Description

A cozy fall dinner featuring seared chicken thighs cooked with crisp apples and fragrant herbs in a tangy-sweet apple cider reduction. This one-pan meal requires minimal prep and cleanup while delivering maximum seasonal flavor. Perfect for weeknight meals or festive gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and black pepper to taste

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 shallots, sliced

2 medium apples, sliced

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1.5 cups apple cider

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon butter (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

2. Pat chicken dry, season with salt and pepper.

3. Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat and sear chicken skin-side down for 5-7 minutes, then flip and cook 4-5 minutes more. Remove chicken.

4. Sauté shallots until golden, add garlic and cook 30 seconds.

5. Add apple slices and cook 2 minutes, then pour in apple cider and chicken broth to deglaze, scraping up browned bits.

6. Whisk in Dijon mustard and thyme sprigs, bring to a gentle simmer.

7. Return chicken to skillet, spoon cider mixture over chicken, transfer skillet to oven and bake 20-25 minutes until chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).

8. Remove thyme sprigs, stir in butter if using, let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Category: dinner
Method: saute and bake
Cuisine: american

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 chicken thigh with apples and sauce

Keywords: one-pan chicken, apple cider chicken, fall dinner, healthy dinner, autumn recipe, skillet chicken, easy dinner