Apple cider mingles with flavors of thyme and shallots to create this comforting chicken dinner that’s perfect for the High Holidays.
Recipe reprinted with permission from “Modern Jewish Cooking.”
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Apple Cider-Braised Chicken
Try this sweet and tender chicken recipe for Rosh Hashanah.
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 4-6
Ingredients
Units
- 4 lb (1.8 kg) skin-on chicken legs and thighs, trimmed of excess fat
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 3 firm, sweet apples, peeled, quartered, cored and cut into ½-inch wedges
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme + 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme
- 6 medium shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 cup (240 ml) apple cider
- ½ cup (120 ml) apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups (480 ml) chicken or vegetable broth
Instructions
- Sprinkle the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat 2 Tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan set over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the chicken pieces, flipping once, until browned on both sides, 8-10 minutes per batch. If the bottom of the pan begins to look dry, add a little more oil.
- Transfer the browned chicken pieces to a large baking dish and top with the apple wedges and thyme sprigs.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Lower the heat under the frying pan to medium and add the shallots. Season with a little salt cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped thyme and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the apple cider and the cider vinegar, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Raise heat to high, and cook until the liquid has reduced by half, 4-5 minutes.
- Stir in the broth and bring to a boil, then carefully pour the braising liquid over the chicken and apples. Cover the baking dish with foil and braise in the oven until the chicken is very tender, 45-55 minutes.
- Remove baking dish from the oven and transfer the chicken and apples to a serving platter.
- Transfer 1½ cups (360 ml) of the braising liquid to a medium saucepan set over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring often, until the liquid reduces by two-thirds, 10-15 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve warm.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Holidays
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Recipe does not say at what temperature to braise????
Thanks for flagging. The oven should be at 375°F. The recipe has been updated. Rachel at The Nosher.
can chicken breast be used and how should the recipe change
This recipe has not been tested using chicken breast so we cannot say.
Could this recipe be made using a hard apple cider?
Yes!
That sounds delicious!!
Does this freeze well?
Hi Robin, we haven’t tried freezing this dish. It should be fine, but the texture of the apples may be affected.
Hi, can I substitute the chicken thighs for chicken breasts?
Hi Herschel, we haven’t tested the recipe with chicken breasts so we can’t say for sure. It should work, but you will need to adjust the cooking times to ensure the breast does not dry out.
What type of apples do you suggest?
The recipe calls for firm, sweet apples. This handy guide can help break that down.
Do you have directions for cooking this in a microwave and a fried pan?
Hi Anne, I’m afraid we haven’t tested this recipe using a microwave then frying pan.