Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Tender pan-seared chicken is simmered in a rich apple cider cream sauce with just the right balance of sweet and savory. This is a one skillet dinner that manages to be both elegant and rustic at the same time.
How long it takes: 35 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: large skillet, small bowl, whisk
Servings: 4
Fall in A Skillet
Apple cider season is my favorite season. I’m making apple cider mules, apple cider mocktails, and apparently now I’m putting apple cider in my cream sauce, and honestly it might be the best use of all.
Apple cider gives the sauce subtle sweetness that makes this dish perfect for fall. But don’t worry, it’s not too sweet! The apple is balanced by the garlic, Dijon, and savory chicken.
What makes it special:
- Juicy, tender chicken: Thin chicken cutlets cook quickly and stay juicy in the sauce.
- One skillet for easy cleanup: The chicken and sauce cook in the same pan; the sauce flavors the chicken and the chicken flavors the sauce, and you have less to wash after dinner’s done.
- Ready in just over half an hour: Even though this dish has restaurant vibes, it comes together in about 35 minutes!
Ingredient Notes
You’ll find the full ingredient list in the recipe card, but here are some notes about what you’ll need.
- Chicken cutlets: If you can’t find cutlets at your grocery store, simply slice boneless skinless chicken breasts in half horizontally to make your own. It’s easy to do and more economical, too. The chicken cutlets are seasoned with pantry ingredients (garlic powder, dried thyme, salt and pepper).
- Olive oil and butter: The chicken is lightly browned in a blend of olive oil and butter. The oil prevents burning while the butter adds rich flavor.
- Apple cider: Sweet apple cider forms the base of the sauce. Be sure to use fresh apple cider, not apple cider vinegar, or hard cider which contains alcohol. If apple cider isn’t available, 100% apple juice makes a suitable substitute. (If you have leftover apple cider, try my apple cider muffins!)
- Heavy cream: Adding heavy cream gives the sauce a velvety creamy texture. Don’t skimp! You’ll find that the sauce tends to separate and doesn’t taste as rich if you use half & half or milk instead.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic adds savory depth to the cream sauce, keeping it from leaning too sweet.
- Dijon mustard: Adding just a teaspoon gives the sauce a subtle tang and balances the sweetness of the cider, but definitely won’t make your sauce taste like mustard.
- Fresh parsley: A sprinkle at the end adds a pop of color and freshness.
How to Make Chicken with Apple Cider Cream Sauce
Season the chicken. In a small bowl, stir together the salt, thyme, garlic powder, and black pepper. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season both sides with the spice mixture.
Sear until golden. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the chicken in a single layer. You should hear a nice sizzle when you add the chicken. Work in batches if necessary. Cook until the chicken is golden on both sides and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate while you make the sauce.
Build the sauce. Using the same skillet, add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, a minute or less. Pour in the apple cider and increase the heat slightly. Let it simmer until it has reduced by about half, then whisk in the Dijon mustard and additional dried thyme. Reduce the heat to medium-low and slowly stir in the heavy cream. Simmer gently for a few minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
Recipe Tip
Keep the cream at a gentle simmer. Boiling can cause cream sauces to separate, so don’t increase the heat above medium-low.
Finish the dish. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and let everything simmer together for another couple of minutes just until heated through. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.
Recipe Variations
- Add bacon. Cooked bacon would add a smoky, savory note to the sauce. To cook small batches of bacon to use for recipes like this, I always make air fryer bacon. Stir cooked bacon into the sauce at the end or garnish with it.
- Switch up the herbs. Garnish with minced sage, thyme, or rosemary instead of parsley for a different flavor. You can use fresh herbs instead of dried thyme to season the sauce, too.
Serving Suggestions
Mashed potatoes: Although there isn’t an excess of sauce, crockpot mashed potatoes are perfect for soaking up every bit. Try mashed red potatoes for a slightly more rustic version.
Sweet potatoes: If you want to complement the sweetness of the sauce, try this recipe with hasselback sweet potatoes. Oven roasted sweet potatoes are a little less fussy, and would go well, too. Sweet potatoes have a fall vibe that works well with the apple cider chicken.
Vegetable sides: Roasted carrots with thyme and nutmeg pair well with this recipe. German red cabbage or sautéed green cabbage would nicely complement the creamy apple cider sauce and chicken, too.
Desserts: Lean into the apple theme and serve a sweet finale like easy apple crisp with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream (made without an ice cream churn). Apple spice cake is another great idea, and the optional bourbon glaze is pretty amazing.
Refrigerate: Store leftover skillet chicken and apple cider cream sauce in an airtight container for up to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe because the sauce is likely to separate and get grainy since it’s made with heavy cream.
Reheat: Warm the chicken and sauce gently in a skillet over low heat or microwave individual portions in short intervals until heated through. If the sauce has thickened in the refrigerator, stir in a splash of cream or milk to loosen it.
More Skillet Recipes
Skillet Chicken with Apple Cider Cream Sauce
Ingredients
For Chicken:
- 1 ½ pounds chicken cutlets (or boneless skinless chicken breasts, see note)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
For Sauce:
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ cup apple cider (see important note)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- Before you begin this recipe, measure out ¾ cup heavy cream so it can warm up slightly. Set it aside.
- In a small bowl, combine salt, thyme, and garlic powder, and pepper. Pat chicken dry and season both sides with seasoning mixture.1 ½ pounds chicken cutlets, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken in a single layer (do it in batches if needed) and cook 5 to 7 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through (165°F). Cook time will depend on the thickness of your chicken. Transfer to a clean plate.1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- In the same pan (with remaining oil/butter still in pan), over medium heat, add garlic and cook 1 minute or until fragrant.3 cloves garlic
- Pour in apple cider. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer 3 to 5 minutes, allowing the cider to reduce by about one half.½ cup apple cider
- Whisk in Dijon mustard and thyme. Reduce heat to medium-low and slowly pour in heavy cream. Simmer gently (do not boil) for 3 to 5 minutes until slightly thickened.1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ¾ cup heavy cream
- Return chicken to the skillet and spoon sauce over the top. Lightly simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to warm through.
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Notes
- Chicken cutlets: If you can’t find chicken cutlets or want to save money, buy boneless skinless chicken breasts and cut them into cutlets yourself. Using a sharp knife, slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally, creating 2 equally-sized pieces. If the cutlets are a bit uneven or thicker than you’d like, flatten them with the heel of your hand or pound between two layers of plastic wrap.
- Apple cider: It’s important to choose the correct type of apple cider. Please don’t use apple cider vinegar! If you can’t find apple cider (sometimes it’s hard to find if it’s not fall), use a natural 100% apple juice. Some apple ciders are “hard”, meaning that they contain alcohol; they won’t work for this recipe either.
- Variations: Add crumbled cooked bacon to the sauce for another layer of flavor. You can substitute different herbs for the dried thyme, like dried sage or crushed rosemary. Fresh herbs can be substituted, if you like.
- Storage: Leftovers skillet can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe. To reheat, warm the chicken and sauce gently in a skillet over low heat or microwave individual portions in short intervals until heated through. Try not to overheat it.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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