I often use dried fruit in my savory sauces to create a luscious glaze and in this case, I used unsweetened prunes. They simmer together with the apples and apple cider in the oven and the combination achieves a fat-free richness that is finger-licking delicious! This simple dish is quick and easy and is an absolute delight! I like to serve it over quinoa, along with oven-roasted Simply Squash and Brussels sprouts.
Apple Cider Prune Chicken
Author: Catherine Katz
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 free-range organic whole chicken breasts, skin removed, halved
- ¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 4 cloves garlic, thickly sliced
- 1 medium apple, rinsed, not peeled, sliced
- 1 ½ cup 100% apple cider (no added sugar)
- ⅓ cup water
- ½ cup pitted prunes (no added sugar)
- ½ tsp salt
- fresh ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
- Place flour on a flat plate and dip each piece of chicken in the flour on both sides. Set aside. Discard extra flour.
- Drizzle the olive oil in a shallow baking pan that can also go on top of the stove over medium to high heat and briefly sauté the floured chicken breasts on both sides, long enough (3-4 minutes) to brown them slightly, but leaving them uncooked (the golden top will come later in the oven).
- Remove the slightly browned chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate.
- Sauté the sliced garlic and apples in the same pan for a couple minutes.
- Add the cider, water, prunes, salt and pepper to the pan and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Place the chicken back in the baking pan with the apple-prune-garlic mixture.
- Spoon some of the liquid over the chicken and place the baking pan in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, uncovered.
- Turn each piece once and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the chicken is tender and the sauce is thick and glistening.
- Crush the prunes and some of apples (leave some intact for garnish) in the pan, so they become part of the sauce. (Optional)
Ana says
November 20, 2018 at 8:27 amHola! Desde España decirte que hoy he cocinado este plato para comer. Rápido, diferente y buenísimo. Repetiremos seguro!! Thanks and kisses! 😉
Catherine Katz says
November 20, 2018 at 6:02 pmMuchas gracias Ana!!! 🙂
Samara says
October 18, 2018 at 11:25 pmI made this tonight, and my family loved it! I sprinkled some fresh rosemary from my garden on the top of the chicken right before serving since I love rosemary and warm apples, and the garlic was an added bonus flavor. Thank you for this site and all your healthy recipes!
Catherine Katz says
October 22, 2018 at 12:17 pmYAY Samara!! I knew you would love this chicken recipe too! It’s so perfect in the Fall, isn’t it?! Another one that I would love for you to try, is my lemon pistachio chicken. It’s very different from the 22 chicken recipes you just loved but something tells me you are going to rave about it too! http://cuisinicity.com/lemon-pistachio-chicken/ Enjoy! 🙂
Marilyn Gorman says
January 12, 2018 at 8:44 pmTried this tonight to prepare for a group pot-luck. This is wonderful. Even my picky adult son wandered in while in progress and came back for “testing’. Loved it and had to make a platter so my friends were down a serving. I will certainly make this again.
The chicken breasts I got were rather large so I cut them in half. Also made about 1.5 recipe and it was delicious. Did I mention that I had to try it and then had to back off or there would be none left to take out.
Thanks so much.
Catherine Katz says
January 13, 2018 at 2:45 pmYAY Marilyn, your comment was absolutely delightful!!! I am so glad everyone enjoyed its much!! 🙂
Catherine Katz says
March 9, 2015 at 6:27 amHahaha Howie that’s wonderful! Now you certainly brought a smile to my face too!!
Howie Wallach says
March 8, 2015 at 9:56 pmThis dish is a winner!
There were initially some frowns at the site of prunes; however, the combined sweetness and a occasional tartness of prunes, apples and apple cider created a deliciously flavored sauce, moist tasty chicken, and smiles.
As a bonus, the apples and prunes taste great. Unfortunately there were no leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
We have a new favorite chicken dish. Thank you.
LeeAnn Miller says
November 2, 2014 at 2:54 pmWhat type of apple cider do you use. I bought some at the store and realized it has 30gr of sugar per serving. Yikes! thank you
Catherine Katz says
November 2, 2014 at 3:08 pmHi LeeAnn, we are still in New Zealand so can’t answer you off the top of my head but basically I use a 100% apple cider with only apples as the ingredient, no added sugar. Just make sure the sugar they measure is the one that is inherent to the apples and no more than that and you’ll be fine! I hope this helps!
Danielle says
October 15, 2014 at 3:10 pmI tried this recipe and absolutely LOVE it! Pairing sweet with savory is one of my favorite ways to cook. This truly was finger-licking good! thanks for sharing 🙂
Catherine Katz says
October 15, 2014 at 3:49 pmThank you Danielle! I LOVE this kind of feedback!! It makes me so happy!! YES!!!
Valerie says
October 13, 2014 at 10:18 pmI love this recipe!! I just made it for all my friends and they were all beaming!
Catherine Katz says
October 14, 2014 at 6:43 amFantastic!!! Wow, you are getting to be an amazing cook! YAY!!!!
Catherine Katz says
October 13, 2014 at 2:02 pmYES! NATALIA, I couldn’t ask for a better compliment and what a great feeling to know you are now taking it to your own kitchen! LOOOOOVE THAT!!! Thank you my sweetness!-Mom
Natalia says
October 13, 2014 at 1:58 pmI just made this the other day and it was so simple to wip up! I doubled the recipe and it still came out just the way it does when you make it! I love that such a delicious and healthy dish can be so easy to put together using your instructions 🙂