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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.
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!
I recently cooked another recipe for braised boneless-skinless chicken thighs which was done entirely on top of the stove, and the braising part of the recipe took just 15-20 minutes. Apart from crispness that the oven may produce, is there any reason this shouldn’t work for your recipe as well? I would still saute/reduce the onions first and probably cut down on the liquids somewhat.
Hey Janet,
You could totally do this all on the stove top if that is what you like:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
So Good! I’m not a huge fan of mushrooms in general, and if I make it again, I will probably substitute them out for something different. I made this in my Creuset, and after sauteeing the chicken and veggies, I let it bake at 325 for 3 hours. It was perfect! I also served it over mashed potatoes (DELICIOUS!) I would definitely reccomend this.
Hey Katherine,
Awesome!! I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it! Hope you’re off to a great weekend! xT
This was delicious! Super easy and comforting on a rainy night.
Hey Kristen,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback! I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xx
Sounded like a good recipe. As I read the recipe…. I thought …. 2 cups of vinegar? That sounds like a lot. I didn’t want to stray from the recipe as it was my first time making it. Turns out I was correct…. Way toooo much vinegar! Definitely wouldn’t make it again?
Hi Sandy! Just FYI – I think the recipe is for the drink apple cider, not apple.cider vinegar! You may want to give it another shot!
Hi Sandy,
So sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy the recipe, but it doesn’t call for vinegar:) The recipe calls for apple cider, I am sure it didn’t taste great will all of that vinegar. Let me know if you give it another try! xTieghan
I saw a video on Instagram but I don’t see it here with the recipe. How do I find it?
Hi Cathy,
The videos you see on Instagram are on stories which only last 24 hours, unless you are looking and my profile and viewing the reels. We currently do not have a video saved for this recipe just yet! xx
This sounds amazing. Can you sub hard cider and would you then use stock instead of wine?
Hey Bill,
Hard cider will work and yes I would use stock instead of the wine. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
Another absolutely delicious HBH dinner ? Used a mix of mushrooms, served over garlic butter egg noddles. Loved every bite!!!
Hey Nikki,
Such a great idea to serve this over egg noodles! Thanks for giving the recipe a try! xT
The chicken and sauce was delish! Tieghen recommended pairing it with rice pilaf but that seems too strong for such a delicate dish. I considered polenta and mashed potatoes but ended up with rice with roasted garlic which was yummy. Maybe next time I will serve it on a bed of roasted carrots? That could be interesting. Anyway, great Fall dish!
Hey Tracey,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! Roasted carrots would be delicious:) ? xT
This looks delicious and I want to make it tonight. What type of thigh or breast do I use, boneless skinless or bone in skin on?
Hi Heidi,
For this recipe, I like to use boneless, skinless. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Friday!
I made this tonight with wild rice and the beer bread…guuuuurrrllll…let me TELL you! This is one of those “make you slap your Momma AND everyone she knows” type of dishes! We thoroughly enjoyed this one! Can’t wait to try the one with the short ribs!
Hey Nakisha,
Lol I love to hear this!! Thanks for making this dish and sharing with your family! So glad it was enjoyed:) xTieghan
Can’t wait to try! Would you use a spiced apple cider?
You bet! I hope you love the recipe, Allie!!
Thanks! Made it last night and it was delicious! Another great recipe!
So glad to hear this, Allie!!
I will start off by saying I typically do not eat or enjoy eating chicken. I do not have an oven safe skillet, so I used a regular skillet and transferred everything to a roasting pan. I did not use the broth/wine but used extra cider instead. I placed the chicken on top of the onions/mushrooms/herbs and poured the cider over top. The chicken came out falling apart and everything was so full of flavors that compliment each other well. I did go a little overboard with the herbs — probably doubled the amount. 10/10 will make again.
Hey Anna,
Amazing!! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xTieghan
First time I’ve been disappointed in an HBH recipe. Very sorry, Tieghan.?
In the photo the dish looked absolutely delicious and comforting.
Followed the directions to the letter, using dry white(very good Chardonnay—Cakebread Cellars).
Came out waaaay too sweet for our taste. Too many onions, in proportion to the amount of chicken and mushrooms.
Sauce did not thicken.
Unfortunately, looked nothing like the photo and the flavor disappointed.
On to the next recipe challenge with a PMA(positive mental attitude!!)!???
Hi Marice,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! Please let me know if I can help in any way! xT
Would cassava flour work instead of regular flour? Hubby is on AIP elimination right now.
Hi Laura,
I’ve not tested that, but I’m sure it would be just fine for you to use! I hope you love this dish, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
I haven’t made this yet but I am curious if you have tried this with a cider that has alcohol in it at all? I am curious how it would fair using a Semi Dry cider along with the wine. What are your thoughts?
Hey Heather,
I’ve not tested that, but I’m sure it would work well for you, if you can add some apple juice that would really help with the caramelizing of the onions! I hope you love the recipe! xx