The following chicken dish is one of the easiest and tastiest recipes I’ve come up with. Besides salt and pepper, it contains only 5 ingredients, yet it is full of flavors, as if it was made with so many more.
The hard cider marinade gives the chicken wonderful flavor, with the perfect balance of acidity and sweetness. The crisp apples, dried shallots and rosemary, all add their flavors, textures and aroma. Roasting the chicken in high temperature, with the marinade, results crispy skin on the outside, and succulent meat inside, while the stewed apples make for a tasty side.
Preparation is so easy and can be done in advance: place the marinated chicken in the fridge, and let the marinade do its magic. Roast just before serving, and enjoy.
Notes:
* Alaea, Hawaiian red salt, is an unrefined sea salt, that was mixed with a red alae volcanic clay. It’s great for roasting and adds an earthy flavor to the dish. It is available in specialty stores or online. If you can’t find it, replace it with any other coarse sea salt.
* Hard cider is a fermented apple juice, that contains 3%-7% alcohol. For best results, use higher alcohol content cider.
* The apples in the dish should be crispy and tart. Mealy apples will not keep their shape during roasting, while sweet ones will result an overly sweet dish.
Makes: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Marinating time: 12 hours
Roasting time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Ingredients:
4 medium chicken thighs (2 lbs/900 grams), bone-in skin-on, preferably air chilled
1 Tbs Hawaiian Alaea salt (see notes)
1 tsp freshly ground four pepper mix
1 bottle (12 oz/355 ml) hard cider ( I used Angry Orchard Crisp Apple)
2 sprigs rosemary
2 Tbs dried shallots
2 medium crisp and tart apples, cored and cut into medium segments
1. Place the chicken thighs in a Ziploc bag. Add the salt, pepper, cider, rosemary and shallots. Mix and seal the bag. Place in the fridge for 12 hours, turning the bag occasionally.
2. When ready to roast, bring the chicken to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 400F (205C). Line a roasting pan with baking paper.
3. Place the chicken thighs in the pan, in one layer, and pour the marinade over it. Add the apples between the chicken thighs, so that they will be partially covered with the marinade. Place the rosemary on top.
4. Roast, in the lower third of the oven, for 1 hour and 10 minutes, until the skin is gloden-brown and crispy and the meat is ready.
Oh – my – goodness !!! Must get patient’s plumbing back in order real soon! These look wonderful. Where do I find hard cider? Liquor section of the grocery store? I know nothing about “spirits”.
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Thank you Judie, I’m glad you liked the recipe. I was very happy with how it came out.
Hard cider can be found in the beer section in almost all supermarkets. No need to go to a liquor store for it. Which makes it even easier. 🙂
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All of our local supermarkets seem to have row after row of beers and other spirits, so I’m sure I’ll be able to locate it. Thanks for the tip! ;->
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I’m sure you’ll find quite a few brands to choose from. It’s also a great light alternative to wine.
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um, have you been to utah or oklahoma?!!! Actually our archaic laws just changed and on October 1st our grocery store will have beer and wine! We’re all very excited.
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Congratulations! Here in NY you still can’t get anything that is over 9% alcohol in supermarkets…
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So weird.
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Reblogged this on All About Writing and more.
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I’ve got to try this. I always use thighs because they’re so much juicer than breast. And this dish is actually paleo, which is how I eat Mon-Fri.
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Thank you Blaine, I’m glad you liked the recipe, and that it fits with your paleo diet. I was basically playing with these ingredients, and was surprised how good the dish turned out. I hope you’ll enjoy it. I’ll be happy to hear your comments. 🙂
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It seems delicious! i’m going to try this.
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Thank you Miriam. I hope you’ll enjoy this tasty dish. I’ll be happy to hear your comments. 🙂
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But then without alcohol
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That would change the flavor and texture altogether, so maybe try another recipe instead. 🙂
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ok thanks for the tip. I would do that
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I purchased the salt, so now I’m ready! Plus, it’s a perfect September meal.
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Thank you Mimi, I’m glad to hear. Hope you’ll enjoy this tasty dish. It will be interesting to see your take on it. 🙂
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mmm. . . this sounds like a perfect autumn dish. The chicken looks delicious and it sounds very flavorful – and the recipe only calls for 5 ingredients.
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Thank you Sheryl, I’m glad you liked the dish. It turned out so flavorful, and it is indeed just perfect for fall. I plan to make it again very soon. 🙂
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Your chicken is cooked PERFECTLY. I just want to dig in from the pictures! This looks like a wonderful meal to kick off fall, too.
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Thank you Colleen, I’m glad you liked the dish. It turned out so good., and just perfect for fall, which hopefully is coming soon! 🙂
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So tasty
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Thank you Priyabrataa. It was indeed very tasty! 🙂
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This chicken looks absolutely amazing, and I imagine it tasting wonderful with the apples and cider.
