Description
Whipping up apple cider glazed chicken brings pure comfort straight to your dinner table with minimal effort and maximum flavor. Succulent chicken gets a sweet-tangy upgrade when glazed with reduced apple cider, creating a simple yet impressive meal that’ll have your family asking for seconds.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 4 Chicken Thighs
- 1 Honeycrisp Apple
- ¼ cup Apple Cider
Seasonings and Spices:
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Ground Black Pepper
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
- ½ tsp Smoked Paprika
- 14 tsp Nutmeg
- 1 tsp Fresh Ginger
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 sprig Fresh Rosemary
- 1 sprig Fresh Thyme
Sauce and Supporting Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons Avocado Oil
- ⅓ cup Yellow Onion
- ⅓ cup Brown Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
Instructions
- Mix ¼ cup apple cider, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, ⅓ cup brown sugar, 3 crushed garlic cloves, ⅓ cup diced yellow onion, 1 sprig rosemary, 1 sprig thyme, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp ginger, and ¼ tsp nutmeg in a saucepan. Simmer the mixture at medium-low heat for 12-15 minutes until liquid reduces by half.
- Blend 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, and ½ tsp smoked paprika in a small bowl. Thoroughly coat your 4 chicken thighs with this seasoning blend.
- Heat 2 tbsp avocado oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sear your seasoned chicken thighs for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown.
- Pour the prepared glaze over the chicken thighs. Transfer the skillet to a preheated 375°F oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until chicken reaches 165°F internal temperature.
- Slice 1 Honeycrisp apple into thin wedges. Remove skillet from oven and arrange apple slices around the chicken.
- Drizzle additional glaze from the pan over the chicken and apples before serving hot.
Notes
- Simmering the glaze slowly concentrates the flavors, creating a rich, deep coating that caramelizes beautifully on the chicken.
- Use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for maximum moisture and flavor, as they’re more forgiving during cooking than chicken breasts.
- For a gluten-free version, swap regular soy sauce with tamari and ensure all other ingredients are certified gluten-free.
- Fresh herbs make a significant difference, so use rosemary and thyme from your garden or a fresh bunch from the produce section if possible.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 to 4
- Calories: 316 kcal
- Sugar: 19 g
- Sodium: 695 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 21 g
- Cholesterol: 115 mg