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Cast Iron Apple Cider Chicken and Figs

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Crispy seared chicken thighs, figs, and shallots baked in a herbaceous dijon honey apple cider and topped off with creamy goat cheese and a balsamic glaze: this Cast Iron Apple Cider Chicken and Figs is the easiest, warming meal.

Crispy seared chicken thighs, figs, and shallots baked in a herbaceous dijon honey apple cider and topped off with creamy goat cheese and a balsamic glaze: this Cast Iron Apple Cider Chicken and Figs is the easiest, warming meal.

Jump to Recipe

Fall is among us, and I couldn’t be more ready! As much as I love summer, I live for the good flavors of the fall and the smell of crisp leaves… seriously gives me so much serotonin. For as long as I can remember, apple cider has been my go-to fall drink. I’m not crazy into funky coffee drinks like pumpkin spice lattes or chai teas, but I also sometimes want something a bit different than my classic black coffee. So, at least for the month of October, you can count on me to order a warm apple cider at just about any coffee shop or fall festival. This Cast Iron Apple Cider Chicken and Figs truly encompasses all those cozy flavors of my favorite drink, but with a bit of a modern twist. You have to try this one out!

the breakdown…

This Cast Iron Apple Cider Chicken and Figs starts off by prepping the apple cider braising liquids. I love this recipe because it starts off on the stove to give the chicken a crisp outside and a par-cook, but it also goes in with tons of juicy flavor with this apple cider situation. No matter how naturally juicy chicken thighs may be, you always need to add more juices to make everything more herbaceous and tender. Always. 

With some sweetness from the apple cider and the tartness from just a bit of apple cider vinegar, this mixture is perfectly balanced. Moreover, you’ve got the sweet honey and spicy dijon and red pepper flakes for some more contrast (don’t worry, though, it’s not a spicy dish). Lastly, you’ve got to mix in tons of dried herbs. Sage, rosemary, and thyme remind me so much of fall, and pair wonderfully with the apple cider flavors. You could also go in with some dried oregano, but, really, just don’t skip the herbs… they bring so much flavor into everything!!

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time to get cooking!

Once your braising juices are good to go it’s time to get started with the cooking process. Start off by heating some olive oil a cast iron skillet until it’s super hot!! This is key to success. If you are apprehensive as to whether your oil is hot enough, simply flick a little bit of water into the pan. If the water sizzles aggressively, your skillet is good to go! If not, wait another minute or two to heat everything up. You just want your oil to be hot enough to get a good sear on the skin of your chicken thighs. With a little salt and pepper and a few minutes (without moving them around) on the stove, your chicken should be perfect!

After flipping that chicken, go ahead and go in with the shallots and figs. I love a good caramelized shallot with this Cast Iron Apple Cider Chicken and Figs, but you could also use a red or sweet onion. Likewise, you could substitute the figs for apples, peaches, pears, grapes, or prunes. While these would all change the course of the dish a bit, they would still be equally as delicious. Next, pour the apple cider mixture over top everything to give everything tons of moisture and flavor and send everything to the oven!

Crispy seared chicken thighs, figs, and shallots baked in a herbaceous dijon honey apple cider and topped off with creamy goat cheese and a balsamic glaze: this Cast Iron Apple Cider Chicken and Figs is the easiest, warming meal.

all about the bubbles…

Once your chicken is cooked through (or reads 165 on a meat thermometer), you should be good to go! The liquids should be bubbling and the figs and shallots should be caramelized. Oh, and, the house should smell amaaaazing… that’s essential. To finish everything off, go in with some fresh crumbled goat cheese, some balsamic glaze, and fresh herbs. You could make your own balsamic glaze, but, honestly, I always buy mine from the store. If you look for minimal ingredients, you can almost always find a good quality glaze at your average grocery. This step is delicious, though, so don’t skip its!

how to serve it up…

This Cast Iron Apple Cider Chicken and Figs is the ultimate dinner. Whether you serve it up as is, or serve it over Creamy Mashed Cauliflower, mashed potatoes, risotto, brown rice, couscous, or orzo, it’s sure to be delicious. Better yet? This dish is extremely versatile. Throw in all of your favorite veggies and top it off with your fav herbs and you’re good to go. I love adding roasted Delicata squash into the mix when it’s in season. Plus, this dish is definitely impressive enough to serve for guests, but also homey enough to whip up on a weeknight!

However you serve this Cast Iron Apple Cider Chicken and Figs up, I hope you love it as much as I do! Let me know what you think in the comments below:))

Cast Iron Apple Cider Chicken and Figs

Recipe by Annie PatrickCourse: Main Course, Lunch, DinnerCuisine: Fall, AutumnDifficulty: Easy
Servings

5

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

25

minutes
Total time

30

minutes

Crispy seared chicken thighs, figs, and shallots baked in a herbaceous dijon honey apple cider and topped off with creamy goat cheese and a balsamic glaze: this Cast Iron Apple Cider Chicken and Figs is the easiest, warming meal.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup apple cider

  • ¼ cup water

  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard

  • ½ tsp dried sage

  • 1 tsp dried rosemary

  • 1 tsp dried thyme

  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes

  • Salt and pepper, to taste

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (6-7 thighs)

  • 8-10 fresh figs OR 14-16 dried figs, halved

  • 2 large shallots, widely diced

  • ½ cup goat cheese, crumbled

  • Balsamic glaze, to drizzle

  • Fresh sage, oregano, thyme, or baby arugula, to garnish

  • Serving suggestions: Creamy Mashed Cauliflower, mashed potatoes, risotto, brown rice, couscous, or orzo

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk the apple cider, water, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, dijon, sage, rosemary, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
  • In a large cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil on the stovetop over medium high heat. Season the chicken thighs with more salt and pepper. Once hot, place the chicken into the skillet. Cook without moving for 2-3 minutes on each side, pressing down with a spatula to get optimal crisp.
  • Toss the figs and shallots into the skillet and pour the apple cider mixture over everything. Bring the liquids to a boil, then remove the skillet from the stovetop. Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until cooked through and golden.
  • Remove the skillet from the oven and top with goat cheese crumbles, a drizzle of the balsamic glaze, and some of the fresh herbs. Serve warm and enjoy!

Notes

  • You could also use chicken breasts for this recipe with similar oven time. If you choose to use skin-on bone-in chicken thighs, however, you will need to sear your thighs for 5-6 minutes, then transfer to the oven for 20-22 minutes instead.
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