Chicken Fricassee with Apples
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With its blend of sweet apples and savory chicken, this fricassee is just what you need for a comforting fall dinner.
Halfway between a sauté and a stew, chicken fricassee is a classic French dish of golden sautéed chicken in a creamy sauce. This updated version with apples, adapted from Cook’s Country, is perfect for fall. The sauce is made with equal parts chicken stock, apple cider and cream, giving the dish a savory yet fruity complexity, while a splash of cider vinegar at the end adds brightness. The sautéed apples add tart-sweet flavor and also make the dish feel a little fancy. Serve with a simple green vegetable, like roasted Brussels sprouts, along with rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes. This would also be lovely with a glass of dry white wine.
Table of Contents
“This was delicious! Super simple and straightforward. I’ve already made it twice this week.”
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Fricassee With Apples
- Chicken Breasts or Tenderloins: I recommend using two large chicken breasts and slicing them in half horizontally, which makes four nice portions that cook quickly in one batch. Avoid the pre-sliced chicken breasts sold at the supermarket; they are too thin. If you don’t want to bother with slicing the chicken breasts yourself, chicken tenderloins are a great alternative.
- All-Purpose Flour: Coats the chicken, helping to brown it and slightly thicken the sauce.
- Butter: Adds richness to the dish, helping to sauté the apples and chicken.
- Vegetable Oil: Combines with butter for sautéing, preventing the chicken from burning and ensuring even cooking.
- Apples: Add a sweet, tart flavor that complements the savory chicken and creamy sauce.
- Yellow Onion: Adds depth of flavor and sweetness to the sauce as it cooks.
- Fresh Thyme: Brings an earthy, aromatic note that enhances the overall flavor profile.
- Apple Cider: Adds sweetness and acidity, contributing to the sauce’s complexity.
- Chicken Broth: Adds savory depth and richness to the sauce.
- Heavy Cream: Provides a creamy, luxurious texture to the sauce, balancing the sweetness of the apples.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Adds a tangy brightness that cuts through the richness of the cream mixture.
- Fresh Chives: Offer a mild onion flavor and a fresh, vibrant finish to the dish.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally to form four flat fillets. (Skip this step if using chicken tenderloins; instead, using the palm of your hand, gently flatten the tenderloins so that they are an even 1/2-inch thickness.)
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season all over with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Spread the flour in a shallow dish. Dredge the chicken in the flour to coat, shaking to remove excess; transfer to a plate and set aside.
Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch large skillet (nonstick) over medium-high heat. Add the apples to the pan and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Cook the apples, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a second plate; set aside.
Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter with the remaining tablespoon oil in the now-empty skillet over medium-high heat and add the chicken.
Cook until lightly browned but not quite cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Set the partially cooked chicken on another plate and set aside.
Add the onion, thyme, a heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to now-empty skillet.
Cook over medium heat until the onion is softened and browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir periodically with a wooden spoon.
Add the cider and broth to the skillet, increase the heat to high, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook, uncovered, until the liquid is reduced by approximately half, about 5 minutes.
Add the cream and bring to a boil.
Cook until sauce has thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the chicken and any accumulated juices back to the skillet, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in the vinegar and apples. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
Spoon the sauce and apples over the chicken, sprinkle with the chives, and serve.
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Chicken Fricassee with Apples
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 large), or chicken tenderloins (see note)
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Gala apples, cored and cut into ¼-inch (6-mm) thick slices (do not peel)
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme (or ¾ teaspoon dried)
- ¾ cup apple cider
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally to form four flat fillets. (Skip this step if using chicken tenderloins; instead, using the palm of your hand, gently flatten the tenderloins so that they are an even ½-inch/1-cm thickness.)
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season all over with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Spread the flour in a shallow dish. Dredge the chicken in the flour to coat, shaking to remove excess; transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch (30-cm) nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples to the pan and season with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook the apples, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a second plate; set aside.
- Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter with the remaining tablespoon oil in the now-empty skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned but not quite cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Set the partially cooked chicken on another plate and set aside.
- Add the onion, thyme, a heaping ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper to now-empty skillet and cook over medium heat until the onion is softened and browned, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the cider and broth to the skillet, increase the heat to high, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook, uncovered, until the liquid is reduced by approximately half, about 5 minutes.
