Cider braised chicken is a fall favorite. Nothing says fall harvest like apple cider, chicken and potatoes oven roasted to perfection.
I created this recipe in 2020 right when lockdown began. It was really hard to find chicken legs and thighs (my favorite part of the chicken) and whole chicken is all I could find. When I got home, I looked at the ingredients I had and decided to cook this. I made cider braised chicken legs before, so I used the same technique to make this. It was a hit!
What does spatchcock mean?
Spatchcock means splitting the chicken open. In this method, you remove the spine of the chicken and lay flat. It’s a great way to cook chicken as having the bird lying flat ensures it cooks evenly. It’s also easier to handle and season the chicken when its flat. I tend to think that it even cooks faster than your standard whole chicken.
How to spatchcock a whole chicken?
To spatchcock a chicken you need two basic items, a pair of poultry sheers and a sturdy cutting board. First, remove anything from the cavity like the neck and gizzards. Place the chicken breast side down on the cutting board, then use the poultry sheers to cut down both sides of the spine. Then, flip the chicken over and press the breastbone so it lays flat. There! You have successfully spatchcocked a chicken.
Do you need to add vegetables to the cider braised chicken?
You don’t have to. We added potatoes and plantain because that’s what we had available and wanted to make it a one pot dish. This would eat well with white rice or even on top of dressed spinach or arugula.
Should I use hard cider or non-alcoholic cider to make cider braised chicken?
This is personal preference. I used Angry Orchard but if you prefer to use non-alcoholic cider it will still taste great. If you are worried about the alcohol in the hard cider, it cooks out as it braises so all you are left with is the taste of the cider.
Cider Braised Chicken
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Poultry sheers
- Roasting pan
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 1 plantain chopped
- 2 Russet potatoes chopped
- 1 whole chicken spatchcocked
- 1 bottle hard cider
- 2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 400 degrees F
- In the roasting pan, add onions, potatoes, plantains and add cider.
- Add the roasting pan to the oven and braise for 30 minutes.
- Spatchcock the chicken and season with salt then set aside.
- Add chicken to the roasting pan.
- Cook uncovered for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Baste every 30 minutes.
- Once done, remove to a cutting board and rest 5-10 minutes before carving.
- Serve with braised onions, potatoes and plantains.