This easy Crock Pot Chicken and Apples recipe requires the most basic ingredients and turns out magically tender with lovely sweet and savory flavor. The perfect main dish for the fall and winter months.
In case you’re new to the concept of chicken and apples, let me just pull back the curtain and reveal the array of technicolor flavor.
The apples offer a sweet element to level up the flavor profile of this savory dish and add a soft and inviting texture. Preparing it in the slow cooker enables the flavors ample time to develop, and the chicken turns out fall-off-the-bone tender, keeping you coming back for more!
My Roasted Pork Chops with Apples and my Crock Pot Pulled Pork with Apples are also great examples of how lovely the symbiotic relationship between an apple and a protein can be.
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for this easy apple cider chicken recipe.
Ingredients for Slow Cooker Chicken and Apples:
Avocado Oil: Used to sauté the onion and brown the chicken, we need a high temperature cooking oil like avocado oil. I don’t recommend olive oil because it burns at a relatively low temperature and we are cooking at a high temperature.
Yellow Onion and Fresh Garlic: Fresh onion and garlic create a big flavor backbone. Caramelized onions bring a deep rich flavor that is difficult to mimic in any other way.
Bone-in Skin-on Chicken Thighs: The main ingredient here, we need 4 to 5 pounds of bone-in chicken thighs. I love using bone-in chicken thighs because the end result is so much more flavorful than boneless chicken pieces.
That said, you can prepare this recipe with boneless skinless chicken thighs, but I don’t recommend using chicken breasts if you’re looking for the tastiest results.
Fresh Apples: The best supporting actor here, apples add natural sweetness and taste so lovely when cooked. I use gala apples, but feel free to pick your favorite apples. Just be sure to use an apple variety that is hearty enough to hold up during the cooking process.
Apple Cider: We use apple cider to engulf the chicken in a bath of rich apple deliciousness. This contributes more sweetness and apple flavor.
Apple Cider Vinegar: Provides tangy flavor to complement the sweet and savory flavors. You can also use balsamic vinegar or lemon juice.
Dry White Wine (optional): While white wine is an optional ingredient, it provides an undercurrent of sexiness that is difficult to adequately describe in words. Up the ante if you’re into cooking with wine.
Paprika: Dried sweet paprika brings a slight smoky flavor, and Italian seasoning brings some herb action.
Sea Salt and Black Pepper: Season the dish to your personal taste using sea salt and black pepper. If it tastes at all bland to you, continue adding salt a little at a time until the flavors pop.
Recipe Customizations:
- Swap the apple cider for apple juice. Or for more savory flavor (less sweet flavor), use chicken broth or chicken stock.
- For sweeter flavor, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup or brown sugar.
- Add in red potatoes, sweet potatoes, or baby gold potatoes (and chopped carrots if desired) to make this a complete meal.
How to Make Crock Pot Chicken and Apples:
Remove the chicken from its packaging and place it on large plates or a cutting board. Sprinkle the chicken with sea salt and paprika. Note: this step can be performed while the onion is sautéing.
Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened and turned golden-brown, about 10 minutes. If you have the time, caramelize the onion (or two onions) fully.
Move the sauteed onion to the bottom of your slow cooker and return the skillet to the stove top.
If need be, add more avocado oil to generously coat the surface and allow the skillet to heat over medium-high or high heat until it is sizzling hot.
Carefully transfer the seasoned chicken to the surface of the hot skillet skin-side down and brown for 4 minutes, until the skin is golden brown. Flip to the other side and brown for an additional 4 minutes.
Use tongs to transfer the chicken to the slow cooker with the sauteed onion and add in the rest of the ingredients (minced garlic, chopped apples, apple cider, apple cider vinegar, white wine, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper).
Secure the lid on the crock pot and cook for 4 hours on high heat or for 7-8 hours on low heat.
Remove the lid from the crock pot and serve your chicken and apples with your choice of side dishes. I recommend my Orange Balsamic Maple Roasted Vegetables and either my Lemon Garlic Rosemary Rice, Rice Pilaf, or Maple Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes.
