Creamy Apple Cider Chicken Skillet
Apple cider isn't just for braising pork and sipping — reduced in the same skillet that seared the chicken, it turns into a sweet-tart backbone for a cream sauce with real depth. Boneless thighs stay juicier than breasts and brown faster than bone-in, and a final swirl of Dijon, butter, and a splash of cider vinegar keeps the sauce bright instead of cloying. It's the savory apple dinner — a quicker, lighter cousin to Skillet Apple Cider Pork Chops — and it comes together in one pan on a weeknight.
Dinner · Fall, Apple, High-Protein • 35 min
Nutrition (per serving)470Calories·29gFat·15gCarbs·38gProtein
Per serving. Values are approximate and calculated from USDA FoodData Central.
Ingredients
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil (canola or vegetable)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 medium apple (such as Honeycrisp or Granny Smith), cored and thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs, plus more for garnish
- ¾ cup apple cider (the cloudy, unfiltered kind — not hard cider)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
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Steps
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Let them sit at room temperature while you slice the shallots and apple.
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch cast-iron or stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken thighs in a single layer (work in two batches if they crowd) and sear without moving until deeply golden, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate — they won't be cooked through yet.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter, the shallots, and the apple slices. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots soften and the apple just begins to brown at the edges, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme sprigs and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Pour in the apple cider and cider vinegar, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the liquid reduces by about half, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in the Dijon mustard, then the heavy cream and chicken broth, and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Return the chicken thighs to the skillet along with any juices, nestling them into the sauce. Simmer until the chicken registers 165°F at the thickest part and the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and discard the thyme sprigs. Swirl in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter until the sauce is glossy. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, garnish with parsley and fresh thyme leaves, and serve.
Tips & Variations
Make Ahead
Slice the shallots and apple up to a day ahead and store them separately in the refrigerator. Season the chicken up to 2 hours ahead and keep it covered in the fridge — the salt works into the meat and helps it brown. The sauce is best finished fresh, but the whole dish reheats well.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a covered skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of cider or broth to loosen the sauce, about 5 minutes, or microwave in short bursts. The sauce may separate slightly on reheating; a quick whisk brings it back together.
Substitutions
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work — pound them to an even ½-inch thickness and cut the simmer time to 3 to 4 minutes, pulling them at 160°F. For a lighter sauce, swap the heavy cream for half-and-half or a half-cream, half-broth mix. No apple cider? Use unfiltered apple juice plus an extra teaspoon of vinegar. If you can't find shallots, one small yellow onion, thinly sliced, is a fine stand-in. For a dairy-free version, swap the butter for olive oil and the cream for full-fat coconut milk.
Nutrition
Per serving: 1 serving (2 chicken thighs with sauce)
Reviews
Reviews coming soon! In the meantime, let us know what you think of this recipe.
