I give you honey apple braised chicken! Confession time, I actually started making this dish last year and it’s taken me that long to share it with you so for that, I apologize! I think the name of the dish says it all so we can just get right into it.
The chicken that I used was brined overnight however, I have been known to only have a short amount of time to get dinner on the table and have brined for only 30-45 minutes and the dish has been just as tasty. Start by seasoning your brined chicken with salt and pepper.
While your chicken is being brined or before you start to sear your chicken, slice apples thin, chop your onion and measure out your honey and your stock. This will make things go more quickly in the kitchen while you’re trying to get the dish started. Braising time is about one hour.
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid. Over medium heat sear both sides of your chicken, remove from the pot and set aside.
If your pan is dry after searing your chicken, go ahead and add another teaspoon or so of olive oil and one tablespoon of butter. Toss your onions into the pot and season with salt and pepper. Let them warm through until semi-translucent (about five to ten minutes).
Let’s get the flavor going
Once onions start to cook, add in one cup of chicken stock to deglaze the pan. Stir the onions and stock and make sure you get all the brown bits off the bottom. They are like little nuggets of flavor you don’t want to miss out on. Add the honey, cover and let simmer for five minutes.
Once you have simmered the onions, honey, and stock, get the apples in there and stir to coat. Let those cook for about three to five minutes, or until they are softened.
Once your apples have softened, place your chicken on top of the apples and cover. Pour in at least one cup of chicken stock and cover.
If one cup of stock does not cover your chicken, add in more until it is somewhat like what you see in the photo below.
Cover with a tight-fitting lid and let your Honey Apple Braised chicken work its magic for at least an hour or until the internal temperature of the chicken breast reads 165 degrees on a meat thermometer.
After your chicken is done, plate and serve! This honey apple braised chicken is absolutely delish garnished with fresh parsley or cilantro and served with steamed broccoli or rice.
Another delicious side would be cauliflower. Try our One-Pan Velvety Roasted Cauliflower with this chicken. Whole roasted in brown butter….mouth watering.
Honey Apple Braised Chicken
Ingredients
4 Chicken Breasts brined for atleast 45 minutes
2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
2 cups chicken stock or beef
1 whole Large onion sliced into rings
3 whole tart apples sliced into rings
4 tablespoons raw honey divided
2 tablespoons butter
Kosher salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
Heat a large pot with a tight-fitting lid with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
Salt and pepper your brined chicken to your liking.
Once olive oil has come to temperature, begin by browning chicken breasts on both sides. Once breasts are browned, remove from pot and set aside on a plate loosely covered with foil.
Add in onion rings and additional olive oil if the pan is dry. Cook onions for 5 to 10 minutes until translucent.
Add 1 cup of your stock to the pan to deglaze and warm through, about 1 minute. Add in honey, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add in apple slices and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until apples are slightly softened.
Place your reserved chicken breasts into the pan on top of the apple and onion mixture. Pour in the last 1 cup of stock. If the stock does not come up to the halfway point of the chicken add more if needed.
Cover and braise chicken for 1 hour or until the internal temperature of the chicken reads 165 degrees on a meat thermometer.