Apple Braised Chicken

I like apples. I like chicken, so as I perused Weight Watchers recipes, looking for a simple but good weeknight dish, this seemed like a no brainer. I decided to make it last night because my Mom was staying with me so at least I knew I wouldn’t just be making it for me (my daughter, Sammi, is the quickest to exclaim, “I don’t like chicken!”).

It’s a bit of prep with the slicing of the onion and peeling and slicing of the apple, but made a little simpler because I used Perdue perfect portions (which actually are more like 4.75 oz per serving) so as not to have to worry about my chicken breast size. Weight Watchers says 20 minutes prep, and I think that’s about right. The nice thing though, once the chicken and onions are cooked, you set it to simmer for 30 minutes which is plenty of time to make a nice side dish of rice or couscous and a salad to go with, set the table, and clean up your workspace.

I worry when making these dishes that there will be enough sauce to enjoy with the meat, but this had plenty, with enough apples to correspond with the chicken. So much so that Sammi even agreed to try it and liked it!

It’s a great fall dish, one that I’m contemplating making again for the holidays!

Apple Braised Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 pound uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast, four 4-oz pieces (again, I used Perdue Perfect Portions so came in at almost 5 ozs a piece)
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 large onion, sliced (I used two small ones, didn’t have a large one)
• 2 medium apples, firm, cored and sliced – they’re not kidding – use firm like granny smith otherwise 30 minutes will make them too soft. I also peeled mine.
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 cup fat-free chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp table salt (I used kosher, I always use kosher salt)
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger (I used scant ginger and a bit of curry because my Mom has an aversion to ginger)
• 2 tsp cornstarch

Directions

In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, warm oil over high heat. Toss chicken with flour in a medium bowl, patting off excess (next time, I’ll do this in a ziploc bag). Place chicken in skillet and brown well on both sides. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Reduce stove temperature to low and add onion to skillet. Sauté, stirring often, until onion is tender and lightly browned. Stir in apples, cider, chicken broth, salt, ginger and chicken. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer chicken, onions and apples to a serving dish (I covered the dish with foil) to keep it warm).

In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 2 to 3 tablespoons of pan juices. Combine cornstarch mixture with remaining pan juices, whisking constantly. Simmer for one minute. Pour sauce over chicken and serve. Yields 1 chicken breast and about 3/4 cup of apple-onion mixture per serving.

And it’s 6 Weight Watchers PPV. Enjoy!