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One Pot Cider Braised Chicken with Caramelized Onions. Slow-cooked chicken in apple cider with fresh herbs, sweet caramelized onions, and mushrooms. If you’re looking for a cozy fall meal to make, start with this saucy braised chicken. All made in one pot, simple to put together, and totally delicious. Serve with warm bread and a side of wild rice and say hello to cozy fall nights.
Fall starts on Thursday, but per usual our fall here in the mountains has fully set in. Most of you know that we’ve had some chillier days and our leaves are beginning to show pretty shades of yellow and orange.
I love every bit of it and am trying my best to soak in the season. For us, here in the mountains, it will be gone in the blink of an eye. Our fall is fast and furious, warm days, chilly nights, and always beautiful.
I’m embracing the shorter days and colder nights with cozy dinners. Every year like clockwork, I make some sort of braised chicken. But this one is special and hands down my favorite of the bunch. It’s the onions combined with sweet, spiced apple cider. The pair together really do make for a wonderful saucy chicken.
Ingredients
- Chicken
- All-purpose flour
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Salted butter
- Yellow onions
- Apple cider
- Sliced mushrooms
- Garlic
- Chopped fresh thyme
- Chicken broth or dry white wine
The story is pretty simple.
I based the recipe pretty closely off my cider braised short ribs. We absolutely loved that short rib recipe last year. I made it multiple times throughout the fall and winter. But it’s still September and the days just don’t require short rib dinners yet.
I wanted something a little lighter and a little quicker cooking for weeknights.
Of course, the thought to swap-in chicken came to mind pretty quickly and sounded delicious. I changed up a few things, adding mushrooms into the mix, and using a quicker cooking method.
It’s truly wonderful and so simple to make.
The details
Start with the chicken. I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs and breasts. My family is pickier and will not eat the skin. Though I’m sure it would add a lot of flavor to the dish!
Dredge the chicken through some flour, then give it a sear in a big, oven-safe pan. I only sear one side of the chicken since we just need one side crispy for the oven.
Pull the chicken out, add some butter, then toss on the onions. Start to slowly cook the onions down. I like to add a splash of apple cider to help the onions cook down a little quicker.
When the onions have reached a light gold color, toss in the mushrooms, garlic, thyme, and sage. I let the mushrooms cook for a minute, then pour over the remaining cider and wine. If you don’t drink wine, chicken broth is a great substitute.
I usually add a few sprigs of fresh thyme, then transfer the whole dish to the oven to braise low and slow.
Now I cooked this at 400 for a quicker time, but you can definitely reduce the heat to 325° and cook for 1-2 hours for a real low and slow braise. Either works great, it just depends on how much time you have.
I’ve been serving this with a side of homemade beer bread and wild rice pilaf – so good!
You must make the beer bread, it’s delicious with the savory-sweet cider pan sauce.
This is a wonderful Monday night dinner that’s easy enough for any night of the week. It’s certainly sure to become a family favorite. I can’t wait for Creighton to try this, I know he will love it.
Looking for other slow-cooked fall recipes? Here are a few ideas:
30 Minute Coconut Milk Braised Chicken
Healthier 30 Minute Beer Braised Chicken
Autumn Braised Chicken Escabèche with Roasted Apples and Grapes
Cider Braised Short Ribs with Caramelized Onions
Red Wine Cranberry Braised Short Ribs
Slow Cooker Red Wine Braised Short Rib Pasta
Slow Cooker Coq au Vin with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
Lastly, if you make this Cider Braised Chicken with Caramelized Onions, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Cider Braised Chicken with Caramelized Onions
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 421 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken, thighs or breasts
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 4 yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 2 cups apple cider
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1 cup chicken broth or dry white wine
Instructions
Stove-Top
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then rub with flour to coat. Heat a large oven-safe skillet with sides over high heat, and sear the chicken on 1 side. Remove the chicken to a plate. 3. Add the butter and onions and cook 5 minutes, until softened. Add a 1/2 cup apple cider, season with salt and pepper, and continue cooking another 5-8 minutes, until the cider has evaporated and the onions are lightly golden. Add the mushrooms, garlic, thyme, and sage, then add the chicken back to the pot. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups cider, and wine. Roast for 30 minutes or until the chicken is falling apart. Watch the sauce, if it begins to thicken too much, cover the dish. 3. Serve the chicken with wild rice pilaf and bread. Drizzle with any remaining pan sauce and onions. Enjoy!
Crockpot
- 1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then rub with flour to coat. Heat a large Dutch Oven over high heat, and sear the chicken on 1 side.2. To the bowl of your crockpot, add the butter and onions, then place the chicken over the onions. Add the mushrooms, garlic, thyme, sage, apple cider, and wine. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. 3. Serve the chicken with wild rice pilaf and bread. Drizzle with any remaining pan sauce and onions. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on September 19, 2022
Served this as a family dinner with brown rice and broccoli. It was a huge hit! I think next time, I’ll put it over polenta. This is a home run that will end up as a permanent addition to the meal rotation. Fast and easy means WIN! WIN!
