Chicken Fricassee with Apples
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Chicken fricassee with apples is the perfect marriage of sweet and savory.
Halfway between a sauté and a stew, chicken fricassee is an old-fashioned dish of golden sautéed chicken in a creamy sauce. This updated version with apples, adapted from Cook’s Country, is perfect for fall. The sauce is made with equal parts chicken broth, apple cider and cream, giving the dish a savory yet fruity complexity, while a splash of cider vinegar at the end adds brightness. The sautéed apples add tart-sweet flavor and also make the dish feel a little fancy.
I buy two large chicken breasts and slice them in half horizontally, which makes four nice portions that cook quickly in one batch. I don’t recommend using the pre-sliced chicken breasts sold at the supermarket — they are typically very thin, which means you’d need more of them and would have to cook the chicken in two batches. If you don’t want to bother with slicing the chicken breasts yourself, chicken tenderloins are a great alternative. Serve with a simple green vegetable, like roasted Brussels sprouts, along with rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes.
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Fricassee with Apples
Step-by-Step Instructions
Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally to form four flat fillets. (Skip this step if using chicken tenderloins; instead, using the palm of your hand, gently flatten the tenderloins so that they are an even 1/2-inch thickness.)
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season all over with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Spread the flour in a shallow dish. Dredge the chicken in the flour to coat, shaking to remove excess; transfer to a plate and set aside.
Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples to the pan and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Cook the apples, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a second plate; set aside.
Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter with the remaining tablespoon oil in the now-empty skillet over medium-high heat and add the chicken.
Cook until lightly browned but not quite cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Set the partially cooked chicken on another plate and set aside.
Add the onion, thyme, a heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to now-empty skillet. 
Cook over medium heat until the onion is softened and browned, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the cider and broth to the skillet, increase the heat to high, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook, uncovered, until the liquid is reduced by approximately half, about 5 minutes.
Add the cream and bring to a boil.
Cook until sauce has thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the chicken and any accumulated juices back to the skillet, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in the vinegar and apples. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
Spoon the sauce and apples over the chicken, sprinkle with the chives, and serve.
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Chicken Fricassee with Apples
Chicken fricassee with apples is the perfect marriage of sweet and savory.
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (1½ pounds total), or 1½ pounds chicken tenderloins (see note)
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Gala apples, cored and each cut into ¼-inch-thick slices (do not peel)
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme (or ¾ teaspoon dried)
- ¾ cup apple cider
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally to form four flat fillets.(Skip this step if using chicken tenderloins; instead, using the palm of your hand, gently flatten the tenderloins so that they are an even ½-inch thickness.)
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season all over with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Spread the flour in a shallow dish. Dredge the chicken in the flour to coat, shaking to remove excess; transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples to the pan and season with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook the apples, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a second plate; set aside.
- Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter with the remaining tablespoon oil in the now-empty skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned but not quite cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Set the partially cooked chicken on another plate and set aside.
- Add the onion, thyme, a heaping ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper to now-empty skillet and cook over medium heat until the onion is softened and browned, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the cider and broth to the skillet, increase the heat to high, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook, uncovered, until the liquid is reduced by approximately half, about 5 minutes.
- Add the cream and bring to a boil. Cook until sauce has thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices back to the skillet, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir in the vinegar and apples. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Spoon the sauce and apples over the chicken, sprinkle with the chives, and serve.
- I buy two large chicken breasts and slice them in half horizontally, which makes four nice portions that cook quickly in one batch. I don't recommend using the pre-sliced chicken breasts sold at the supermarket – they are typically very thin, which means you'd need more of them to get 1½ pounds, and you'd have to cook the chicken in two batches. If you don't want to bother with slicing the chicken breasts yourself, chicken tenderloins are a great alternative.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 599
- Fat: 35
- Saturated fat: 16
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Sugar: 17
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 42 g
- Sodium: 1,035 mg
- Cholesterol: 202 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This was amazing! I’ve made this several times, because it’s so easy and delicious. I do 1.5x the sauce, and use it to coat Trader Joes Pappardelle pasta to go with the chicken. My daughter says, “This is restaurant food!” But it’s so easy! Thank you for all of your great recipes!
