Cider Braised Chicken Thighs With The Creamiest Cauliflower Mash

Updated. Originally 29th November 2018

A delicious chicken recipe that comes together quickly, making it perfect for the midweek. This cider braised chicken incorporates some of my favourite things of the Fall season - apples and apple cider! I can always use another chicken recipe and I wanted one that would incorporate those Fall ingredients.

This was a hit with my family and I was happy to add another delicious chicken recipe to the list of ones I have and love to make especially when you want a quick and easy dinner on chilly nights. Thighs cook up quicker than breasts that is why I chose them in this recipe and they are by far more flavourful than breast meat - that’s what I think anyways. If you’re a fan of apples in savoury dishes you will love this and if you aren’t or have never had them in anything savoury you are missing out and hope you give this recipe a try!

Cider Braised Chicken Recipe Ingredients

• CHICKEN: We use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs rather than boneless, skinless thighs or breasts. The skin and bones add flavor to the dish and help to prevent the meat from drying out - they stay tender and juicy. The cooking time will vary if using thicker/larger cuts of chicken or thinner/smaller.
• OLIVE OIL & BUTTER: We use olive oil or any vegetable oil for searing the chicken thighs. We use unsalted butter to saute apples and shallots and create the sauce.
• APPLES: We use gala apples for this recipe but Honey crisp, Pink Lady, Granny Smith apples would be just fine too.
• APPLE CIDER: We used hard cider for this recipe which creates a rich, savory-sweet sauce. If you prefer a non alcoholic option simply use apple cider or apple juice.
• CHICKEN BROTH: We use chicken broth for the sauce - you could use more cider if you wish in its place
• SHALLOTS & GARLIC: We like the mellow sweet flavours of shallots but you could use a small red onion or small yellow onion. Use as much garlic or as little as you prefer.
• HERBS AND SPICES: We like to flavour the sauce with fresh herbs like fresh thyme or dried thyme works well too. If you are using dried thyme use only 1 teaspoon of it. For spices we use salt and pepper and like to season the chicken with a little garlic powder and paprika but you could omit those for simplicity or even add more spices or spice blend to season the chicken if you wish. Just be sure its a spice blend you would like and that would go well with the thyme and the sweet savory sauce
• ALL PURPOSE FLOUR: All purpose flour is for thickening the sauce just like when making a roux. Feel free to use a GF 1:1 flour in its place if needed.
• MUSTARD: We use Dijon mustard to flavor the sauce and it always adds a nice savory flavor.
• OPTIONAL ADD INS: If you would like to add some mushrooms or other veggies along with the apples like celery or fennel you can. Saute along with the apples and shallots.
  
  

How to Make Cider Braised Chicken

1. Season & Sear Chicken: Season chicken - go heavy or light according to your reference then sear chicken on both sides in a large skillet or dutch oven, remove from pan onto plate.
2. Sear Shallots & Apples: Melt butter in skillet and saute the apples and shallots/onions, remove with slotted spoon onto plate.
3. Make Sauce: Add the garlic and thyme to skillet followed by the flour and cook 1 minute. Stir in the cider followed by the mustard, and broth and simmer until reduced and starting to thicken.
4. Add Apples, Shallots & Chicken to Sauce: Return chicken, apples and shallots to skillet.
5. Roast: Transfer skillet to oven and roast 25-35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
   
   

Cider braised Chicken Storage, Freezing and Reheating

• STORAGE: Leftover cooked chicken thighs and sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
• FREEZING: Let the chicken thighs cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. Once chilled, transfer the mixture to a resealable container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
• REHEATING: Transfer the chicken and gravy to a large skillet or Dutch oven. Reheat gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through, or in the microwave.
  
  

More Recipes You Will Love

• Creamy Chicken Stew
• Creamy Chicken Marsala
• Chicken Marbella
• Lemon Butter Chicken
• Marry Me Chicken
• Easy Chicken Piccata
• Easy Roasted Tarragon Chicken With Vegetables
• Easy Whole Roast Chicken

Recipe

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (about 450 g total)
• Salt and black pepper
• ½ teaspoon each garlic powder and paprika (optional)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

For the Braising Sauce

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 gala apples, cored and cut in ½-inch thick wedges
• 2 shallots, sliced or into thirds
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (can substitute with and alternative thickening agent for GF)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 cup dry hard cider (apple cider or apple juice can be substituted to make it non alcoholic)
• ¼ cups sodium-reduced chicken broth
  
  

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350°F.
2. Season chicken generously with salt and paper, garlic powder and paprika if using.
3. Heat the oil in a shallow dutch oven or large oven-safe skillet over medium heat to medium-heat. Once the oil is hot, place the chicken in the skillet skin-side down. Brown the chicken for 5-7 minutes, until the skin is golden brown. Flip the chicken and cook for 2 minutes, then transfer to a plate. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the skillet.
4. Add the butter to the skillet and adjust heat to medium. Once the butter is melted add shallots and apples, and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened and starting to brown a bit. Transfer to the plate with the chicken using a slotted spoon.
5. Add the sliced garlic and thyme leaves to the skillet and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Sprinkle in the flour and stir well. Cook the flour stirring for 1 minute then stir in the wine then stir in the Dijon mustard and cider, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any brown bits. Bring to a gentle simmer until the sauce thickens. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
6. Nestle the chicken, skin-side up, into the sauce along with the shallots and apples.
7. Transfer skillet to preheated oven and continue to roast until fully cooked through approx 25-35 mins. Check the internal temperature to ensure that it’s reached at least 165 F. Feel free to broil for the last minute of cooking for more colour on your chicken.
8. Remove the skillet from the oven and let the chicken rest a few minutes. Garnish with more thyme leaves and serve over mashed potatoes, cauliflower mash, rice, or buttered noodles.