Crispy Skin Option:
If you’re a big fan of crispy skin, transfer the cooked chicken to a large rimmed baking dish. Turn your oven on the High broil setting and broil on the rack that is second or third from the top heat element for 4-6 minutes, or until the skin reaches your desired level of crisp.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Recipe Tips:
- To shorten the prep time, brown the chicken and saute the onion in separate skillets simultaneously. This increases the cleanup but decreases the amount of prep time significantly.
- Multi-task by seasoning the chicken, chopped the apples, and finely mincing the garlic while the onion is cooking and the chicken is browning. I find using cook time as prep time makes the process more efficient.
The next time you’re in search of a funky main dish that changes up your dinner routine and offers succulent tender chicken, whip up this easy recipe!
The way I see it, crock pot recipes like this are ideal for meal prep, or for large families. It is so simple to make ahead of time and produces plenty of protein for weeknight meals.
If you’re on the prowl for more hearty slow cooker recipes, try out these reader favorites.
More Crock Pot Recipes:
- Crock Pot Mongolian Beef
- Slow Cooker Mediterranean Chicken
- Crock Pot Chicken Stew
- Slow Cooker Asian Beef Short Ribs
- Crock Pot Chicken Birria Tacos
- Slow Cooker Pork Roast
- Crock Pot Shredded Korean BBQ Beef
- Crock Pot Vegan Pumpkin Chili
Enjoy your chicken with apples!
Crock Pot Chicken and Apples
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 large yellow onion
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 4 to 5 lbs bone-in skin on chicken thighs
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 apples peeled and chopped*
- 2 cups apple cider
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup dry white wine optional
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp sea salt to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Remove the chicken from its packaging and place it on large plates or a cutting board. Sprinkle the chicken with sea salt and paprika. Note: this step can be performed while the onion is sautéing.
- Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened and turned golden-brown, about 10 minutes. If you have the time, caramelize the onion (or two onions) fully. Move the sauteed onion to the bottom of your slow cooker and return the skillet to the stove top.
- If need be, add more avocado oil to generously coat the surface and allow the skillet to heat over medium-high or high heat until it is sizzling hot. Carefully transfer the seasoned chicken to the surface of the hot skillet skin-side down and brown for 4 minutes, until the skin is golden brown. Flip to the other side and brown for an additional 4 minutes.
- Use tongs to transfer the chicken to the slow cooker with the sauteed onion and add in the rest of the ingredients (minced garlic, chopped apples, apple cider, apple cider vinegar, white wine, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper).
- Secure the lid on the crock pot and cook for 4 hours on high heat or for 7-8 hours on low heat.
- Remove the lid from the crock pot and serve your chicken and apples with your choice of side dishes.
Notes
Nutrition
Yes! Follow all of the same steps to sauté the onion and brown the chicken using the sauté mode on your pressure cooker.
After adding in all of the ingredients, set the cooking time for 30 minutes and be sure the machine is set to its default high pressure.
It will take about 10-15 minutes for the pot to come to pressure. After running its course, allow the Instant Pot to naturally release for 30 minutes (this results in tender chicken). Use the steam release valve to offload any remaining pressure. Enjoy!
Yes, with a caveat. In my experience, chicken breasts turn out pretty lackluster in the slow cooker unless a lot of fat is added. It can be relatively dry and chalky. Provided you are okay with a less tender result, chicken breasts are fine to use. I recommend about 2.5 to 3.5 pounds.
I recommend picking a sweet apple like gala apples, envy apples, or honey crisp apples. These three varieties are loaded with natural sweetness, and are also firm enough to maintain structure during the cooking process.
Tart apples like granny smith apples (green apples) won’t impart enough sugar and will mostly add tangy flavor to the meal. That could be nice, but it isn’t what I’m typically going for.
Haven’t made this yet, but have questions…. Have you considered adding canned cannellini or garbanzo beans for say last hour of low cook? Also, when would you add sweet potatoes and could I sub large butternut squash chunks in place of sweet potatoes?
Hi Christine! I think the addition of canned beans would be amazing! I would do as you mentioned – add them in the last hour. When adding chopped sweet potatoes or butternut squash – If you’re cooking on low heat, chop either one into large chunks (roughly the size of a baby potato) and add them 3.5 to 4 hours into the cooking process. For high heat, add them 2 hours into the cooking process. These times will need to be adjusted if you chop the veggies into smaller chunks. I hope this helps, and let me know if you have any more questions!