Skillet Chicken Thighs with Apple Cider Pan Sauce
Pan-seared chicken finished with a buttery apple cider and maple pan sauce! (Serves 4-5 depending on appetites and sides!)
Servings people
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs 6-8 thighs, depending on size. Avoid having them crowded in the pan.
- ½ cup cornstarch approximate. You'll just use this for light dredging.
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup apple cider (NOT vinegar) the cloudy fresh style
- 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
- 1 ½ teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary optional but recommended
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Pat chicken completely dry and sprinkle with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Gently pan seasoning in so it sticks. Tip: I think it's helpful to combine all the spices in a small bowl first and then sprinkle them evenly on both sides of chicken.
- Place cornstarch in a shallow dish. Gently dredge each chicken breast lightly in cornstarch. You don't need it completely covered, just a light dusting is great. Gently shake off excess.
- Heat a 12" skillet to medium heat. Add olive oil to hot skillet and swirl to coat pan. It's important that your pan is hot before you coat with oil. This will prevent sticking! Place chicken evenly spaced in pan and do not disturb or flip. Cook until chicken starts noticeably shrinking and you can see the cooked side creeping onto the top side of chicken, about 10-12 minutes. If chicken is cooking faster than this and getting too brown, turn down heat a little. The bottom side should be golden and browned before flipping. Tip: If your chicken is sticking, it's probably not ready to flip yet! Flip chicken thighs and cook remaining side until internal temperature reaches about 180℉. (If using chicken breast, cook until 165℉).
- Remove chicken and set on a plate, cover with foil to keep warm. In your same pan, add broth, apple cider, maple syrup, dijon, and mustard. Whisk/stir, scraping up the browned bits from your pan. Bring mixture to a low simmer and drop in the sprig of rosemary. Cook until sauce reduces by about ⅓-½. Sauce should thicken slightly. Turn heat to low and whisk in the butter until glossy.
- Return chicken to pan and flip a few times to cover in glaze. You can turn the heat back up and simmer for a minute if you'd like to continue thickening the sauce and warming the chicken. We love this served over rice or potatoes to soak up the extra sauce.
Notes
Note: This sauce is flexible! On the occasion that I simmer it too long and it reduced to much, I just add an extra glug of cider (or broth). If you want it thicker, mix a little cold broth or cider with a little cornstarch and add that in at the end, simmering to thicken.
Nutrition
Serving: 6ounces cooked chicken, Calories: 462kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 44g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 232mg, Sodium: 1362mg, Potassium: 643mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 235IU, Vitamin C: 0.4mg, Calcium: 44mg, Iron: 2mg
Calories: 462kcal
Cost: $15
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