One-Pan Chicken with Apples
Juicy chicken thighs, sweet apples, heavy cream, and fresh herbs capture the flavors of fall.
Serves3 to 6
Prep15 minutes to 20 minutes
Cook35 minutes
When the weather cools down and you find yourself with a haul of crisp apples from your latest U-Pick adventure, this creamy chicken apple skillet is the perfect fall dinner recipe. Here, juicy chicken thighs, sweet apples, heavy cream, and fresh herbs capture the essence of autumn. It’s an easy, one-skillet meal that minimizes cleanup, so you can spend more time enjoying dinner with loved ones. Serve with a crisp white wine, a crusty baguette to mop up the sauce, and a peppery, lemony side salad to balance the richness.
Why You’ll Love It
- It captures the flavors of fall in a one-pan dinner. Chicken meets apples in this easy skillet dish. Finish with heavy cream for the coziest meal.
- The delicious sauce is everything. It’s the perfect autumnal union of white wine, heavy cream, chicken broth, butter, apple cider vinegar.
Key Ingredients in One-Pan Chicken with Apples
- Chicken thighs: I strongly recommend using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for crisp skin and juicy meat. Plus, you can repurpose the bones into a bone broth for all your cozy cold-weather soups.
- Crisp apples: Think Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Pink Lady. These firm-fleshed apples hold up well during cooking.
- Fresh tarragon: Often called “the king of herbs” in France, tarragon lends a subtle anise verdancy that elevates this chicken skillet into something magical. Add it at the end to maintain its delicate flavor.
- Heavy cream: It’s the secret to a velvety sauce that marries sweet and savory, and will have people asking, “How did you make this?!”
- Vinegar: A splash of acid at the end, whether lemon juice or vinegar, wakes up all the flavors and balances out the richness of the cream.
Helpful Swaps
- Fresh herbs: If you can’t find fresh tarragon, you can substitute parsley, chives, or chervil. They offer different yet complementary flavors that still bring a much-needed verdancy to the dish.
- Skillet: No cast-iron skillet? Use a stainless steel pan instead. If your skillet doesn’t have a lid, cover it tightly with foil to ensure even cooking.
- Wine: I recommend cooking with a good-quality dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. My top tip for cooking with wine is to always choose a wine you’d happily sip!
One-Pan Chicken with Apples Recipe
Juicy chicken thighs, sweet apples, heavy cream, and fresh herbs capture the flavors of fall.
Prep time 15 minutes to 20 minutes
Cook time 35 minutes
Serves 3 to 6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 6
medium bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (2 1/2 to 3 pounds total)
- 3 1/4 teaspoons
kosher salt, divided, plus more as needed
- 1
large yellow or white onion
- 2
medium crisp apples (about 12 ounces total), such as Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Pink Lady
- 3 cloves
garlic
- 1 tablespoon
olive oil
- 3 tablespoons
unsalted butter, divided
- 2 sprigs
fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup
low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup
dry white wine
- 1/3 cup
heavy cream
- 1/8 teaspoon
ground nutmeg
- 1/2 medium bunch
fresh tarragon, for serving
- 2 teaspoons
apple cider vinegar, fresh lemon juice, or distilled white vinegar
Instructions
Place 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs on a baking sheet or plate and season all over with 2 teaspoons of the kosher salt. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 2 and up to 24 hours.
Let the chicken sit at room temperature while you prepare the produce. Halve and thinly slice 1 large yellow onion (about 4 cups). Halve, core, and cut 2 crisp apples into 1-inch thick wedges (no need to peel, about 2 cups). Peel 3 garlic cloves.
Place 2 tablespoons of the unsalted butter in the freezer. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and the remaining 1 tablespoon unsalted butter in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or frying pan over medium heat until shimmering. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Add enough chicken skin-side down to fill the pan with space around each piece (work in 2 batches if needed). Sear until golden-brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate (they will not be cooked through at this point).
Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat in the pan. Add the onion, garlic, 2 fresh thyme sprigs, and 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the onion is soft and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the apples, 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth, and 1/2 cup dry white wine. Stir to combine. Return the chicken to the pan skin side up, nestling it into the onions and apples; pour in any accumulated juices on the plate.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through registers at least 165ºF in the thickest part, 12 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place 1/3 cup heavy cream, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
Transfer the chicken with tongs to a clean plate. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs. Simmer the sauce uncovered over medium heat until thickened slightly, 2 to 5 minutes. Add the cream mixture and continue to simmer, stirring often, until the sauce is thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5 to 8 minutes more. Do not let the mixture boil. Meanwhile, pick the leaves from 1/2 medium bunch fresh tarragon and finely chop until you have 2 tablespoons.
Remove the pan from the heat. Add the butter from the freezer and 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar. Stir until the butter is melted and the sauce is glossy. Return the chicken to the skillet. Garnish with the tarragon.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.