Cider-Braised Chicken Thighs With Apples and Greens

By Lidey Heuck

Published November 14, 2019

  • Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
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Total Time
50 minutes
Rating
4(1,919)
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In this hearty one-pot dinner, chicken thighs are browned, then braised in chicken broth flavored with mustard, sage, garlic and a triple dose of apple: apple cider, cider vinegar and apple slices. The addition of a few handfuls of greens makes this a complete meal, in need of nothing else but a nice of hunk of bread to soak up the broth and perhaps a glass of dry white wine.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 1 ½ to 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 4 to 6)

  • Kosher salt and black pepper

  • 2 tablespoons canola or grapeseed oil

  • 1 cup thinly sliced shallots (2 to 3 medium shallots)

  • 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh sage leaves

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

  • ¾ cup fresh apple cider

  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, plus more to taste

  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

  • ¾ to 1 cup chicken broth, preferably low-sodium

  • 1 bunch curly kale (10 to 12 ounces), stemmed, leaves torn into bite-size pieces

  • 1 crisp red apple, such as Fuji, cored and thinly sliced

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

30 grams carbs; 196 milligrams cholesterol; 652 calories; 16 grams monosaturated fat; 12 grams polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 43 grams fat; 8 grams fiber; 1150 milligrams sodium; 39 grams protein; 15 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Pat the chicken thighs dry and season generously with salt and pepper.

  2. Step 2

    In a Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the oil over medium. Cook the chicken thighs skin-side down, undisturbed, until the skin is golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Flip and cook until lightly browned on the other side, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

  3. Step 3

    Pour off all but about 3 tablespoons of fat from the pot, turn the heat to medium-low, then add the shallots and sage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Be careful not to let the garlic burn.

  4. Step 4

    Add the cider, cider vinegar, mustard, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the cider has reduced slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot, skin-side up. Pour just enough broth around (not on!) the chicken to cover the sides of the thighs but not cover the skin on top.

  5. Step 5

    Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low. Partly cover and gently simmer until the thighs are cooked through and tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate or sheet pan (if you’d like to broil the chicken in the next step), raise the heat to medium, and add the kale and apple to the pot. Cook, tossing often, until all the kale is wilted, the apples are just softened and the liquid has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. While the greens cook, if you’d like to crisp the skin on the chicken, pop it under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes.

  6. Step 6

    Taste for seasoning, and stir in 1 or 2 more teaspoons cider vinegar to taste. Divide the chicken and kale mixture among shallow bowls; serve with crusty bread to mop up broth.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,919 user ratings
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Comments

Leslie Parsley

I'm with your hubby on this fad food of the 2018-2019s. I'm going to make this otherwise delicious sounding dish using spinach, mustard greens, or turnip greens. And, imvho, there's nothing preventing one from using leaks, broccoli (cut up in small pieces), peas, asparagus, or whatever green veggie appeals to you.

Jillybean

WHat could I use instead of kale. My husband doesn't even what to SEE the word kale!! ha ha

Willemsnd

Use red cabbage, not the same color but it goes very well with apples.

Meegan

I had no apple cider, so I subbed in apple sauce. It worked great. Don't be surprised if you need to extend the cooking time a bit.

laura simon

This is fabulous with Daring plant-based chicken strips instead of meat. Such a yummy vegan alternative …we’re having it for Thanksgiving! So much easier to cook with vegan chicken- just lightly sauté the chicken before adding.

Tina

Wow, is this tasty! The perfect fall dish. I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs because that is what I had. I also didn't have kale so I used spinach. Didn't have bread, so thinly sliced half moons of red potatoes and added them in ahead of the apple for some starch. My husband, who is a professional chef, loved it!

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