- Add the cream and bring to a boil. Cook until sauce has thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices back to the skillet, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir in the vinegar and apples. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Spoon the sauce and apples over the chicken, sprinkle with the chives, and serve.
- I buy two large chicken breasts and slice them in half horizontally, which makes four nice portions that cook quickly in one batch. I don't recommend using the pre-sliced chicken breasts sold at the supermarket – they are typically very thin, which means you'd need more of them to get 1½ pounds (680 g), and you'd have to cook the chicken in two batches. If you don't want to bother with slicing the chicken breasts yourself, chicken tenderloins are a great alternative.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Comments
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Delicious tender chicken! I am not a fan of cooked fruit so probably won’t make this again, but the flavors were fabulous and the chicken/sauce was super tasty! I couldn’t find apple cider so had to sub in fresh apple juice.
I had a bit of trouble with this recipe. I didn’t cook the apples long enough — they didn’t get browned at all, only softened. And I think the chicken breasts were still too thick even after they were halved because I cooked them longer and they still felt underdone. Overall, my end result was really pale looking and nowhere near as tantalizing as the recipe photo. The texture of undercooked apple is oddly similar to that of undercooked chicken 🤪 so that was fun.
My mistakes aside, the flavors of this recipe are outstanding… like Michelin star good. I felt really proud of making this and I will definitely try this again and make sure to pay attention to the areas where I made mistakes the first time around.
Personal comment – sometimes it helps to read it through a few times, questioning, looking, and trying to not have to be in a hurry. (I am NOT saying that you were.)
I knew I wanted to add a 16 oz. pkg 1/4rd button+ mushrooms. (If they are simply sliced they seem to reduce to be too small, and not really visible. I also didn’t want to use too many onions or much thyme (tummy issues, plus I like the pureness without.) I ALSO do not cook with black pepper. I just do not like it. So I cook with Hungarian paprika instead. It also gives a lovely color. I figure that people can use pepper as they would like. Salt, however, is a chemical needed in cooking. I may go on the underside of the amount, but am generally careful. So, all of that together, it worked slick! Are you going to try it again?
Excellent, easy, and feels like a special meal. I’m always looking for easy recipes because the truth is, I’m tired of cooking but restaurants have become too expensive. Thanks for a recipe we all enjoyed that didn’t feel like a ton of work. I’ll definitely make this again.
I made this last night and we were wowed by the complexity of flavors. This one’s a keeper…just like all the other recipes I’ve made from your site!
Made this excellent dish for company, delicious
Thank you for. Great and inspiring site
What a fabulous dish this is. It’s become one of my favorites. Full of lovely flavor. I follow your recipe exactly. No tweaking and it’s perfect every time. I’ve sent this recipe to all my children, one here in the US, two in London England and one in Italy and they all love it. Brava Jenn
My son took his first bite and said “wow!” This was delicious – followed the recipe exactly as written and loved it! Definitely adding to our rotation.
Delicious!!! Substituted GF flour and coconut cream for the heavy cream. Sooo good. Can’t wait to make it again!
Just made this recipe tonight. It was excellent! I used Lactaid 2% milk and thickened it like you suggested with cornstarch and water. Very good and I had most of the ingredients on hand. Thanks for a great recipe!
This was a HUGE hit with my family done exactly as written. Such a winner; they are begging for it again. I’d love to do it again tonight but have bone-in chicken thighs – any recommendations for how to make that change? Longer searing at the onset and cooking in the sauce a bit longer until up to temp? Thanks for all of your amazing recipes!
Hi Jillian, So happy the family enjoyed it! I really think this recipe is best with chicken breasts but if you’d like to use bone-in thighs, as you said, the only thing that will change is the cooking time. I’d love to hear how they turn out!
Jillian,
Have you cooked this with thighs? Personally, I would use skin-on thighs (probably bone-in, too). I would coat them in a flour/salt/paprika covering, and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Skin side up. Then I would keep those warm and go from there…do you get what I mean? You can always cook the chicken completely in the oven, make the sauce separately (and I always use less onion, no black pepper (I don’t cook with it) (I use paprika, instead). So you have chicken. Noodles. Apple mushroom sauce. (Double the sauce – including apples and mushrooms!) Put each on the table separately – let people serve themselves. Leftovers get combined, too yummy!