Braised Chicken Thighs With Apples
Chicken thighs and apples braised in fresh apple cider have the warmth of fall. When the chicken thighs are simmered in the sweet and savoury liquid, they soak up all the flavors, keeping it soft and moist.
What’s a better way to welcome fall than to make these Apple cider braised chicken thighs? Chicken thighs are simmered in a sweet and savoury mixture of fresh apple cider, chicken stock, fresh herbs, Dijon mustard, and a secret, or rather an unexpected ingredient that adds umami to the dish. Onion and sliced apples get caramelized and almost melt into your mouth. I can’t recommend enough to keep some toasted bread on the side for mopping up all the shallot gravy.
This recipe is similar to my Baked Port Loin With Apple, the only thing that I have added here is a dash of soy sauce which gives that umami and depth of flavor. The best thing about this chicken recipe is braising the thighs low and slow in the apple cider sauce and letting the chicken soak up all the flavour.
Ingredients
- Chicken- Bone-in chicken thighs are best for braising. You can keep the skin on or use it without. Chicken breast is too lean and not fit for a slow cooking process like braising.
- Fresh Apple cider- Not Apple cider vinegar. It is fresh non-alcoholic apple cider. Best to use homemade. Look for low sugar, good quality fresh cider.
- Chicken Stock– Low-sodium good good-quality salt.
- Shallots/ onion
- Garlic- Just peel and crush garlic with the back of a knife.
- Herbs- You can use rosemary, thyme, and sage etc, for that warmth.
- Dijon mustard
- Soy sauce– A rather odd ingredient, but it gives that little lift to the overall flavor and umami.
Here Are The Steps To Make
While braising chicken, it’s not necessary to sear it; however, the caramelization of chicken gives depth of flavor, and it takes just 3 minutes.
After searing chicken, in the same skillet, lightly saute shallots, garlic, and herbs. Deglaze the pan with apple cider and chicken stock along with dijon mustard, soy sauce.
Before you add seared chicken to the skillet, let the sauce reduce a bit, so that the flavor intensifies a bit. For the apples to get caramelized while baking, add apples in the gaps after adding chicken to the pan.
If You Are Making Braised Chicken Thighs, Here Are A Few Tips
- Use bone in chicken thighs or drumsticks for braising. Chicken breast is a big no.
- Don’t skip on searing the chicken before you braise.
- Can’t stress enough on using a good quality, low-sugar apple cider.
Serve It With
There is enough sauce to mop with some crusty, toasted bread on the side. If you love starch like me, then go for some creamy mashed potatoes and sauteed greens on the side. Here are a few sides that will go well with these braised chicken thighs
Storing Leftovers
Leftover stores well for up to 3 days, if stored in an air-tight container. You can also portion it out and do a meal prep too.
More Recipes Like This Using Chicken Thighs
Now that I go back to my old recipes, I realize how much I love to cook with bone-in chicken thighs, and there are tons of one-pan dinner ideas using them.
Braised Chicken Thighs With Apple
Ingredients
- 5-6 Bone in chicken thighs
- 2 Apples
- 3-4 Shallots
- 1 tablspoons Butter
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1-2 Sprigs Rosemary
- 2 Thyme
- 2-3 cloves Garlic
- 1 cup Chicken stock
- 1.5 cup Fresh Apple cider
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 Teaspoon Soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°.
- Pat dry chicken thighs with a kitchen towel and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in an oven proof skillet and place seasoned chicken thighs skin side down. Cook it undisturbed for 2-3 minutes on medium-high heat. Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove chicken from the skillet and keep it covered.
- To the same skillet, add butter, crushed garlic, shallots, and herbs. Saute for 2 minutes until aromatic.
- Add fresh apple cider, chicken stock, dijon mustard, and soy sauce. Mix and let the mixture come to a low boil. Let the mix simmer for 5-8 minutes, and let the mixture reduce to 3/4th.
- Place back the seared chicken thighs skin side up and sliced apple in the skillet. place into the oven, uncovered, to braise for 35-40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is extra crispy and a deep brown.
- Serve on top of mashed potatoes and stir-fried greens.
Notes
- Simmering the braising liquid (apple cider and chicken stock) before putting the chicken back, intensifies the flavor.
- You can use a mix of green and pink Smith apples for a touch of tang.
we love the sweetness of apple in this so much. Perfectly balanced and not overly sweet.