Sticky Apple Cider Chicken (Print Version)

Tender chicken thighs glazed in sweet, tangy apple cider sauce with honey, mustard, and cinnamon.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
02 - 1 tsp salt
03 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
04 - 1 tbsp olive oil

→ Sauce

05 - 1 cup apple cider
06 - 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
07 - 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
08 - 2 tbsp honey
09 - 2 tbsp brown sugar
10 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
11 - 1/2 tsp dried thyme
12 - 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
13 - 1 tbsp unsalted butter

→ Garnish

14 - 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

# How To Make:

01 - Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt and black pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs and sear for 3–4 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove chicken and set aside on a plate.
03 - In the same skillet, add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn.
04 - Pour in apple cider, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, brown sugar, thyme, and cinnamon. Stir well to combine and bring to a simmer.
05 - Return the chicken to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, turning chicken halfway through cooking.
06 - Uncover and increase heat to medium-high. Cook for an additional 7–10 minutes, spooning sauce over chicken frequently, until sauce thickens and becomes sticky.
07 - Stir in butter until melted and sauce becomes glossy.
08 - Remove from heat. Garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce reduces into this gorgeous sticky glaze that coats every bite of chicken
  • Its one of those meals that looks impressive but comes together in under an hour
  • The combination of sweet apple cider and tangy Dijon creates layers of flavor
02 -
  • The sauce will look thin at first but thickens dramatically during that final high heat reduction
  • Don't skip the searing step, those brown bits are flavor gold for the sauce
  • If the sauce reduces too quickly, add a splash more cider to prevent burning
03 -
  • Use a light colored pan so you can see when the sauce has reduced enough
  • Pat the chicken really dry before searing for better browning
  • Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving to redistribute juices

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