Dennis says
Okay so this looks and sounds delish. I must try this.
Lisa Favre says
I absolutely adore working with chicken thighs so this recipe would be perfect for our family. I gotta make this for my fam next week!
Sara says
These were so good! I love how the cider made the chicken more tender and gave it a great flavor. It’s my new favorite fall dish.
Amy Desrosiers says
This easy chicken recipe sounds fantastic! I would love to make it now that the weather is cooling down.
Maureen Fitzgerald says
This looks absolutely amazing. Can’t wait to attempt making it myself!