Apple Chicken Recipe with Bacon and Potatoes
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Savor the comforting flavors of fall with this one-pan apple chicken recipe! Crispy-skinned chicken is cooked with bacon, apples, potatoes, and spinach in a honey mustard sauce. This simple and healthy meal is always a crowd-pleaser, and it's ready in just over an hour!
For more delicious mains featuring sweet autumn apples, try our pork chops with caramel apples!
Sweet meets savory in this comforting all-in-one apple chicken recipe. Bits of smokey bacon, chunks of sweet apple, tender potatoes, and juicy chicken are baked in a grainy honey mustard sauce. It's the perfect, easy harvest-inspired meal for weeknights, date nights, or a laid-back Thanksgiving gathering!
Ingredients notes
Here's everything you need to make this healthy, wholesome, one-pan chicken dinner!
- Chicken thighs: bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are what we use in the pictures, but if you prefer skinless that works, too!
- Crispy apples: ambrosia apples are our favorite, but any variety of crispy apples, such as gala, honeycrisp, fuji, or pink lady, work well. Just avoid the ones with a softer flesh like macintosh apples because they become mushy when cooked.
- Chicken stock: we always have some of our homemade chicken stock on hand, but you can also use store-bought chicken broth.
- Spinach: we use spinach, but other leafy greens like kale or collards work great, too.
Other ingredients you'll need are bacon, sea salt, black pepper, dijon mustard, grainy mustard, honey, and nugget potatoes.
How to make this apple chicken recipe
This tender chicken and apple recipe is simple enough for weeknights but elevated enough for a gathering or special occasion. Here's how to make it in a few easy steps!
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crispy. Then, use the same pan to sautƩ the apples until they're golden.
- Now it's the chicken's turn! Sprinkle some salt and pepper on the chicken thighs and brown them in the pan skin-side down.
- Make a little sauce by whisking the sauce ingredients with the chicken juices in the pan, then add the potatoes and nestle in the chicken thighs.
- When it's done, scatter the cooked bacon and apples overtop and tuck in the spinach until it wilts. Serve and enjoy!
What to serve with this apple chicken recipe
Our favorite way to serve this apple chicken recipe is alongside a big beautiful salad. Although it's an all-in-one meal, it pairs well with other fall dishes like our autumn quinoa salad, brussels sprouts au gratin, or beet and goat cheese salad.
Recipe FAQs
How do I store the leftovers?
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 3 days.
What's the best apple variety to use?
You can use any sweet or tart apple variety you like, or a mix. Just steer clear of softer varieties like macintosh and red delicious, as they'll become mushy when cooked.
Can I use chicken breasts instead?
Definitely! You can use skin-on or skinless chicken breasts. Just remember that boneless chicken breasts cook faster than chicken thighs, so you'll want to roast the potatoes for 15-20 minutes before adding the sauce and chicken breasts to the pan.
What fresh herbs would work with this recipe?
Fresh herbs are a wonderful addition to this recipe. Fresh rosemary, thyme, or even a little cinnamon tastes great.
Apple Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 strips bacon (cut into Ā½ inch slices)
- 2 large crispy apples (diced)
- 8 bone-in chicken thighs (skin on or off ā your choice)
- Ā½ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons EACH: dijon mustard, grainy mustard, and honey
- 1 lb nugget potatoes (quartered)
- 2 cups spinach
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook the bacon in a large, ovenproof frying pan over medium heat until it's crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon.4 strips bacon
- Turn the heat up to medium-high. Add the apples to the pan and let them cook until they turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove them from the pan and put them with the bacon.2 large crispy apples
- Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and add them to the pan side side down. When they are golden brown, remove them from the pan.8 bone-in chicken thighs, Ā½ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
- Add the chicken stock, dijon mustard, grainy mustard, and honey to the pan and whisk well. Add the potatoes and stir them through the sauce. Nestle the chicken thighs into the potatoes, browned side up.1 cup chicken stock, 2 tablespoons EACH: dijon mustard, grainy mustard, and honey, 1 lb nugget potatoes
- Cover the pot and put it into your oven to cook for 30 minutes. Remove the cover from the pot and let it cook for 15 minutes more.
- Remove the pot from the oven and add the bacon, apples, and spinach. Pop it back in your oven for 5 minutes to wilt the spinach.2 cups spinach
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our dinner ideas!
This was a great recipe but I could barely read it with so many pop up ads
How do you think this would turn out if you used sweet potatoes instead of regular? Diabetes runs in my family so we eat low carb just to be safe. I think the sweetness of the potatoes would pair nicely with the bacon and apples, but I’m concerned about mixing sweet potatoes and mustard. What do you think?
I think sweet potatoes would be great in this dish! Turnips or parsnips would work well, too.
Do you have to precook the potatoes to follow a recipe for nugget potatoes? Ā Or can you just use raw potatoes?
No need to precook the potatoes. They’ll cook in the pan with the chicken. š
I love this recipe! I’ve made it twice now. I don’t have anything earth shattering to say, I just like it, it’s super tasty!
Thank you for letting us know you loved the recipe!
Delish! Made this for the first time last night and it will definitely become a regular Sunday meal – making plenty for lunch the next day. I used organic boneless/skinless chicken breasts pounded out, which helped reduce the calories per serving. I also boiled down the sauce on the stove top before the last 5 minute bake, wilted the spinach at that time and then threw in the oven under a low broiler – the sauce was way too watery following the instructions and I wanted a little crispness to my potatoes. Turned out so good! Love your recipes!!
I’m so happy to hear it was a hit!
What’s the difference between regular apple cigar and the fruit cidar
They are the same. š
Where do you purchase BC tree fruit apple cider? I live in the Okanagan. Is it in the grocery stores or liquor stores? Thank you
You’ll find it in the cold beer and wine stores and liquor stores!
This recipe was delicious. I used my large cast iron pan and cooked it at 400; the time turned out just right. I thought there might be too much mustard, but the taste was mild. The apples really made it special
I’m so happy to hear it turned out! Hooray!
Am just now preparing this for dinner; but I cannot see the oven temp anywhere. Iām guessing itās 350. Thatās what Iām going with, anyway.
I cooked this at 375. I’m so sorry for missing that important step!!
Hi!
Love your recipes! Thanks so much for sharing. I frequently pass them on to my co-workers and they love them too!
Question about the above; the two ambrosia apples, diced, are listed twice, but only one set of cooking directions for them. Should four apples be used?
Nope, just 2 apples. The second time you see them in the directions is when you add them back into the dish along with the bacon. Sorry for the confusion!
I’ve never had chicken with apples, but chicken and bacon are best friends, and bacon and apple get along so well that I can’t see why they all can’t live together in peace. I’m in!
Oh they do get along great!!!
What an amazing combination of flavors! Love everything about this dish. Apples are such a great addition to savoury dishes!
Thank you! I love them, too. They’re such a versatile fruit!