One Pan Chicken with Apples
One Pan Chicken with Apples is an easy and rustic dinner option made with healthy vegetables and apples. This dish is the quintessential fall recipe!
One Pan Chicken with Apples is an easy and rustic dinner option made with healthy vegetables and apples. This dish is the quintessential fall recipe!
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- 1 pound chicken breast diced (boneless, skinless )
- 1 teaspoon salt (divided)
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon (chopped)
- 1 medium sweet potato (peeled and diced into 1/2 inch piec
- 1 medium white onion (chopped)
- 2 granny smith apples (cored and diced)
- 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 1 cup chicken stock (divided)
- Carbohydrate 7.8209475 g
- Cholesterol 48.3831861333333 mg
- Fat 7.97779028774122 g
- Fiber 3.158641553243 g
- Protein 18.9435727741667 g
- Saturated Fat 2.13466659036664 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (190g)
- Sodium 84.6679071833382 mg
- Sugar 4.662305946757 g
- Trans Fat 0.9466198661732 g
- Calories 174 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat the olive oil in a large, nonstick pan over medium high heat, until hot and shimmering.
- Add the diced chicken, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper.
- Cook until lightly brown and cooked through.
- Transfer chicken to a plated lined with paper towels.
- Reduce the pan heat to medium low.
- Add chopped bacon and cook until crisp and brown.
- Resevere 1 1/2 tablespoons of bacon fat.
- Transfer bacon to the plate that the chicken is on using a slotted spoon.
- Increase the heat back to medium high.
- Add broccoli, sweet potato, onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Cook until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the onion is translucent, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the apples, garlic, thyme, and cinnamon.
- Cook 1 minute, then pour in 1/2 cup of the chicken stock.
- Bring to a boil and cook until the stock has evaporated.
- Add the chicken and remaining 1/2 cup chicken stock.
- Cooked until heated through.
- Then add the bacon and serve warm.
Swapping Granny Smith apples for softer varieties like Gala or McIntosh changes the structural integrity of the dish completely because firm tart apples retain their shape during boiling while sweeter cultivars break down into mush. Managing moisture in a crowded skillet requires paying close attention to visual cues rather than relying strictly on timers. When searing boneless chicken breast in olive oil over medium-high heat, watch for the meat to turn opaque and reach an internal reading of 165 degrees Fahrenheit before removing it to drain. Retaining precisely 1.5 tablespoons of rendered bacon fat provides enough lipid to saute dense root vegetables like sweet potatoes without scorching the garlic.
Reading the Pan Dynamics
Controlling liquid reduction prevents the broccoli florets from turning gray and sulfurous. Pouring the initial 0.5 cup of chicken stock over the aromatics requires bringing the liquid to a rolling boil until it vanishes completely, usually taking about 3 minutes. Introducing spices like cinnamon and dried thyme directly into the hot fat for 60 seconds before adding the stock blooms the fat-soluble compounds.
- If the sweet potato pieces remain crunchy after the liquid evaporates, add two tablespoons of water and cover the pan for two minutes.
- Stir the minced garlic constantly during its brief minute in the pan to prevent bitter black charring on the edges.
- Store leftovers in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
