Deliciously different, this apple bacon chicken is easy enough for weeknights, but also special enough for company. You can use bone-in or boneless chicken thighs, or chicken breasts, if you prefer.
Why you’ll love this apple bacon chicken!
This apple bacon chicken is deliciously different and easy enough to make on weeknights. The combination of chicken thighs with apples and bacon is a winner!
I’ve developed a new love of chicken thighs, particularly skin-on/bone-in ones. First, they’re economical. Always good. Secondly, they’re dark meat, which has lots of flavour and is always moist. Finally, the skin adds such great flavour to dishes and crisps up so perfectly.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Chicken Thighs (bone-in or boneless) – I love to make this dish with bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs. The only down-side of bone-in is that they take longer to cook through. I give them a quick trip to the oven while the sauce is cooking to deal with that part. If you prefer to use boneless thighs, the trip to the oven is probably not necessary.
Chicken breasts (bone-in or boneless) – As chicken breasts are thick, so if you’d like to use breasts, the they should probably go in the oven for a bit. If you cut them up or butterfly them, again, the oven may not be necessary and you could just simmer them in your sauce to finish cooking.
Apples – while any apple will work here, a baking apple is more likely to hold its shape during cooking and less likely to melt into the sauce. Some good options are Empire, Courtland, Pink Lady or Jonagold.
Apple Juice – or apple cider is fine (this would be the non-alcoholic apple cider). If you’d like, you could replace the apple juice and the white wine with an equal amount of an alcoholic-based apple cider.
White Wine – if you don’t have wine or prefer not to cook with wine, simply omit and use a bit more chicken stock or apple juice.
Recipe Tips
I used Empire apples for my dish, with the skin on. I love the bit of colour and I think leaving the skin on helps the apples to stay together and not become apple sauce in your dish. You can use apple cider or plain old apple juice for the dish. I also used applewood smoked bacon here, in keeping with the apple theme, but any bacon or pancetta will work. Just remember that the bacon will add a bit of salt to the dish, so keep that in mind when salting. That said, I think some added salt is probably necessary to balance the sweetness of the apples and apple juice. Freshly ground pepper is nice as well.
What to serve with Apple Bacon Chicken
I served this with mashed potatoes, but rice or pasta would also be nice. Add a green vegetable to complete the meal.
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Get the Recipe: Apple Bacon Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs, bone-in/skin on *see Note 1 for other chicken options
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil, or canola or other neutral oil
- 2 slices bacon, diced (applewood smoked is nice!)
- 1/2 cup onion, diced, about 1/2 medium onion
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 3/4 cup apple juice, or cider
- 3/4 cup chicken stock
- 2 cups apples, thinly sliced, about 2 un-peeled apples, cored, quartered and sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1/4 tsp. dried thyme or Herbes de Provence
- 1/4 teaspoon whipping cream
- 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch , mixed with 1 Tbsp. water or mix with reserved pan drippings for a bit of extra flavour
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F. and line a baking sheet with foil (for easy cleanup!). Set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Dry chicken thighs well and sprinkle skin with salt and pepper. Once oil is hot, place thighs, skin side down in to the oil and allow to cook until golden brown. Flip and cook on the other side for a few minutes. Remove chicken to the prepared baking sheet and place in to the pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes. (*Watch skin as chicken cooks in the oven and cover loosely with a piece of foil if it starts to brown too much).
- Meanwhile, remove the oil and drippings from the pan and discard. Cook the bacon in the same skillet over medium-high heat until starting to brown. Add the onions and cook until the bacon is crisp and the onions are lightly browned. Add the white wine and allow to cook until the alcohol smell burns off (1-2 minutes). Add the apple juice, chicken stock, apples and thyme. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer until apples soften. Add the cream and dijon to the sauce and stir to combine. Add a bit of the cornstarch/water mixture a bit at a time until sauce thickens to your liking. Taste and add salt and pepper, to taste.
- Remove chicken from oven and check for doneness (if you have a thermometer, should be about 165° F.). Otherwise, cut in to one and check. Juices should run clear and the meat should not be pink near the bone. If necessary, return to the oven for longer while you keep your sauce warm over low heat. Place chicken on a large serving plate. Spoon sauce around chicken and serve. This chicken is nice with mashed potatoes or rice.
Notes
More Chicken Thigh Recipes to Love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
One of my favorite dishes, thank you!
Thanks Kelli! It’s one of mine, too. I love the brightness the apple brings to this dish :)
This was absolutely delicious!! Such a great meal for a chilly fall evening. I served this with some mashed parsnips, and we really enjoyed it. Thanks for the recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it, Katie and those mashed parsnips sound perfect :)
How long is the chicken supposed to bake in the oven? I don’t see that in instructions…
Hi Peggy, It should stay in the oven until fully cooked, so partly depends on the size of your chicken thighs. It would be 165 F. tested with an instant read thermometer. I find that’s usually 20-25 minutes.
I love chicken thighs bc they have so much more flavor. I can’t figure out people who won’t eat them. This looks so creamy and comforting!
Thanks Karen and I agree! I cook thighs (bone-in and boneless) far more often than breasts just for that reason :)