Go Back

French Apple Cider Chicken

French apple cider chicken with golden-seared bone-in thighs simmered in a silky cider-cream sauce with tender apple slices and fresh thyme. Dijon mustard adds tang for a Normandy-style skillet dinner you can serve over mashed potatoes.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 40 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: French
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

4 bone-in chicken thighs
  • 4 bone-in chicken thighs
1 cup hard apple cider
  • 1 cup hard apple cider
2 shallots, minced
  • 2 shallots
3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 garlic cloves
2 apples, cored and sliced
  • 2 apples
1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 fresh thyme sprigs
2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp pepper

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Sear the chicken
  1. Season the bone-in chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then sear in butter for 4-5 minutes per side, until golden and sizzling. When turned, the surface should look deeply browned and caramelized.
Build the cider sauce
  1. Sauté the shallots and garlic, then deglaze with hard apple cider and scrape up the browned bits. Reduce for about 2-3 minutes until the liquid looks slightly syrupy.
Simmer
  1. Stir in heavy cream, Dijon mustard, and fresh thyme sprigs until the sauce turns smooth and lightly thickened. Return the chicken and add the sliced apples, then simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the apples are tender.
Serve
  1. Serve the chicken and apple cider cream sauce immediately over mashed potatoes. Spoon sauce over the top so the apples and thyme are evenly distributed.

Notes

Pro tip: deglaze thoroughly so you lift the browned fond into the cider—this is where the extra depth comes from. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet over medium-low until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended because cream can break when thawed and reheated. For a lighter option, swap heavy cream for half-and-half and simmer 2-3 minutes less to reduce the chance of sauce separation.