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French Apple Cider Chicken

French apple cider chicken with pan-seared, skin-on chicken thighs braised in a glossy apple cider-cream sauce. Apples and shallots caramelize as the cider simmers, then cream and Dijon finish into a rich, savory glaze.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: French
Calories: 690
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken thighs
  • 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
  • 1 Salt and pepper to taste Use to season the chicken and finish the sauce.
Fruit and aromatics
  • 2 apples, cored and sliced
  • 3 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme
Sauce and seasonings
  • 1 cup hard apple cider or fresh apple cider
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sear the chicken
  1. Season the chicken well with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil and butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, then sear skin-side down for 6-8 minutes until golden.
  2. Flip the chicken and cook for 3 more minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan.
Caramelize apples and build flavor
  1. Sauté the shallots and apple slices in the pan over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes until golden.
  2. Add the garlic, fresh thyme, and dried rosemary and cook for 1 minute. Stir to coat the fruit and aromatics.
Braise in cider
  1. Deglaze with the apple cider and cook for 2 minutes, scraping up browned bits. Add the chicken broth and Dijon mustard.
  2. Return the chicken to the Dutch oven skin-side up. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
Finish the sauce
  1. Stir in the heavy cream and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce looks glossy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

Pro tip: For the best sauce texture, keep the cider simmer gentle once you add the chicken back—this helps the sauce thicken without separating. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days. Freeze chicken and sauce up to 2 months; reheat gently on the stovetop. For a lighter option, swap the heavy cream for half-and-half (sauce may be slightly thinner—simmer 2-3 extra minutes).