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This easy chicken skillet is dressed up with a creamy apple brandy sauce and ready in under 30 minutes. It’s rich but light, with the subtle sweetness of apple brandy and a savory base of mushrooms and green onions. It’s an ideal dish for a cozy weeknight dinner or casual entertaining.
If you don’t have apple brandy, feel free to use another spirit—bourbon or Marsala work beautifully. Serve this dish over egg noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes to soak up every drop of the creamy sauce.
What You’ll Like About This Dish
Fast and flavorful. A 30-minute meal that feels elegant and satisfying.
Creamy apple brandy sauce. A unique blend of savory cream and subtle apple flavor.
Flexible with spirits. Substitute bourbon, white wine, or Marsala if needed.
Perfect with rice or noodles. The sauce is ideal for spooning over your favorite starch.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken breasts or cutlets: Pound or slice thinly for quick, even cooking.
- Apple brandy: Use Applejack, Calvados, or another apple-based spirit.
- Mushrooms: Sliced button or cremini mushrooms add earthiness and body.
- Green onions: Stirred in and used as garnish for color and freshness.
- Heavy cream: Forms the rich base of the sauce.
- Thyme: Fresh or dried—adds subtle herbal depth.
- Olive oil and butter: For searing the chicken and building flavor in the pan.
Steps to Make Apple Brandy Chicken
- Pound or slice chicken to create thin, even cutlets. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil and butter in a skillet and sear the chicken until browned.
- Add mushrooms and cook until softened.
- Stir in green onions and deglaze with apple brandy. Simmer briefly.
- Pour in the cream and add thyme; cook until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with noodles or rice and garnish with extra green onions or herbs.
Tips for the Best Skillet Chicken
- Use a heavy skillet to get a good sear on the chicken.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan—cook in batches if necessary.
- Deglaze with the brandy after searing to capture all the pan flavor.
- Let the sauce simmer just until thickened—don’t boil or it may separate.
Recipe Variations
- Use bourbon or Marsala. Either adds warmth and depth if apple brandy isn’t available.
- Make it creamy Dijon. Stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard with the cream.
- Add apples. Sauté thin slices of apple with the mushrooms for more fruit-forward flavor.
- Make it lighter. Use half-and-half or a splash of chicken broth with a touch of cream.
- Add greens. Stir in a handful of baby spinach at the end to wilt into the sauce.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve over buttered noodles or white rice.
- Pair with roasted Brussels sprouts or green beans.
- Add a side of crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
- Include a crisp salad with vinaigrette to balance the richness.
How to Store and Reheat
Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freeze? Not recommended due to the cream sauce, which may separate upon thawing.
Reheat: Warm gently in a skillet over low heat or in the microwave at 50% power, adding a splash of cream or broth to loosen the sauce.
This lemon pepper chicken is another quick and easy chicken recipe you might like, or try our “marry me” chicken recipe or chicken Francese.
Apple Brandy Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 chicken cutlets or 2 large chicken breasts
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced (set some of the dark green aside for garnish)
- ⅓ cup apple brandy, such as Applejack or Calvados
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves
- Reserved sliced green onion tops, for garnish
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- If using large chicken breasts, use 2 and slice them horizontally to make 4 thin cutlets. If needed, pound the chicken between sheets of plastic wrap until thin and even. Season with salt and pepper.4 chicken cutlets or 2 large chicken breasts | Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, until browned, then turn. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes longer. Add the green onions and apple brandy and cook for another minute, or until the chicken is cooked through and the mushrooms are tender.2 tsp olive oil | 1 tbsp butter | 8 ounces sliced mushrooms | 1/3 cup apple brandy, such as Applejack or Calvados | 4 green onions, thinly sliced (set some of the dark green aside for garnish)
- Transfer the chicken to a plate once cooked through. Reduce the heat to low and add the cream and thyme to the skillet. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly thickened, then return the chicken to the sauce.3/4 cup heavy cream | 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves
- Taste and adjust seasonings, as needed.
- Serve with noodles or rice and garnish with the reserved sliced green onion tops.Reserved sliced green onion tops
Nutrition
Disclaimer:
Our nutritional information is based on a third-party application that analyzes the ingredients list to determine the values. The information is meant to be helpful, but should be considered an estimate. Values may differ depending on measurements, brands, serving variations, and database availability.
