Chicken and Potatoes in Cider Cream Sauce

This easy one pan chicken and potatoes recipe is perfect for a cozy weeknight dinner but also good enough to make for company. It’s both comforting and elegant, with a nice balance of creamy, tangy, and slightly sweet elements. The star of the dish is the cider cream sauce that when paired with lean chicken breast seriously levels up the flavor!

One-Pan Chicken and Potatoes

Made with hard cider, crème fraîche, Dijon mustard, bacon, and fresh thyme, the Chicken Normandy-inspired cider cream sauce is truly the star of the dish. The chicken is pan-seared until it is golden brown and tender and finished in the oven alongside baby potatoes and shallots in the flavorful sauce.

The sauce is rich and creamy, with a subtle sweetness from the hard cider and light tanginess from the crème fraîche that really livens up basic kitchen staples like chicken and potatoes.

The shallots and bacon provide additional layers of flavor and the fresh thyme adds a subtle herbiness that complements the other fall flavors perfectly. This fall chicken breast recipe is also incredibly easy to make, as it only requires one pan, making cleanup a breeze.

For more seasonal fall dinner recipes be sure to try our classic roasted boneless turkey breast with gravy, pork tenderloin with apples and onions, holiday chicken with cranberry and orange, apple cider chicken with cranberries and bacon, and our maple bourbon glazed turkey breast.

What is Hard Cider?

Hard cider is an alcoholic beverage traditionally made from fermented apple juice. It is similar to beer in terms of alcohol content but has a distinct flavor profile that is influenced by the type of apples used and the fermentation process. Hard cider can be sweet or dry and can range in alcohol content from around 4% to over 10%.

Hard cider has a long history here in the Pacific Northwest, dating back to the region’s early days of settlement by European colonizers. The region’s abundant apple orchards made it a natural fit for cider production, and it quickly became a popular drink among early settlers.

In recent years, hard cider has experienced a resurgence in popularity, with many craft cider makers producing high-quality ciders using a variety of apples and flavorings. The Pacific Northwest is home to a thriving hard cider industry, with producers in Oregon, Washington, and other states creating a wide variety of ciders using locally sourced ingredients.

What is Crème Fraîche?

Crème fraîche (“fresh cream”) is a type of French-style cultured cream that is made by fermenting heavy cream with a bacterial culture, similar to the process of making sour cream. The resulting crème fraîche has a thick, velvety texture and a rich, decadent taste due to its higher fat content and it is less tangy compared to sour cream. It is often used as a versatile ingredient in cooking and baking, as it can add texture and richness to a wide range of dishes, from soups and sauces to desserts and pastries.

Crème fraîche is a popular ingredient in French and European cuisine, but it has become increasingly popular in other parts of the world as well. While you can find crème fraiche in most parts of the United States, it can be hard to get in some grocery stores. Look for it in small tubs in the dairy aisle, near the cream cheese and sour cream.

Key Ingredients

Here are the main ingredients with some pro tips and potential substitutions:

For the chicken and potatoes

• Chicken breasts – two large boneless, skinless breasts cut in half horizontally into 4 thinner cutlets. You could use thighs instead, but I would recommend pounding them to an even thickness to ensure they cook evenly.
• Thick-cut bacon – for salty smoky flavor that adds depth to the sweet richness of the sauce. Can be omitted if preferred.
• Baby red potatoes – no need to cook a separate starchy side dish! The potatoes and shallots are first pan-fried and then finished in the oven with the chicken and sauce. You could substitute pretty much any other type of potato if you like.
• Shallots – I like to cut them into larger slices for this dish. You can substitute regular onion in a pinch, but you will lose the subtlety that shallots bring to the sauce.

For the cider cream sauce

• Hard cider – I recommend a dry or semi-dry variety for this recipe, you don’t want it to be too sweet. For this recipe I’ve used 2 Towns Ciderhouse’s “Super Bad Apple” made from apples grown in the Pacific Northwest. But I would encourage you to explore using a local cider produced near you. Some popular cider brands available nationwide are Woodchuck, Schilling, and Angry Orchard.
• Chicken broth – vegetable broth would work as well.
• Fresh thyme sprigs – adds an earthy, herbaceous note that nicely complements the other flavors in the sauce. If you don’t have fresh thyme, you could substitute in about a teaspoon of dried thyme. Rosemary could also work as a fine substitute.
• Corn starch – to make a slurry in order to thicken the sauce.
• Crème fraîche – makes the sauce extra decadent and delicious. But if you can’t find it or are trying to keep costs down, heavy cream is a fine substitute. The crème fraîche made by Bellwether Farms and Vermont Creamery both work wonderfully in this recipe.
• Dijon mustard – another classic flavor component to add complexity to the rich, creamy sauce.

Step-by-Step Directions

*For full recipe with ingredient portions, scroll down to the recipe card below.

Brown the chicken

• Using a sharp knife, slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally to create four evenly thick cutlets.
• Season with salt and pepper on both sides and then lightly sprinkle with flour, shaking off any excess.
• Heat oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over high heat.
• Add the chicken and cook without moving until well browned, about 2-3 minutes. Flip the cutlets and cook until browned, about 30 seconds longer. Remove from pan and set aside.

Fry the bacon

Fry the bacon in the same skillet over medium-high heat until crispy, about 4 minutes. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 tablespoons of the grease in the pan, and set aside.

Now go ahead and start preheating the oven to 375°F.

Fry the potatoes and shallots

Next, fry the potatoes (cut-side down) and shallots in the bacon grease about 2-3 minutes until lightly browned. Then flip and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes (flipping as needed to evenly brown).

Make the sauce and then finish the dish in the oven

• Add cider and chicken broth to the skillet (medium-high heat) along with fresh thyme sprigs.
• In a small bowl, stir to dissolve the cornstarch in a tablespoon of stock or water to make a slurry. Then, add slurry to the skillet and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens (about 3-4 minutes).
• Turn off heat and stir in bacon, crème fraîche, and Dijon mustard.
• Nestle the chicken cutlets among the vegetables and sauce.
• Then, place skillet in preheated oven and cook uncovered for 15 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through.
• Remove thyme sprigs and season with salt and pepper to taste. Plate immediately, spooning sauce over the chicken and potatoes to serve. Otherwise, the sauce will start to congeal as it cools.

Serving Suggestions

Side dish. Since the dish already includes a starchy vegetable there’s no need to make a separate starchy side dish. However, you might consider serving it alongside some salads or vegetable sides like:

• spinach gorgonzola salad,
• strawberry spring mix salad,
• hot honey glazed carrots,
• mashed acorn squash with brown butter and crispy sage leaves, or
• try pairing it with these yummy maple sriracha brussels sprouts.

Beverage pairing. The cider used in the sauce is the obvious choice, but an aromatic white wine with a bit of acidity made from: Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, or Chenin Blanc should pair nicely. More specifically, I recommend:

• Riesling or Pinot Gris from Alsace,
• a white French Burgundy or Vouvray,
• or a buttery California Chardonnay.
• Sparkling wine or champagne could also work.
• If you prefer a red wine, California or Oregon Pinot Noir should pair well.

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Let me know if you tried making this cozy chicken in cider cream recipe or if you have any questions in the comments below!