Creamy Cider Braised Chicken with Bacon, Fennel and Rosemary
This one skillet apple cider braised chicken is what autumn dreams are made of! Tender, fall off the bone chicken is nestled into a creamy sauce with tender and crunchy fennel and savoury shallots. Made in about 30 minutes, I know you’ll love this dish!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe for Creamy Cider Braised Chicken
This is one of those magical recipes that you can whip up in about 30 minutes on a Wednesday or you could make it for a gathering with friends. The apple cider sauce is light yet luscious, with subtle creaminess from the sour cream. It’s versatile in that you can use any woodsy herb so if you can’t find rosemary, try sage or thyme.
You are going to love how tender and fall off the bone the chicken is! The sauce is creamy and comforting - the perfect thing to pour over smashed or mashed potatoes!
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Creamy Cider Braised Chicken with Bacon, Fennel and Rosemary
Ingredients:
4 large or 6 small bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 slices meaty bacon, chopped
1 medium fennel bulb, halved and thinly sliced
4 medium shallots, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary (or you could do sage or thyme)
2 teaspoons flour (all-purpose or gluten-free)
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1/2 cup sour cream
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Season the chicken thighs on all sides with salt and pepper.
Cook the bacon in a large oven-proof skillet. Turn the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 5-10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
In the same skillet, arrange the chicken thighs, skin side down (if the heat seems too high, turn it down). Let the chicken cook until the skin is golden brown (if the chicken is sticking, it’s not ready yet), about 4-6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, skin side up (it won’t be cooked through).
Tilt the pan and spoon off all but about 2-3 tablespoons of the drippings (just eyeball it, and save those drippings for another use!). Add the sliced fennel, shallot, and rosemary to the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as needed, until the vegetables are golden, about 3-5 minutes (feel free to add more of the drippings back into the pan if it starts to look dry).
Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for a few seconds. Pour in the apple cider. Cook, stirring and scraping up the bits on the bottom of the pan, until the sauce comes to a boil and is slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the sour cream, and season the sauce salt and pepper to your liking.
Nestle the chicken thighs back into the pan (pour in any juices from the plate). Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 15-20 minutes (depending on the size of the thighs)—the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thighs should read 165-170˚F.
Sprinkle the bacon over the chicken and garnish with fried sage leaves, if using. Serve!
Ahh fall, I love you.
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