This was delicious! I was so happy to find a savory way to use up some of my fall apples and apple cider that wasn’t a dessert. Super simple and straightforward. I’ve already made it twice this week.
This is delicious. I tried it at a friend’s house back in July and they loved it as well. Very Tasty, and relatively easy to make.
I love this dish! It is a little more time-consuming than most, but it is worth it. I put the flour, salt & pepper in a Ziplock bag and shake it around. Less of a mess and one less plate I have to use & wash. I highly recommend this recipe. I added an extra apple because everyone wants lots of apples with their chicken.
This is outstanding! The mixture of sweet and savory is delicious. And I even used SILK non-dairy heavy cream. YUM. Will definitely make again. Thanks, Jenn, for another fabulous recipe!
Hi Jen, I made this for dinner, it is so tasty, however my cream split, so wasn’t very appetizing to look at? I wondered if I should have added the cream at the end and not boil as I know that can cause it to split. I did try using some cornstarch to see if that helped, any ideas to avoid in future? I used apples from my tree and they are a more tart variety, perhaps a cause too? Thanks!
Hi Nicki, Sorry you had a problem with the cream splitting — did you use heavy cream? Did you make any adjustments/substitutions in the recipe?
I made this twice in two days, it was so good! The apple cider vinegar really gives it a boost of apple flavor. Delicious!
A wonderful autumn recipe from Once Upon a Chef! Paired it with egg noodles, an apple pecan salad and an apple cidar cake. You can’t go wrong with Jenn’s recipes!
This recipe was absolutely delicious plus it was easy to make.
I should have doubled this recipe, we all wanted more! it’s one of my favorite ways to serve chicken!
YUMMY! literally just got done having this for dinner and it is such a keeper. my husband and I both agreed that it’s familiar yet different. it’s a very comforting dish. we paired it with some herby mashed potatoes. 10/10.
Just made this for supper.. was amazing even the kids liked it!
Go st of all I love your recipes!
This chicken was fabulous. Especially the sauce. However I found myself without Apple cider so I substituted oj. My husband couldn’t stop raving! Thx. Happy holidays❤️
A different dish and very good. Prep time was much longer, but really liked the flavors. Used dried thyme, and rice wine vinegar as a substitute for apple cider vinegar; 1 person said the dish was sweet, no – maybe they forgot that last step. Also, as instructed, didn’t peel the apples and was surprised it really wasn’t necessary. I used chicken tenderloins, the entire dish was great and chicken melted in your mouth. My husband was doubtful when he saw all the ingredients and after eating it proclaimed “This was GOOD!” Thanks Jenn!
I don’t usually like fruit with meat…One piece of Canadian bacon with pineapple pizza is about all I can do, sweet and sour pork is good but I leave most of the pineapple on the plate. My husband on the the other hand loves those combos. I made this thinking I could eat the chicken and leave the apples for him. He loved his first bite and I thought my first bite was just okay. The second bite was 10x’s better because I had some of the apple with it! This is another winner chicken dinner from Jenn 🙂
I wasn’t at my best in the kitchen when making this – I overcooked the apples and completely forgot to add the vinegar, but my family still raved about it! The chicken was so tender. Despite being a little sweet for my taste, it was delicious (I won’t forget the vinegar next time). I used light, not heavy, cream and the sauce was thick enough without adding corn starch. Definitely a keeper 😉
I made this exactly as written. Even had fresh chives and thyme from my garden. Phenomenal ! Your recipes are always perfect ! Big hit with the family. I used stayman and northern spy apples.
I surf the internet to try new recipes. If I tried something I like I would keep the recipe and repeat it! This one is a keeper. I used sour apples like Mackintosh apples and omitted the vinegar. Turned out a great dish. I served it with rice. Perfect!
Thank you.
Added fresh lemon zest – about one T – bec I only had apple cider vinegar.
Very rich and lush meal – should’ve peeled the apples for sure… had some organic steamed carrots as a side.
