Description

This Maple Cider Chicken Skillet is a comforting autumn dish featuring juicy chicken thighs cooked in a flavorful apple cider sauce with a medley of roasted butternut squash or sweet potatoes, green beans, apples, dried cranberries, and toasted pecans. Perfectly seared and finished in the oven, the recipe balances savory, sweet, and tangy notes, making for a cozy, one-pan meal that captures the essence of fall in every bite.

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken

6 chicken thighs (bone-in or boneless)
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon oil

Vegetables & Fruits

1 medium onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups peeled & diced butternut squash or sweet potato (about 1 small squash or 1 large sweet potato, 1/2-inch dice)
1 large apple, quartered, cored and sliced crosswise (about 1 ½ cups)
1 heaping cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

Sauce & Seasoning

½ cup apple cider (unsweetened if possible)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules (optional)
½ teaspoon dried rosemary

Finishing Touches

½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup roughly chopped pecan halves

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Instructions

Prep: Heat your oven to 400°F. Gather and prepare all ingredients. Heat a large, oven-safe skillet or braiser (about 3.5 quarts or larger) over medium-high heat.
Sear chicken: Pat chicken thighs dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Add oil to the hot skillet and place chicken skin-side down. Sear for 4–5 minutes without moving to develop a golden crust. Flip and cook for 2 more minutes. The chicken will finish cooking in the oven. Remove chicken and set aside. If your pan is crowded, do this in batches.
Sauté the vegetables: Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, garlic, and diced butternut squash or sweet potato to the skillet. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened with golden edges. Stir in sliced apples and green beans, cooking an additional 1–2 minutes.
Deglaze & make the sauce: Pour apple cider into the skillet, scraping up browned bits from the bottom for flavor. Whisk in Dijon mustard, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, chicken bouillon granules (if using), and dried rosemary. Let the sauce bubble for a minute or two until fragrant.
Into the oven: Nestle the chicken thighs on top of the vegetable mixture skin-side up. Spoon some pan juices over the chicken. Place the skillet uncovered in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and gently stir the vegetables, then baste chicken with the sauce.
Cover & finish baking: Loosely tent the skillet with foil to prevent the chicken skin from darkening too much. Bake for another 15 minutes. Remove foil, stir in dried cranberries, and sprinkle toasted pecans over the top. Baste everything once more with pan juices, then bake uncovered for 5–8 minutes, until cranberries are plump and pecans lightly toasted.
Serve & swoon: Check that vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through and golden. Spoon some of the cider sauce over each serving. Serve warm and enjoy the comforting flavors of this cozy fall skillet dish.

Notes

Use bone-in chicken thighs for more flavor, but boneless works fine too.
Apple cider should be unsweetened to avoid overly sweet sauce.
If your skillet isn’t oven-safe, transfer ingredients to a baking dish before placing in oven.
Ensure cranberries stay moist during baking to prevent scorching by basting well with pan juices.
Can substitute dried rosemary with fresh, use about 1 ½ teaspoons if fresh.
For a gluten-free version, ensure chicken bouillon granules are gluten-free or omit entirely.