The all-purpose (extra-large if you need it) stovetop to oven skillet is a kitchen essential. Mine works overtime and never lets me down. My skillet and a pair of tongs (which I would take with me if I was stranded on a desert island – assuming that dessert island had a cooktop) turn out delicious dinners for my family.
The wonderful thing about skillet chicken is the crisp golden brown skin you get when searing for about 8-10 minutes on each side and then finishing off in the oven. Searing also lock in those juices so you have nice, moist, flavorful, did I say moist! chicken.
This recipe comes alive with sweetness from apples, pears and grapes. A combo of mustard powder, cinnamon, garlic and thyme round out the flavors of this dish. Finish off with a drizzle of balsamic for a little tang to balance the fruit.
Chicken Thighs with Roasted Winter Fruit
Servings
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 4 bone in skin-on chicken thighs (about 2-pounds)
- 2 tart apples such as pink lady or granny smith cored & cut into ½-inch thick slices
- 2 ripe but firm pears cored and cut into ½-inch thick slices
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ to ¾ cup chicken stock
- 1 cup red grapes
- 3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Heat oil over medium high heat in a 12-inch or larger oven-proof skillet. Add chicken and brown for 8 to 10 minutes per side until nicely golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400° F. If there is more than 2 tablespoons of grease in the skillet, drain excess grease. Add apples and pears and sauté for 4 to 6 minutes or until just beginning to brown. Add garlic, salt, cinnamon and mustard powder and sauté 1 minute more. Add chicken thighs back to the pan with ½ cup chicken stock and bring to a boil. Transfer to preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Add grapes and ¼ cup more chicken stock if liquid has reduced too much and return to the oven for 15 minutes.
- Garnish with balsamic vinegar and thyme and serve each chicken thigh with about 1 cup roasted fruit.
- Watch me make this recipe with Kathie Lee and Hoda on the Today Show.
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You could just use more pears
I’m allergic to apples but would like to make this recipe. Do you think it would be okay omitting them completely or do you have a rec on something to replace them?
Thanks!
If you plan to reheat it I would use boneless things as they are juicier/fattier and more forgiving when reheated – the boneless chicken breast is much more delicate and can dry out so quickly.
YAY I am so happy! Just thrilled and especially thankful that you shared your success with the boneless skinless thighs
I would like to make this for Passover (even if I can’t use the mustard powder). How do you think it would reheat for the second seder if I used boneless thighs and boneless chicken breast? Would you change anything to the recipe??
This recipe was a hit in my house! My hubby isn’t a fan of cinnamon but he loved this dish. I also didn’t have bone-in, skin on chicken thighs, but the boneless turned out perfectly.
Great Nancy – just note that I am not sure if Mustard Powder come Kosher for Passover. enJOY!
Will try the chicken thighs with roasted fruit fir my Passover dinner this year!
OH YAY!!!!!!!! Thanks so much for taking the time to let us know.
awesome Fern so happy you all enJOYed thanks so much for commenting and for the next day tip. one of the reasons I like this recipe is bc the chicken thighs do lend themselves to reheating quite nicely!
awesome – so so so happy to hear (I still can’t get over that you are allergic to garlic – after olive oil it’s my number 1 ingredient, maybe has something to do with the fact that my parents are from Transylvania 🙂
Delicious! It was the hit of my holiday dinner!!
Yummy, and easy to make. Winter or summer. My family loves apples and pears. This is a dish that can be made ahead of time, and tastes better(because it is fantastic when first made) the next day warmed up.
This was an easy and delicious winter recipe we made a few times last year. I didn’t use garlic because I’m allergic, and didn’t use as many of the grapes, but it was still one of our go-to favourite.