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French Apple Cider Chicken

French apple cider chicken with pan-seared, golden skin and a glossy apple cider-cream sauce. Chicken thighs are braised with shallots and apples until tender, then finished with mustard and cream for a rich, spoonable coating.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: French
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Fruit and aromatics
  • 2 apples, cored and sliced
  • 3 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
Sauce
  • 1 cup hard apple cider or fresh apple cider
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
Cooking
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sear the chicken
  1. Season the chicken thighs well with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear chicken skin-side down for 6-8 minutes until golden.
  2. Flip the thighs and cook for 3 more minutes until the second side is lightly browned. Remove the chicken to a plate.
Sauté apples and aromatics
  1. In the same Dutch oven, sauté shallots and apple slices for 4-5 minutes until golden. Add garlic and fresh thyme and cook for 1 minute.
Build the cider sauce and braise
  1. Deglaze with the cider and cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and Dijon mustard, stirring to combine.
  2. Return chicken skin-side up to the sauce. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Finish
  1. Stir in heavy cream and simmer for 5 minutes to thicken slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

For the best color, don’t move the chicken during the first sear—wait until the skin is deeply golden before flipping. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently in a covered pan over low heat, adding a splash of broth if the sauce thickens. Freezing is not recommended for the cream sauce, but a dairy-free swap can work by using unsweetened coconut cream or oat cream for a similar texture.