This baked apple and chicken recipe uses a delicious honey Dijon sauce to enhance the sweetness of the fruit. It’s an easy gluten-free chicken thigh dinner, or something you can double for a larger holiday gathering (it’s also dairy-free and Kosher for Rosh Hashanah!).
My husband and I butt heads constantly when it comes to planning travel. I am partial to Airbnb’s or rentals that involve a kitchen. He is a sucker for the creature comforts of a hotel. We usually compromise, and such was the case on our trip a few years ago to Normandy. This meant plenty of delicious meals at restaurants, but it also meant when we sampled the local calvados and apples, I was able to turn our purchases into the most amazing baked chicken and apple recipe once I had an oven at my disposal.
The baked chicken I created that night was laced with a honey Dijon sauce that was kicked up with local apple juice and brandy, along with a few healthy dollops of crème de Normandie (what we know as crème fraiche!) for good measure.
Baked Apple and Chicken Ingredients
I’ve adapted this version to be gluten-free and dairy-free, should you want to omit the crème fraiche, and since they are about to be in season, I added whole apples to the chicken. This allows you to skip the apple brandy while still getting that robust apple flavor. The honey mustard chicken sauce is also enhanced by apple cider or juice.
For the mutual floral sweetness, apples and honey are a match made in heaven even if you aren’t observing the Jewish high holidays. But for those who are familiar, the signature culinary pairing of Rosh Hashanah is apples and honey, a good taste omen for the sweet, joyful new year to come. This apple and honey cake is another perfect accompaniment if you’re doubling down on the theme.
How to Make Baked Honey Mustard Chicken with Apples
Since this baked honey mustard chicken recipe was inspired by my trip to France, it uses shallots and leeks. The alliums are essential for offsetting the apples in this sweet and savory dinner. If you’re not familiar with leeks (and don’t want to be!), a small sliced onion will also work or you can omit them. Likewise, white wine is an easy substitute for the apple brandy.
They key to any slightly upscale version of a honey mustard sauce is to use a good quality Dijon, which adds a sinus-opening pepperiness to cut the sweet notes. If you wanted to streamline things, you can easily use a store-bought honey mustard. But I have yet to find one I like as much as the honey Dijon sauces I make at home. Plus, making your own allows you to be modest with the honey and allow the apples to do some of the heavy lifting in the sweetness department.
Throwing a bunch of chicken thighs in a baking dish to braise in the oven is one of my favorite hands-off techniques for entertaining. It’s a similar strategy I use in this Provencal Chicken Thigh recipe. Check out the archive for more gluten-free chicken recipes.
Read on for this baked honey mustard chicken and apples recipe. Make it for your next family gathering or just as an excuse to add a little sweetness to your dinner table.
With health and hedonism,
Phoebe
Baked Honey Mustard Chicken and Apples
Servings 6
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Olive oil
- Sea salt
- 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and/or chicken breasts
- 2 shallots quartered
- 2 medium semi-sweet apples Honey Crisp, Pink Lady or Gala, cored and sliced
- 2 leeks white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup apple cider or juice
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 1/4 cup calvados apple brandy or white wine
- 1/4 cup creme fraiche sour cream, or dairy-free yogurt (optional)
Instructions
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In a large bowl, mix together the mustard, vinegar, honey, 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon sea salt. Add the chicken and toss to coat in the marinade. Transfer to the refrigerator and let sit overnight (or at least 1 hour).
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
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Scatter the shallots, apples, and leeks in the bottom of a large (9×13) casserole or baking dish. Season the casserole contents lightly with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade and arrange on top of the apples, pulling a few of the apples and shallots to the surface so they peak through the gaps between the chicken.
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To the marinade, add the apple cider or juice, chicken stock, brandy or wine, and crème fraiche or dairy-free alternative (if using). Whisk until everything is well combined. Pour the sauce around the chicken and apples.
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Bake the chicken and apples for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the chicken thigh skin is lightly browned, the apples are caramelized, and the sauce is bubbling.
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Serve the apples and chicken dish either directly from the pan or on a platter with the juices in a sauceboat on the side. The whole recipe can be made 2 days in advance and reheated in the casserole dish before serving.
If you make this, tag @phoebelapine and #feedmephoebe – I’d love to see it!
