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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.
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.
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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 was AAA-mazing!! Thank you – this is a keeper in my household. It was so delicious that I shared it with my family and it was a “must try”. Love your Instagram page; so many inspiring dishes – your awesome!
Hi Michele,
Love it!!🤩 So glad to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it! Thanks so much for your kind message! 🤍 xx
This recipe didn’t work for me, though I really wanted to like it because the flavors sounded so good and the pictures made it look amazing. The apple cider in the sauce ended up with a very tart almost sour flavor (and yes, I used cider, not ACV) which was really offputting, and it wasn’t expired or old cider or anything like that. I think next time I’ll cook it in just the chicken stock and I think it would work for my and my husband’s palettes.
Hi Kaley,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! xT
Do you think a dry red wine would work or should I go to the store for white? Going to make this tonight and it looks so good!!
Hey Bill,
I think the red will be just fine for you to use:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
Made this this evening and loved it! I’m based in the UK, where apple cider is alcoholic haha, so substituted it for the innocent apple juice as it’s literally only non-processed pressed apples – did the job great for any UK readers out there! Super flavourful, kinda of sweet but very comforting, and tested delish with wild rice cooked with chicken stock. Can also see it working with pork sausages, so may try that next.
Hey Charlie,
Happy Monday! 👻 I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! Happy Halloween! 🎃
I so wanted to love this dish as it looked incredible. Unfortunately, it really lacked flavor all around. This is the first and only recipe that I haven’t liked by HBH of the dozens and dozens of recipes I have tried. HBH is still my go to but this recipe unfortunately lacked a lot of flavor.
Hi Kay,
So sorry to hear this recipe did not work out for you! Was there anything I can help with? Again, sorry for the trouble! xx
I had the same issue. I wanted to like it, but it was pretty bland.
So easy and yummy! Would definitely add slightly less cider and a little more wine because it was a little sweet for me but overall it was extremely yummy. Paired it with some roasted potatoes and toasted bread. Not sure why some comments said it lacked flavor but it was definitely flavorful to me.
Hi Katia,
Fantastic!! 🍁🍂 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review! xT
We loved this recipe! Served it with mashed potatoes that had a little whole grain mustard in them, peas and roasted carrots on the side…delicious! Great, easy weeknight recipe!
Hey Lisa,
Happy Wednesday! I really appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad it was a winner! 🤩
Made this for dinner tonight and it was a huge hit. The kind of meal that makes you feel warm inside for hours after. Super quick & easy with minimal cleanup. I added carrots & just nestled them under the sauce before putting it in the oven & they came out perfect. Served with wild rice cooked in chicken stock, which added lots of flavour 🙂 will for sure be making this again!!
Hi Molly,
Wonderful!! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so glad it was a hit! xT
Tasty but nowhere near ready in 30 minutes in the oven! I had to put it in for over an hour to get the chicken to fall apart (boneless chicken breasts) and thicken. I followed the recipe exactly up to the point where i needed to keep cooking so much longer. .
Hi Toni,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear this took longer than expected. I personally wouldn’t bake chicken breast for an hour, that might dry it out. Let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xx
Made this tonight. I was glad to have read the reviews. Based on those (and some personal preferences), here’s what I did: I used 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. I browned/crisped the chicken, skin side down, in a large enamel cast iron braiser and then put them aside. I then got to work caramelizing those onions – in the braiser, I softened the onions in butter for about 10 minutes, added some salt, then the 1/2 cup apple cider, then let them cook slowly over medium heat for about 45 minutes. When they were a deep golden color, I added the mushrooms, garlic, herbs, wine, and apple cider. Nestled the chicken in the pot then put in in the oven at 400F, uncovered, for about an hour. Took it out of the oven, removed the chicken, and put the mushroom/onion mixture back on the stovetop to thicken up a bit. I added a bit of corn starch slurry to help it thicken. After about 10 minutes, while my garlic bread was in the oven, I placed the chicken back in the pot for serving. The color of the finished dish was nice and dark, the cider and caramelized onions gave it a nice bit of sweetness, and the skin remained crispy the whole time. Definitely a keeper!
Hey Elizabeth,
Happy Tuesday!! Thanks a lot for making this dish and sharing your feedback! I’m so glad you were able to make some adjustments that worked well for you:) So glad the recipe was enjoyed! xT
This was really good! My store didn’t have regular cider so I used hard cider and it worked well. I added some sliced apples to caramelize with the onions which added some extra sweetness. I will say it takes much longer than 8-10 minutes to properly caramelize onions and I was stirring them low and slow for about 35 minutes to get a decent golden brown color and even then they could have used more time. Still – the flavors here were cozy and lovely!
Hey Rachel,
Awesome! So glad to hear this recipe turned out tasty for you, thanks so much for making it! Sorry this took longer than expected! xT
I am surprised to see so many comments saying this dish lacked flavour, or didnt turn out!
I made it with apple juice – apple cider proved difficult to find where I am – and it was incredible. I served it with mashed potato and parsnips and roasted broccoli.
It came together quickly which makes it perfect for a weekday dinner but its delicious and impressive enough to serve for a dinner party!
Hey Maclean,
I am delighted to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for trying it out! xx
I was so ready to love this recipe! but found it lacking A LOT of flavour. Would not make again.
Hi Michelle,
So sorry to hear you did not enjoy the recipe, please let me know if there is anything that I can do to help! xx
I would not recommend doing the crockpot version of this. The onions don’t carmelized at all and it was basically just a flavorless pot of onions and chicken. I was so disappointed because I love HBH recipes and was really looking forward to this
Hi Heather,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! xT
Can angry orchard hard cider be used instead of apple cider?
Hey Dan,
Sure, that would probably be a yummy option for you! Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Hard cider worked well and we absolutely loved the dish! Definitely will be making it again soon.
Awesome, so glad to hear this!! Thanks Dan!!
This was so good! I read the comments about the sauce being too thin before I made it, so I cut back on the apple cider a bit (1/4 cup with the onions and only 1 cup after) I did make a bit of a slurry to add to the sauce before I put in the oven. And I browned the chicken on both sides (I used thin sliced boneless skinless breasts) I served it with the 5 ingredient beer bread (def make this bread! so easy and so so very good!) I will definitely make this again – a great fall recipe!
Hi Regina! Did you adjust the cooking time since you used thinly sliced chicken? I’m a much bigger fan of the thin sliced but have never known how to adjust the cook time. TIA!!
Hey Regina,
Wonderful!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and truly appreciate you making it! Have a great weekend! 🍁🍂