My oven baked apple chicken is one of my favorite recipes to make in the fall. I roast juicy seasoned chicken breasts with tart apples and soft melty onions to create this flavorful sheet pan meal. A sweet, savory, and slightly tangy mixture of apple juice, chicken stock, and white wine vinegar keeps everything moist as it bakes. This baked chicken with apples is wonderfully delicious, and it’s a fun and healthy autumn dinner idea!
Top Reader Reviews
My family and I loved this recipe! It makes the house smell so good too.
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This is FANTASTIC! I love the hint of mustard in the glazed apples. Honeycrisp apples maintained their shape and didn’t get mushy. I added some shortcut carrots cut in half lengthwise and that was a hot too. I’m grateful for your recipe. Thank you!
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Baked Chicken Breast with Apples and Onions
I rely heavily on sheet pan meals during the week because they require so much less prep and cleanup. This sheet pan recipe for apple chicken does require a little more prep work, but I promise, it’s totally worth it. There’s such a great balance of sweet and savory flavors in this dish, and it’s absolutely mouthwatering. Truly one of my favorite fall chicken recipes!
Giving the apples and onions a quick sauté in a little butter and brown sugar adds a wonderful depth and subtle sweetness. While you can just quickly toss the apples and onions in butter and sugar before adding them to the sheet pan, I found while testing that fully dissolving the sugar into melted butter yielded better flavor and texture, and a more even coating. I highly recommend it if you have a few extra minutes.
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Best Apples to Use
Now, I didn’t call out any specific apple for this baked chicken recipe because I truly believe it works with any type. So go with your gut–or whatever apples your kids like! I like to use Honeycrisp because they’re subtly sweet and hold their firmness when baked. Jonagolds and Granny Smith are great for baking as well, especially if you want a more tart flavor, which is also divine paired with chicken!
Apple Chicken Sheet Pan Recipe
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (*)
- kosher salt (to taste)
- ground black pepper (to taste)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (¼ stick**)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 large apples (cored and cut in eighths***)
- 2 small onions (quartered)
- ½ cup apple juice
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (****)
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- chopped fresh thyme (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Arrange chicken on a baking sheet. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes.4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, kosher salt, ground black pepper
- Meanwhile, melt butter in a heavy-bottom skillet. Add brown sugar and stir until completely combined.2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- Toss apples and onions in the sugar mixture over low heat until they are coated, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.2 large apples, 2 small onions
- In a small bowl, combine apple juice, chicken broth, vinegar, and mustard.½ cup apple juice, ¼ cup chicken stock, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- Remove chicken from the oven after 30 minutes. Add the apple onion mixture to the baking sheet with the chicken.
- Pour apple juice mixture over the chicken, apples, and onions, then sprinkle thyme over the top.chopped fresh thyme
- Return the sheet pan to the oven and bake for 30 minutes more, until the chicken is cooked through.
Notes
- If making this recipe with boneless chicken thighs, increase the baking time–it could take up to an extra 15 minutes.
- Use a rimmed baking sheet, to make sure all the juices and sauce stay put. You can also use a casserole dish.
- The chicken needs about 30 minutes to roast in the oven before adding the apples and onions, because they will cook much faster than the chicken.
- Properly cooked chicken breasts should read 165°F at the thickest point.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
Got more apples to use? Try my apple and chicken sausage skillet and apple brie stuffed chicken!
How to Make Roasted Apple Chicken Step by Step
Prep: Gather the ingredients for this baked apple chicken recipe, then preheat your oven to 350°F. Core and cut 2 large apples into about 8 thick slices each. Then cut 2 small onions into quarters.
Bake the Chicken: Place 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle them with salt and pepper to taste. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. The chicken will not be fully cooked through at this point, but it will finish in a later step.
Cook the Apples and Onions: Melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, then mix in 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Add sliced apples and quartered onions to the brown sugar mixture, toss to coat, and cook for about 2 minutes. Then remove from heat and set aside.
Mix the Seasoning: Whisk together ½ cup of apple juice, ¼ cup of chicken broth or stock, 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of dry mustard. Add the apples and onions to the sheet pan with the chicken. Then pour the apple juice mixture all over the sheet pan to keep everything moist. Sprinkle some fresh thyme on top, if desired.
Bake Again: Return the sheet pan to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165°F and the apples and onions are tender.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Store leftover apple chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. I recommend reheating the chicken and apples in the oven to maintain the same consistency as when it was freshly roasted. The apples and onions may not thaw/reheat well after freezing, but the chicken breasts will freeze beautifully.
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