Hey Suze,
Happy Monday!! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was tasty for you! Thanks for making it:) xx
Hi! Do you recommend spiced apple cider or regular apple cider for this recipe? I noticed you mentioned spiced apple cider in the text preceding the recipe, but the link in the recipe is a regular apple cider. Just curious what would be best 🙂
Hey Amy,
I’m pretty sure all apple ciders are spiced:) Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope it’s a hit! xx
This looks amazing!! I’d like to make it with orzo, the way you do with many of your one skillet chicken dishes. Do you think that would work, and if so, how much more liquid would I need to add?
Hey Julianna,
Thanks so much!! I’ve not tested this, but you could certainly give it a try based on the other recipes you want to use. My only concern is that the orzo would be super onion-y tasting. Let me know if you give the recipe a try! xT
This turned out really good. Great flavor. I will make it again! I added carrots the same time I added the mushrooms. Next time the only thing different I will do will be to cook the onions longer before I add the other veggies.
Hey Steph,
Happy Monday!! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was tasty for you! Thanks for making it:) xx
Made this tonight exactly as written with chicken thighs. Really delicious with great depth of flavor. Added a corn starch slurry after it came out of the oven to thicken the sauce a bit and it was perfect. Served with your beer bread and honey butter and it was truly a fantastic meal. Thanks for another great recipe!
Hey Jess,
Amazing! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
If you’re looking for a fairly easy dish to wow your family, this is it. I cooked mine at 400 for 30 mins and then let it sit in the oven at 250 to stay warm and let some of the sauce reduce. I served it over mashed potatoes and made a side of maple carrots as requested by my toddler. So good! Perfect fall dinner.
Hey Stefanie,
Thanks a bunch for making this dish and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed by your family! xT
Hi there! I’m making this for tomorrow’s family dinner but sis in law is gluten free: what would be a good sub for dredging the chicken? TIA!
Hi Rebecca,
You could use a gluten free flour, I like Bob’s Red Mill. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Last nights dinner and it was so good! Oven method was fast and easy too.
Hey Carla,
Happy Sunday! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try!🍂 xT
This was so delicious! I made in my Dutch oven and it turned out perfect. However the ratio of onion/mushroom to chicken is very high and even though we plated A LOT of the former on the chicken we had tons leftover. I would do at least 6 chicken thighs if using 4 onions.
Hi Eva,
Awesome! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was tasty for you, thanks for making it! Hope you’re off to a great weekend! xx
Made this with the beer bread and it was so good. I made mine in the crockpot (thank you for having that alternative) and it was just the simplest thing. I love easy meals and this was definitely one. Will be making again!
Hey Andrea,
Happy Friday🍁 I appreciate you making this recipe and love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
Made this tonight for company & it was a huge hit! Easy, delicious, simple ingredients and quick clean up, saving this one!
The flavours are 🙌
Hi Preeti,
Amazing!! Thanks a lot for trying this dish out, I am so glad it turned out well for you! xT
Nicely written recipe. I can almost smell it by reading it.
Do you really have to hyperlink all the ingredients?
Hi Teresa,
Yes, we find it helpful for those who want to purchase the ingredients and add to their grocery list:) If you don’t want to do that, just don’t click on them. I hope you love the recipe! xx
We made this last night and thought it was *excellent*. I used apple juice rather than cider, and chicken broth since it was what we had in the house, and it turned out quite well. Did mine on the stovetop and then in the oven for 30 minutes. The onions were perfect; it was a little like a French onion soup, which was a great addition. Served with rice on the side. The only suggestion I would make would be to sear the skin side to crisp it up.
I understand why folks who made this in the crock pot might not like it; I wouldn’t use a crock pot, personally. The stovetop/oven method is the way to go with this one.
Hey Matt,
I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback! I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I love all your recipes, which is why I feel like I did something wrong with this one. Followed instructions exactly as written and had several issues. The sauce never thickened as noted so it was all pure liquid. Second, because I only seared on one side, the opposite side had a mushy breading to it. What did I do wrong?
Hi Jill,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. To help the sauce thicken you can allow it to simmer longer. For the breading, it sounds like you may have had too much flour, it should just be a light dusting. I hope this helps! xT
SO good! My hubby doesn’t usually like mushrooms and he loved this dish! Even our toddler asked for more.
Hey Janessa,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review! xT
I made this tonight and this was a huge huge hit. I can’t wait to make this again! Turned out perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing about it. Such an amazing new dish for the beginning of Fall. Even my four year old approved it which is HUGE! and the smell in my house omgggg so good. The aroma of apples, garlic, and thyme made this dish 11/10!
Hi Bri,
Amazing!! I am so glad this recipe was tasty for you, thanks a lot for making it and sharing your feedback! xT