Would make it again – more lemon zest and peeled apples…
Thanks, Jen…
Very,very tasty. Easy to follow recipe but I choose to use boneless chicken thighs instead and they were wonderful.
Would it change the consistency significantly, if I use half and half rather than heavy cream? I’m looking forward to making it.
Hi Susan, You can but the sauce may not thicken as much. If you’d like to thicken it a bit, whisk in a tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with a little cold water at the end. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Delicious tender chicken! I am not a fan of cooked fruit so probably won’t make this again, but the flavors were fabulous and the chicken/sauce was super tasty! I couldn’t find apple cider so had to sub in fresh apple juice.
I had a bit of trouble with this recipe. I didn’t cook the apples long enough — they didn’t get browned at all, only softened. And I think the chicken breasts were still too thick even after they were halved because I cooked them longer and they still felt underdone. Overall, my end result was really pale looking and nowhere near as tantalizing as the recipe photo. The texture of undercooked apple is oddly similar to that of undercooked chicken 🤪 so that was fun.
My mistakes aside, the flavors of this recipe are outstanding… like Michelin star good. I felt really proud of making this and I will definitely try this again and make sure to pay attention to the areas where I made mistakes the first time around.
Personal comment – sometimes it helps to read it through a few times, questioning, looking, and trying to not have to be in a hurry. (I am NOT saying that you were.)
I knew I wanted to add a 16 oz. pkg 1/4rd button+ mushrooms. (If they are simply sliced they seem to reduce to be too small, and not really visible. I also didn’t want to use too many onions or much thyme (tummy issues, plus I like the pureness without.) I ALSO do not cook with black pepper. I just do not like it. So I cook with Hungarian paprika instead. It also gives a lovely color. I figure that people can use pepper as they would like. Salt, however, is a chemical needed in cooking. I may go on the underside of the amount, but am generally careful. So, all of that together, it worked slick! Are you going to try it again?
Excellent, easy, and feels like a special meal. I’m always looking for easy recipes because the truth is, I’m tired of cooking but restaurants have become too expensive. Thanks for a recipe we all enjoyed that didn’t feel like a ton of work. I’ll definitely make this again.
I made this last night and we were wowed by the complexity of flavors. This one’s a keeper…just like all the other recipes I’ve made from your site!
Made this excellent dish for company, delicious
Thank you for. Great and inspiring site
What a fabulous dish this is. It’s become one of my favorites. Full of lovely flavor. I follow your recipe exactly. No tweaking and it’s perfect every time. I’ve sent this recipe to all my children, one here in the US, two in London England and one in Italy and they all love it. Brava Jenn
My son took his first bite and said “wow!” This was delicious – followed the recipe exactly as written and loved it! Definitely adding to our rotation.
Delicious!!! Substituted GF flour and coconut cream for the heavy cream. Sooo good. Can’t wait to make it again!
Just made this recipe tonight. It was excellent! I used Lactaid 2% milk and thickened it like you suggested with cornstarch and water. Very good and I had most of the ingredients on hand. Thanks for a great recipe!
This was a HUGE hit with my family done exactly as written. Such a winner; they are begging for it again. I’d love to do it again tonight but have bone-in chicken thighs – any recommendations for how to make that change? Longer searing at the onset and cooking in the sauce a bit longer until up to temp? Thanks for all of your amazing recipes!
Hi Jillian, So happy the family enjoyed it! I really think this recipe is best with chicken breasts but if you’d like to use bone-in thighs, as you said, the only thing that will change is the cooking time. I’d love to hear how they turn out!
Jillian,
Have you cooked this with thighs? Personally, I would use skin-on thighs (probably bone-in, too). I would coat them in a flour/salt/paprika covering, and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Skin side up. Then I would keep those warm and go from there…do you get what I mean? You can always cook the chicken completely in the oven, make the sauce separately (and I always use less onion, no black pepper (I don’t cook with it) (I use paprika, instead). So you have chicken. Noodles. Apple mushroom sauce. (Double the sauce – including apples and mushrooms!) Put each on the table separately – let people serve themselves. Leftovers get combined, too yummy!