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Golden sautéed chicken and apples come together in a creamy cider sauce that’s rich, savory, and just a little sweet.
This creamy apple cider chicken is one of those fall dinners that feels a little special without being a lot of work. Tender chicken and fresh apples are sautéed until golden, then simmered in a wonderful sauce made with apple cider, chicken broth, and cream. The cider adds just the right amount of sweetness, while a splash of cider vinegar brightens everything up and balances the richness.
The whole dish comes together in one skillet in under an hour, making it easy enough for a weeknight but nice enough to serve to company. And the sauce is so good, you’ll want something on the side to soak up every last drop.
“What a delicious dish to serve on a cool fall evening! Everyone enjoyed the flavors in this easy meal.”
What You’ll Need To Make Creamy Apple Cider Chicken
- Chicken breasts or tenderloins: I like to slice two large chicken breasts horizontally to make four even portions that cook quickly in one batch. Chicken tenderloins are a good alternative if you’d rather skip the slicing.
- All-Purpose Flour: A light coating helps the chicken brown and also gives the sauce a bit of body.
- Butter & Vegetable Oil: Using both gives you the flavor of butter with a little more insurance against burning as you sauté the chicken and apples.
- Apples: Choose a firm, tart-sweet apple that will hold its shape when sautéed. Honey crisp, Fuji, or Gala are great options.
- Yellow Onion: Adds depth of flavor and sweetness to the sauce as it cooks.
- Fresh Thyme & Chives: Thyme adds an earthy, savory note as the sauce cooks, while chives add a fresh, mild onion flavor just before serving.
- Apple Cider, Chicken Broth & Heavy Cream: Equal parts of all three make the sauce. Use fresh, nonalcoholic apple cider (not apple cider vinegar or hard cider). The cider adds a little sweetness, the broth keeps the sauce savory, and the cream makes it rich and silky.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Adds a tangy brightness that cuts through the richness of the cream sauce.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Creamy Apple Cider Chicken
Prep the chicken: Slice each chicken breast horizontally through the middle to make four thinner, evenly sized pieces. Season all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Dredge each piece lightly in flour, shaking off the excess. You want just a thin coating, which will help the chicken brown and give the sauce a little body.
Sauté the apples: Cook the apple slices in a skillet until lightly browned and just tender, then transfer them to a plate. Don’t take them too far; they should still hold their shape when they’re returned to the sauce at the end.
Brown the chicken: Sauté the chicken until golden on both sides. It doesn’t need to be cooked through at this point since it will finish cooking in the sauce. Transfer it to a plate.
Make the sauce: Cook the onion and thyme until softened, then add the cider and broth, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Let the liquid reduce by about half before adding the cream. This gives the sauce a more concentrated flavor.
Finish: Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly. Stir in the cider vinegar and return the apples to the pan just long enough to warm through. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then sprinkle with fresh chives and serve.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
Make ahead: You can slice the chicken and chop the onion up to a day in advance. Keep them covered and refrigerated separately. Slice the apples and season the chicken just before cooking.
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a covered skillet over low heat, adding a splash of chicken broth or water to loosen the sauce if needed. Avoid boiling, which can cause the cream sauce to separate and the chicken to overcook.
Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing this dish. The cream sauce may separate when thawed, and the apples can become mushy.
Creamy Apple Cider Chicken
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 large), or 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 cut into ¼-inch (6-mm) 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/1-cm 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 (30-cm) nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples and season with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a second plate.
- Melt the remaining tablespoon each of butter and oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned but not quite cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
- 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.
Notes
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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.
See more recipes:
What to Serve with Creamy Apple Cider Chicken
I love serving this chicken over rice, buttered egg noodles, or creamy mashed potatoes—anything that will soak up that wonderful cider-cream sauce. For a vegetable, roasted Brussels sprouts are especially good with the apples, but any simple green vegetable will work. And if you’re serving wine, a dry white is a lovely match.
More Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
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As always, another perfect recipe from Jenn. Thank you! So delicious.
I have made this before and its divine. I’d like to make tonight but I dont have any apple cider. If I omit will it really change the flavor?
Hi Jackie, you could replace the apple cider with white wine. It will taste different, but should still be good.
Bought boneless thighs by mistake. Do you think they will work for this?
Hi Candy, I like this best with chicken breasts, but thighs will work. The cook time will be a bit longer, but keep a close eye on them. Enjoy!
Made this last night and everyone loved it from the first st bite!
It looks and sounds delicious. I’m having a dinner party for eight people and wonder if I could make this ahead of time. Either day before or make and freeze. Thank you.
Hi Anna, You can get away with making this a few hours ahead and reheating it. Some of the gravy may get absorbed while it sits so (if necessary), add a touch more broth or cream when you reheat it. Alternatively, you can cook the dish to the point right before adding the chicken back to the pan. Refrigerate it and then proceed from there before serving it. Hope that helps and everyone enjoys!
This is absolutely delicious! Made it for the first time last week and making it again next week. I added an extra fuji apple because they were on the smaller side.
Delicious! Followed recipe exactly!
What a decicious dish to serve on a cool fall evening! Everyone enjoyed the flavors in this easy meal. We felt like we were dining out in our favorite restaurant. I know we’ll be making it a few more times this season.
This recipe was delicious. I used half and half (because I didn’t have any cream, it thickened nicely) and served it over fettuccine.
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!