Apple Cranberry Hen is the proper late summer season, fall, and winter dish, infused with the nice and cozy flavors of cinnamon and honey. This one-pan meal comes collectively in simply half-hour, making it perfect for busy weeknights. Its stunning presentation additionally makes it a fantastic alternative for particular events or holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Simple and exquisite 30-minute meal
Begin by peeling, coring, and chopping the apples into small cubes. Sauté the apples (I used Envy apples) in butter and oil with cinnamon for about 5 minutes till they soften and launch their juices. Stir in honey and dried cranberries to create a sticky, syrupy glaze. Candy, agency apples like Fuji, Honeycrisp, or Gala work greatest for this dish.
In the meantime, in a separate pan, put together the hen. Flippantly coat thinly sliced hen breasts with flour, salt, and black pepper, then pan-sear them in olive oil till golden. To serve, spoon the apple-cranberry-cinnamon-honey sauce/glaze over the hen. I don’t doubt that this straightforward, 30-minute, restaurant-quality dinner will turn into your new household favourite, identical to it occurred in our family! And when you love this recipe type, do not miss my scrumptious hen with apples and maple-lime sauce.
What sort of hen to make use of
- Skinless, boneless hen breasts – I used thinly sliced. When you purchased giant ones, fastidiously butterfly them. Monitor the cooking time fastidiously to make sure they’re cooked by with out turning into dry.
- Skinless, boneless hen thighs – their darkish meat is extra forgiving to cook dinner than hen breasts and fewer susceptible to drying out throughout cooking.
- Hen tenders or tenderloins work nice, too!
- Bone-in hen isn’t really useful, because it requires considerably longer cooking instances.
Greatest apples for cooking
- Candy purple apples. Select sweeter varieties like Gala, Fuji, or Honey Crisp. You might want so as to add additional honey to stability the sweetness when you use tart apples, comparable to Granny Smith.
- Agency and crisp texture. Choose agency and never overly ripe apples to forestall them from breaking down throughout cooking. Keep away from mushy or simply indented apples.
Recipe notes
- Keep away from overcrowding the pan. Area the hen breasts aside to make sure correct searing as an alternative of steaming. Use a big pan or cook dinner in batches. A cast-iron skillet works greatest for even cooking and nice sear marks.
- Use contemporary, agency purple apples. Agency apples are higher for presentation and texture. Additionally they maintain up effectively throughout cooking. This dish is right for late summer season, fall, and winter when apples are in season and are at their greatest. Be sure you peel the apples.
- This 30-minute recipe is ideal for meal prep or making forward. It makes use of minimal components, freezes effectively, and reheats properly.
Substitutions
- To make it gluten-free, coat the hen with a few tablespoons of gluten-free flour as an alternative of standard flour.
- To make it dairy-free, exchange butter with olive oil.
- Use maple syrup as an alternative choice to honey.
Storage and Reheating Ideas
- Refrigerate. Hold leftover apple cranberry hen in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4 days.
- Freeze. Retailer in a freezer-safe container for as much as 1 month.
- Microwave. Reheat within the microwave for 40 seconds. If wanted, proceed reheating in 30-second intervals till warmed by.
- Stovetop. Reheat on medium warmth in a skillet. Add a small quantity of olive oil to forestall sticking and guarantee even heating.
What to serve with apple cranberry hen
- Roasted spaghetti squash is a low-carb different to pasta. It enhances the apple cranberry hen flavors completely.
- Wild rice – a fall-inspired facet that may pair fantastically with this recipe. Season generously with salt and pepper, or strive your favourite model of untamed rice pilaf.
- Roasted greens. Use your favorites like Brussels sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, inexperienced beans, onions, or mushrooms.
- Pasta. Serve a easy pasta dish tossed with garlic and olive oil or butter. Quick-cut pasta works greatest, comparable to orzo, fusilli, or farfalle (bow tie).
- Cauliflower rice. Use contemporary or defrosted frozen cauliflower rice for a lower-carb facet.
Different hen recipes with fruit
Apple Cranberry Hen
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Components
Apple and cranberry glaze
- 2 giant apples I used Envy, it’s also possible to use Fuji, Honeycrisp, or Gala – agency, candy apples
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
Pan-seared hen
- 1.4 kilos skinless boneless hen breasts (2 giant hen breasts sliced in half lengthwise)
- salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons flour (you should use gluten-free)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
Make apple-cranberry glaze
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Peel, core, and chop the apples into small cubes. Warmth a big, high-sided skillet over medium warmth and sauté the apples in butter and oil with cinnamon for about 5 minutes till they soften and launch their juices. Stir in honey and cranberries to create a sticky, syrupy glaze.
Pan-sear the hen
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I used 2 giant hen breasts that I reduce horizontally (lengthwise) to show them into thinner cutlets. Generously season the hen with salt and pepper, then coat it in flour.
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Warmth one other giant, high-sided skillet (ideally forged iron) over medium warmth till scorching. Sear the hen for about 5 minutes on both sides, or till it’s browned and cooked by.
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To serve, spoon the apple-cranberry-cinnamon-honey sauce over the hen.
Vitamin
