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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.
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!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Follow the recipe exactly, and it was absolutely delicious!! I definitely wouldn’t mind including this in my weekly rotation. It’s perfect for fall! My only question is, do you have any suggestions for a very watery sauce? I know the sauce isn’t supposed to be thick like gravy, but mine was very watery. If this is normal, then this is okay! But it looks like there is some thickness in your photo.
Hey there,
I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for making it:) To thicken the sauce try turning your heat up slightly or just allowing it to simmer longer. I hope this helps! xx
Thanks so much!
– I’manee (pronounced like the clothing brand Armani but with the letter “e” sound instead of “ar” 🙂
I made this today BUT ultimately threw everything into my pressure cooker (seared the chicken in a pan, removed, then cooked the onions and everything else in the pot) and cooked the chicken with all the other ingredients on high pressure for 20 minutes, still came out lovely albeit the tiniest bit more soupy but was very comforting, when I have more time or invest in a crockpot I am sure it will be even better!
Hey Lara,
Fantastic! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was tasty for you, thanks for making it and sharing your review:) xx
So delicious and easy! A perfect fall dish and will definitely make again. I made with your beer bread (10/10).
As always, thank you for sharing your craft with us. You have helped me enjoy making dinner for the family.
Hey Amanda,
Fantastic! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was tasty for you, thanks for making it and sharing your review:) xx
This was such a delicious fall meal. Wonderful flavor for show simple and easy it was to assemble. I added shredded kale at the end and cauliflower gnochi which only added to the deliciousness! Even my 3 year old ate it up! Win win!
Hi Suzanne,
Amazing!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for trying it out! xx
We were very excited to try this as it looked awesome, but seemed like it was missing something. My husband is a great cook and followed the recipe exactly, but we were hoping for a little more flavor.
Hi Lexi,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. Please let me know if there is anything I can help with! xx
I would love to purchase one of your cookbooks. Could you let me know which has the most braised recipes.
thanks
Hi Joe,
Thanks so much!! All 3 of the cookbooks have a wide variety of recipes, none of them focus on braising. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made this last night for dinner and it was very yummy. Because of the lack of ingredients available in my area I had to make a few substitutions.
1. I used a whole chicken with skin on that I quartered.
2. Used apple juice
3. Used dry thyme and sage
I cooked the chicken exactly as directed and it turned out great with bones and skin. I am sure the cider would have made a better more intense flavor, but the apple juice was fine. I used half the amount of herbs called for and it was perfect for my taste.
The only thing that I will do differently next time is once the chicken is done cooking, I will take it out of the pan to rest, and put the sauce mixture back in to reduce for more intense flavor.
Hey Cora,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am thrilled to hear that it was a winner! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! xTieghan
Looks exceptional!! Going to make this tonight. I love your fall recipes!!! 🙂
Thanks so much Julie!! I hope you love the recipe!! xx
Made this last night and it was delicious! I did add some oil to the pan to sear the chicken. I also added the wine first and boiled it off a bit before adding the cider. I too used my dutch oven and put it in the oven at 325, without the lid, for 2 hours. Ended up pulling the yummies out at the end and reducing the liquid to get the outstanding sauce. Wonder if it would have reduced better if I’d used a large skillet instead as you mention in the recipe. Regardless this is keeper!!
Although I’ve tried quite a few of your recipes this is my first review. Felt I had to comment as everything I’ve tried has been so tasty. I’ve come to look forward to the weekly meal plan hitting my in box on Sunday!
Hey Susanne,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am thrilled to hear that it was a winner! Thanks for trying so many recipes and your kind message? xTieghan
I made this last night. It was very good, but the sauce was not thick like it is in the picture, which looked delicious. After I put everything back in the pan (I did use a dutch oven), I put the lid on it and put it in the oven at 325 for 2 hours. I think it would have been better to keep it on the stovetop without a lid and let the liquid boil out a little and then put it in the oven. My family really enjoyed it, I gave it 3 stars because I was looking forward to that rich gravy, which didn’t happen. I would definitely try it again.
Hi Sally,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try and sharing your feedback. You didn’t really follow the instructions, so this is probably why the sauce turned out the way it did:) The sauce is not meant to be a rich gravy, you can refer to the photos above.
This sounds delicious. I want to make it for company this weekend. Is it made with bone-in chicken or boneless?
Hi Mary,
For this recipe, I used boneless chicken! I hope you love the dish! xxT
Is the chicken seared in a dry pan or is there supposed to be a little oil in the pan?
Hi Alaina,
You can add some oil into the pan:) I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Made this tonight and it was delicious! A simple and quick meal to throw together. I halved the recipe but wish I hadn’t…will be making again soon!
Hi Dolores,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! I am so glad it was enjoyed! xT
This was so easy and Yummy! Will definitely be saving this one. I added asparagus instead of mushrooms (since it’s what I had in the house) and loved it!
I would love to make this but apple cider isn’t readily available where I am, any thoughts on a good substitute?
Hey Rachel,
Apple juice will work for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this dish! xTieghan
Hey Megan,
Happy Tuesday! Thanks a bunch for trying this dish, I love to hear that it was a winner! xTieghan
Made this recipe with pork and wild mushrooms! So yummy? Thanks for being my go to… whenever I stuck on what to make I look to you and am never disappointed!
Hey Gretchen,
Thanks so much for your kind message and making so many recipes!! I love to hear that this was enjoyed:) xx
Would apple cider vinegar work as a substitute?
Definitely not:) Stick with the apple cider!