The Chicken Dish You Should Be Making With Leftover Apple Cider

As the hottest days of summer give way to cooler weather, falling leaves, and shorter days, people get ready for the cozy months of fall. Many turn to pumpkin spice everything, but for others, an orchard-grown fruit defines the flavor of the season, especially in its liquid form: apple cider, which differs from juice in that it's typically raw or minimally processed and unfiltered, while juice is often filtered and pasteurized and can sometimes be diluted or contain added sweeteners. 

Apple cider is available year-round, but you see it popping up in supermarkets more often around this time of year. Whether drunk on its own or warmed and mixed with mulling spices, it's a seasonal beverage many people wait all year to enjoy. However, it has so many more applications, including savory ones, like this cider-braised chicken recipe.

Apple cider really works with braised chicken because it adds sweetness and acidity to the dish, balancing the savory flavors while also cutting through some of the richness of bone-in dark meat. It also doesn't compete with other ingredients, but rather elevates them and brings out the sweetness in vegetables like cabbage, carrots, and parsnips — all comforting autumn additions to a stew. Cinnamon or even Chinese five-spice powder will add even more seasonal flavor to the dish, while bacon will add a savory smokiness that may remind you of gathering around a bonfire. Caramelized onions are a perfect match for an apple cider braise, as the two play off each other's tasting notes — sweet and complex, with subtle butterscotch undertones that you may not be able to taste in either ingredient on its own.

Apple cider is so versatile that you may want to purchase extra when it's in season to have on hand for recipes throughout the year (freezing it is a great way to preserve it before it spoils). Another great way to use sweet cider is to combine it with apples or pears. Cider mixed with a thickening agent, like cornstarch, creates a rich syrup to coat the fruit in desserts such as apple pie or pear crisp, giving them an even more intense fruit flavor.

This combination can work in savory dishes, too. Adding apple wedges to a chicken and cider stew will add extra dimension and flavor while really bringing in the full flavors of the fall season. But you don't need to use it only with chicken — cider also works well with other meats, like pork. In fact, this fall elixir is a perfect addition to homemade barbecue sauces, meaning you can bring some summer cookout vibes into the cooler months.

If you're not into braises or stews, apple cider also works phenomenally well in other recipes, like pan-fried chicken. Simply use it to deglaze the pan and make a sweet, tart, and sticky glaze that you can drizzle all over your chicken. And if you want to hold on to the flavors of fall, simply empty a bottle of fresh apple cider into a saucepan and reduce it until you have a thick syrup that you can store in the refrigerator to add to savory dishes, drizzle over ice cream, mix into cocktails, or even use as a condiment. Speaking of condiments, apple cider works wonders for brightening spicy brown mustard or creating seasonally themed salad dressings.