Buttermilk Cider Chicken
Submitted by vickiess
Buttermilk-marinated chicken breasts pan-fried golden and topped with sauteed apples, a rich apple cider cream sauce, and toasted pecans. A stunning fall dinner.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
40 minREADY
1 hrsWhen apple season hits, this is the chicken recipe that deserves a spot on your table.
Boneless breasts soak overnight in buttermilk, which tenderizes the meat and gives the flour coating something to grip. They fry up golden in minutes.
The real magic happens in the pan. Apple cider reduces down to a concentrated syrup, then gets built back up with chicken broth and heavy cream into a velvety sauce that tastes like autumn in liquid form.
Sauteed apple slices and toasted pecans on top tie everything together. It’s the kind of dish that makes people ask for the recipe before they’ve finished their plate.
Chef Tips
- Marinate overnight in buttermilk. Even a few hours helps, but the full soak makes the chicken noticeably more tender.
- Use two apple varieties for depth. A sweet apple and a tart Granny Smith create a more interesting flavor than one type alone.
- Reduce the cider fully before adding broth and cream. Skipping this step leaves the sauce thin and lacking intensity.
- Toast the pecans in a dry skillet until fragrant. Raw pecans taste flat by comparison.
Ingredients
Directions
Place chicken in single layer in glass baking dish .
Pour buttermilk over.
Turn chicken to coat. Cover; chill overnight.
Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium high heat.
Add apples and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes.
Transfer apples to bowl. Add cider to same skillet.
Boil until cider is reduced to ¼ cup, about 8 minutes.
Add broth and cream. Boil until liquid is reduced to sauce consistency, about 15 minutes..
Drain chicken.
Place flour in bowl.
Season flour generously with salt and pepper.
Coat chicken with flour. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat.
Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.
Transfer to plates. Add apples to same skillet and reheat over medium heat.
Divide among plates.
Add sauce to same skillet and reheat. Stir in chives.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken.
Sprinkle with pecans.
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