Go Back

Cider Braised Chicken With Caramelized Onions

Cider braised chicken with caramelized onions: golden skin-on thighs simmered in an apple cider pan sauce until juicy and tender. Finished with glossy onions, thyme, and a slightly thickened cider Dijon glaze.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: French-American
Calories: 640
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and aromatics
  • 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
  • 3 large onions thinly sliced
  • 2 apples peeled and sliced
  • 4 garlic minced
  • 1.5 cup hard or fresh apple cider
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sear the chicken
  1. Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, then place chicken thighs skin-side down. Sear for 7-8 minutes until the skin is golden and crisp, using the surface to develop color (visual cue: browned skin).
  2. Flip the chicken and sear for 3 minutes on the other side. Remove the thighs to a plate (visual cue: browned edges).
Caramelize the onions
  1. Reduce heat to medium-low, then add the sliced onions to the same pan with any remaining fat. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply caramelized and dark golden (visual cue: onions look jammy and caramel-brown).
  2. Add minced garlic and fresh thyme and cook for 1 minute. Stir until fragrant (visual cue: aromatic, light browning at edges).
Build the cider sauce
  1. Add the sliced apples and cook for 2 minutes. Stir so they begin to soften (visual cue: apples look slightly glossy and softened).
  2. Pour in apple cider to deglaze, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add chicken broth, Dijon mustard, and apple cider vinegar, then stir until smooth (visual cue: sauce turns evenly colored).
Braised chicken
  1. Return chicken thighs to the pan skin-side up and spoon some sauce over the top. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes until cooked through (visual cue: internal juices run clear and thighs feel tender).
  2. Uncover and rest the chicken for 5 minutes so the sauce thickens slightly. Serve warm with the cider pan sauce and caramelized onions (visual cue: sauce clings to the spoon).

Notes

Pro tip: keep heat at medium-low while caramelizing onions so they turn deeply brown without burning. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days; reheat gently in a covered pot or microwave until hot throughout. Freezing is not recommended because cider-thickened sauce can separate when thawed. For a lower-sodium option, use low-sodium chicken broth and reduce added salt to taste.