Apple Cider Glazed Chicken with Apples and Fennel

Name: Apple Cider Glazed Chicken with Apples and Fennel
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4-6
Ingredients: 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs; 2 tbsp olive oil; Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper; 2 small fennel bulbs, cored and cut into wedges (reserve fronds for garnish); 2 Honeycrisp or Gala apples, cored and cut into thick wedges; 3 garlic cloves, smashed; 1 ½ cups apple cider (not vinegar); ¾ cup chicken stock; 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 3 tbsp maple syrup; 2 tbsp Dijon mustard; 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves; 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted; Commercial Clad 6QT Rondeau; OvenBond Quarter Sheet Pan with Rack; OvenBond Medium Sheet Pan with Rack; Provisions Stainless Steel French Whisk 12”; Provisions Stainless Steel Solid Spoon 13”

Apple Cider Glazed Chicken with Apples and Fennel

Courtesy of Zimmysnook

Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users

Servings

4-6

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

50 minutes

This cozy chicken dinner is the kind of recipe you’ll want to keep on repeat all fall and winter. Juicy chicken thighs are seared until golden, then simmered with sweet cider, crisp apples, and caramelized fennel in a tangy maple-Dijon glaze. The result? Tender chicken with a sauce you’ll want to scoop up with bread or spoon over roasted potatoes. It’s hearty enough for a Sunday dinner, but easy enough for a weeknight.

Ingredients

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2 tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
2 small fennel bulbs, cored and cut into wedges (reserve fronds for garnish)
2 Honeycrisp or Gala apples, cored and cut into thick wedges
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1 ½ cups apple cider (not vinegar)
¾ cup chicken stock
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Directions

Preheat the oven.

Set oven to 375°F.

Season the chicken.

Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Sear the chicken.

Heat olive oil in a 6-qt Rondeu or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place chicken skin side down and sear until golden and crisp, about 8–10 minutes.
Flip and cook for another 2–3 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Work in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding.

Cook the fennel and apples.

Reduce heat to medium. Add fennel wedges and garlic to the pan and sauté until caramelized, about 10 minutes.
Remove from the pan. Add apple wedges and cook 1–2 minutes per side until lightly golden.

Make the cider glaze.

Pour in cider, chicken stock, vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon, and thyme. Stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits. Return the fennel, garlic and chicken (skin-side up) into the pan.

Simmer.

Cover and simmer on the stovetop for 10 minutes.

Roast.

Transfer the uncovered pan to the oven. Roast until the chicken's internal temperature reaches 175°F (at the thickest part of the thighs) and the sauce is bubbling and slightly reduced, about 25 minutes.