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Thank you Myra. The chicken indeed got such wonderful flavor from the cider, and the apples were such a tasty side. Definitely repeating this soon. 🙂
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It’s time. 🍃🍎
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I sure hope so Gail! 🙂
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I like the addition of hard cider in your recipe. Apple season is starting and pairs so well with chicken 🙂
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Thank you Judi, I’m glad you liked the recipe. The hard cider worked wonders with the flavor and texture of the chicken. I highly recommend it. Will definitely use this recipe again soon, with all the wonderful fresh apples that are coming. 🙂
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Your chicken looks irresistible, perfectly cooked and delicious. Chicken thighs are my husband’s favorite, I know he will enjoy this meal.
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Thank you Karen, I’m glad you liked the recipe. Chicken thighs are my favorite too, so I try to come up with new ways of preparing them quite often. This one turned out even better that I planned. Hope you’ll enjoy it too. 🙂
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I know we will, it sounds great.
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It is a recipe I really will have to try! Looks delicious!
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Thank you Aletta, I’m glad you liked the recipe. I hope you’ll enjoy this tasty dish as much as I did! 🙂
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I am sure I will
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Sometimes I roast chicken with just salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary and olive oil – simply and easy but tasty. Yours is easy as well but must be more tasty and flavourful. I must try what it tastes like!
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I too like roasted chicken, as you’ve described, but at the same time, I like to try new ways of preparing it. This one turned out so tasty, and just as easy. Hope you’ll enjoy it too. I’ll be happy to hear your comments. 🙂
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Just reading those gorgeous ingredients, I know I would love this chicken recipe. 🙂
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Thank you Loretta, I’m glad you liked the dish. These ingredients worked so well together. It’s a keeper! 🙂
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Such a perfect dish for fall and so beautifull!! I love hard cider so I know I’d put the rest to good use – me!! 🙂
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Thank you Mollie, I’m glad you liked the recipe. Hard cider is one of my favorite light drinks in the summer, so it made sense to see how it works in a marinade and I was very happy with how it came out. Needless to say, I served this tasty dish with cold hard cider… 🙂
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🙂 I’m not much of a beer person, but I do enjoy trying all the new and different ciders!
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Same here! 🙂
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This looks really delicious! I like hard cider too. You always come up with great recipes!
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Thank you Joanne, for such a nice compliment. This recipe is definitely a keeper. So easy to make, and so flavorful. 🙂
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You’re my hero~! You know, I’ve got a similar recipe involving duck thighs on my “Usual suspects” list for the darkest and coldest days of the year, and every now and again I catch myself thinking “Mmmmh, I wish it was time for the cider duck already…” Right now, after having a short meltdown about the fact that I haven’t thought of just using chicken instead myself, I’m writing a shopping list with a Ronit-twist on my recipe. Thank you so much for sharing this!
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Thank you Diana, I’m glad you’ve found the use of chicken helpful. The hard cider worked to well with it. No doubt duck would be even better, but it is indeed much more suitable for winter. This dish is just perfect for fall, with all the fresh apples. Hope you’ll enjoy it as well. I’ll be happy to hear about it. 🙂
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Looks amazing, I’m sure the cider and apples give it a wonderful flavor!😋
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Thank you. It indeed turned out to be a wonderful match. Definitely a keeper! 🙂
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This is such an amazing recipe that I must make it for Sukkot. Never used apples with chicken – only with duck. This should be spectacular! Thank you, Ronit! Shana Tova!
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Thank you Dolly, I’m glad you liked the recipe. Apples are indeed wonderful with duck, but, as I’ve found out with this dish, they are also great with chicken. The recipe is indeed very suitable for the holidays. I hope you’ll enjoy it. שנה טובה! 🙂
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Thank you, Ronit! Shana Tova v’Chatima Tova!
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Looks absolutely delish:))
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Thank you Sangeeta, I’m glad you liked the dish. It was indeed very tasty. 🙂
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Love chicken! Will have to try this one!
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Thank you Kendall, I’m glad you liked the dish. 🙂
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Welcome!
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The addition of hard cider and rosemary in this chicken dish sounds so good! I love dishes that can be made ahead and then popped in the oven when you are ready.
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Thank you Sandra, I’m glad you liked the dish. It turned out so tasty. I too love such make-ahead dishes, They make entertaining so much easier!:)
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This is definitely another recipe I am going to give a try… I love chicken thighs (eat them weekly) but have not really tried to do much with them… cant wait to taste this!
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Glad to hear! I love chicken thighs too, and always try to come up with new recipes for them (use the search box to find more).
This one is one of my favorites so far. The hard cider marinade does wonder. Hope you’ll enjoy the dish! 🙂
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First, thank you for sharing. Then, thank you for reminding me, no INSPIRING me… to get it together; I can do better…I can make prettier plates…images…posts. ♡
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Thank you Dawn, for such a nice compliment! I deeply appreciate it. 🙂
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Will try this delicious recipe!
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Thank you! I hope you’ll enjoy it. 🙂
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These look incredible. I have to make them 🙂
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Thank you Rachel, I’m glad you liked the recipe. I hope you will enjoy it. I will be happy to read your comments. 🙂
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