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This apple cider chicken skillet has all the cozy flavors of fall in a simple weeknight dinner. Make this reader favorite ASAP!
This is a sponsored post in partnership with Farmer Focus. All opinions are my own.
When I first came up with this apple cider chicken skillet recipe, I made it twice in one week because it was just that good. All the flavors go so well together and the sauce is kind of like a sweet-and-savory gravy that you can slather all over your chicken.
Farmer Focus Chicken
You all know how much I love Farmer Focus chicken. This is my NINTH recipe with Farmer Focus so as you can see, I firmly stand behind this company.
They produce USDA-organic, non-GMO, certified humane chicken that is high quality and has the freshest and cleanest taste. With that said, you know your apple cider chicken skillet is going to taste fantastic with Farmer Focus chicken!
This time, I used their boneless skinless thin sliced chicken breast and I AM OBSESSED.
You know how sometimes you buy giant, thick chicken breasts and have to cut them in half? Most of the time it’s so tricky to do that because they aren’t exactly non-slip so I feel like I’m going to cut myself slicing the chicken breast in half. Not to mention that the end result is sometimes not what I want—not even!
Farmer Focus took that work out for me with these and they’re perfectly sliced and ready to use in this apple cider chicken skillet!
What You’ll Need
Once you factor in the ingredients you probably have in your kitchen already, the list of things you’ll need for this recipe is pretty light!
- Onion
- Apple – Other than an especially-tart variety like Granny Smith, any kind will work.
- Fresh herbs – I use rosemary, thyme, and sage.
- All-purpose flour
- Poultry seasoning
- Kosher salt
- Boneless skinless thin sliced chicken breasts – I suggest boneless skinless chicken tenders or boneless skinless chicken thighs if you want to use a different cut, but cooking times will vary.
- Salted butter
- Olive oil
- Apple cider – Apple cider is usually either refrigerated in the produce section or in the case with orange juice, unlike apple juice, which is typically shelf-stable. If you can’t find it, you can use apple juice instead.
- Chicken stock
How to Make Apple Cider Chicken Skillet
Ready to make your new favorite fall dinner? Here’s what you’ll need to do:
Coat the chicken. Whisk together the flour, poultry seasoning, and salt. Dredge both sides of the chicken in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Transfer the coated chicken to a plate.
Brown the chicken. Melt a tablespoon each of butter and olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown on both sides. Transfer to a new plate and set aside.
Cook the onion and apple. Return the skillet to the stovetop, then add the remaining butter. Cook the onion and apples for about 7 minutes, or until just softened. Stir in the fresh herbs.
Bring it all together. Pour the apple cider and stock into the skillet, then add the chicken. Cover and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is nicely thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Tips for Success
Here are some tips for making the best apple cider chicken skillet:
- Don’t over-coat the chicken. Shake off the excess flour. You don’t want a thick crust, because it will take on an unappetizing texture after simmering in the sauce for 10 minutes.
- Be patient. Let the sauce simmer slowly over low heat so it will thicken. Don’t rush it!
- Use stock, not broth. Broth is seasoned with salt, while stock is not. This means using broth will change the flavor profile of the recipe. If you have broth on hand and want to use it, use unsalted butter and be conservative with the salt you add in the last step—taste, then season.
Is apple cider the same as apple cider vinegar?
No, they are very different ingredients. Please please get apple cider NOT apple cider vinegar.
Apple cider vinegar (also called ACV) is super popular right now, but it is VINEGAR and not what you want in this recipe.
I’m calling this out because I have had people make recipes that call for apple cider and use apple cider vinegar, then come back to say the recipe was terrible.
Serving Suggestions
Wondering what you can serve with this apple cider chicken skillet? Here are some ideas:
- Roasted sweet potatoes
- Balsamic Brussels sprouts
- Roasted delicata squash
- Kale salad with a light vinaigrette
- Warm roasted Brussels sprouts salad with farro
- Five spice potatoes
Video for apple cider chicken skillet
You can watch me make this entire apple cider chicken skillet below!
It’s lengthy, but it’s basically the same length as a cooking show you watch on TV so it’s not terrible and plus, you get to see this step by step and how it all comes together!
Other recipes that you may like:
- Honey jalapeño grilled chicken drumsticks
- Creamy skillet mushroom chicken
- Easy chicken shawarma quinoa bowls
- Instant Pot Southwest chicken soup
Apple Cider Chicken Skillet
Ingredients
- ½ large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 medium apple, sliced
- Fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage
- ½ cup (63 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pound (454 g) Farmer Focus boneless skinless thin sliced chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) salted butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ cup (177 ml) apple cider
- ¼ cup (59 ml) chicken stock
Instructions
- Prepare onion and apples and set aside. Chop the herbs and set aside.
- In a shallow container, whisk together all-purpose flour, poultry seasoning, and salt.
- Remove chicken from packaging and coat both sides in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess, then place on a plate and repeat until all the chicken is coated.
- Melt 1 tablespoon (14g) of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter and oil are hot, add the chicken to the skillet to brown on both sides. Since they are thinly sliced, these will cook rather quickly. You don't want to cook them all the way through since they will finish cooking later.
- Remove the browned chicken from the skillet and set on a plate for later.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon (14g) of butter to the skillet then add the sliced onion and apples. Cook until relatively soft, about 7 minutes. Stir in the herbs and sprinkle a little bit of leftover flour mixture on top (about ½ – 1 tablespoon).
- Add the apple cider and chicken stock and add the chicken back into the mixture.
- Cover and let simmer for 7-10 minutes until mixture is nice and thick and chicken is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
I want to try this! Is it overly sweet like a dessert, though? Or does it have a savoury quality?
it’s not overly sweet like dessert; definitely has a savory quality to it. i would say it’s a good balance of sweet and savory.
@Julie Chiou,
I noticed on recipe you don’t say to add the flour/poultry after the onion, apples are cooked. I’m glad I watched the video and realized I had to do this. How much do you sprinkle on, it looked like 2 tablespoons. Thanks going to make tonight
hi Pam! sorry about that – i didn’t notice i did that in the video. when i developed the recipe, i don’t think i did that but hey, can’t hurt to do so to get that liquid all nice and thick! it was about 1/2 tablespoon to 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture.