This one-skillet harvest chicken is packed with fall flavors, protein and veggies! Perfectly seasoned chicken with crispy skin, Brussels sprouts, kale, fresh herbs and sweet apples make this dinner perfect when you want something simple, healthy, hearty and delicious. Paleo and Whole30 compliant.
Once September rolls around I start craving everything fall in my meals like apples and savory herbs reminiscent of Thanksgiving.
I wanted to create an ultra simple one-skillet dinner that incorporates all of those goodies! Perfectly seasoned chicken, seared and then baked in a skillet, with lots of veggies, sweet apples, toasty pecans and of course lots of fresh herbs!
Since I used bone-in chicken thighs for this recipe (I can’t resist the flavor!) the cook-time is slightly longer, but you can always sub in boneless chicken if you want a super fast dinner.
What You Need to Make One-Skillet Harvest Chicken
The ingredients are fresh, delicious and super simple. Here’s what you’ll need to prepare the chicken:
- bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- Sea salt and black pepper
- dried poultry seasoning, (or Balanced Bites Savory Blend)
- ghee or other cooking fat
- sage (fresh)
- rosemary (fresh)
- thyme (fresh)
- garlic
- pecan halves
- 12 oz bag shredded Brussels sprouts (or a mix of chopped kale and shredded brussels sprouts)
- chicken broth or bone broth
- 100% apple juice or apple cider
- honeycrisp apple
- Dried cranberries or raisins (optional)
- Fresh herbs for garnish
How to Make One Skillet Harvest Chicken
Preheat your oven to 425° F. Heat a large cast iron (or other oven-proof) skillet over medium-high heat and add the ghee.
Sprinkle the chicken thighs on both sides with the sea salt, black pepper and poultry seasoning or savory blend. Sear the chicken in the skillet, skin side down, for 5 minutes, then flip and sear 5 minutes on the second side, or until you achieve a deep golden brown color.
Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven on the middle rack, and roast for 10-12 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (the internal temperature reaches 165° F). Meanwhile, make sure all your veggies and herbs are prepped and ready to go.
Once the chicken is done, return the skillet to the stovetop and remove the chicken with tongs to a plate, leaving juices in the skillet. Set the chicken aside.
Heat the skillet over medium heat and add the garlic and fresh herbs. You shouldn’t need more ghee, but add another tablespoon if the skillet is too dry. Sauté the garlic and herbs 30 seconds, then add in the pecans to lightly toast for another 30 seconds. Then, add the green veggies, broth, juice or cider and stir.
Cook until the veggies are softened, (about a minute) then add in the apples and cranberries or raisins. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Place the chicken back in the skillet along with any juices on the plate. Cook just until the apples are softened to preference, then remove from heat. Garnish with additional fresh herbs if desired and serve right away.
Can I Use Boneless Chicken Breasts?
If you prefer to use boneless breasts you can – you’ll just have to watch cooking time in the oven since they’ll cook faster after being seared – maybe 5 minutes. You can always use a meat thermometer to check if they’re done – poultry is cooked through when it’s 165° F.
If you’re new to chicken thighs though, I highly recommend giving them a shot! It’s a total game changer for flavor and my kids are happier to eat them too since they don’t dry out.
You can also use boneless chicken thighs which are juicy and have great flavor (and hold onto the flavors in this dish so well!) but don’t need as much time in the oven.
I hope you’re ready for a simple, delicious dinner that’s perfect for fall but easy to enjoy anytime! Grab your skillet and preheat your oven – it’s time to cook – let’s go!
One Skillet Harvest Chicken {Paleo, Whole30}
One Skillet Harvest Chicken {Paleo, Whole30}
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 1 Tbsp dried poultry seasoning or Balanced Bites Savory Blend
- 2 Tbsp ghee or other cooking fat
- 1 Tbsp fresh sage chopped
- 2 tsp fresh rosemary minced
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3/4 cup pecan halves
- 12 oz bag shredded Brussels sprouts or a mix of chopped kale and shredded brussels sprouts
- 1/4 cup chicken broth or bone broth
- 1/4 cup 100% apple juice or apple cider
- 1 large honeycrisp apple thinly sliced, or diced, if you prefer
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- Dried cranberries or raisins optional
- Fresh herbs for garnish
Instructions
-
Preheat your oven to 425° F. Heat a large cast iron (or other oven-proof) skillet over medium-high heat and add ghee.
-
Sprinkle the chicken thighs on both sides with the sea salt, black pepper and poultry seasoning or savory blend. Sear the chicken in the skillet, skin side down, for 5 minutes, then flip and sear 5 minutes on the second side, or until you achieve a deep golden brown color. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven on the middle rack, and roast for 10-12 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (the internal temperature reaches 165° F)
-
Meanwhile, make sure all your veggies and herbs are prepped and ready to go. Once the chicken is done, return the skillet to the stovetop and remove the chicken with tongs to a plate, leaving juices in the skillet. Set chicken aside.
-
Heat the skillet over medium heat and add the garlic and fresh herbs. You shouldn’t need more ghee, but add another tablespoon if the skillet is too dry. Sauté the garlic and herbs 30 seconds, then add in the pecans to lightly toast for another 30 seconds. Then, add green veggies, broth, juice or cider and stir. Cook until the veggies are softened, (about a minute) then add in the apples and cranberries or raisins. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
-
Place the chicken back in the skillet along with any juices on the plate. Cook just until the apples are softened to preference, then remove from heat. Garnish with additional fresh herbs if desired and serve right away. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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Want More One-Skillet Chicken Recipes? Try One Of These!
Creamy Mustard Chicken with Bacon and Kale
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Love all the flavors in this recipe! Glad to find another creative way to cook brussels sprouts! Made extra & the leftovers were just as tasty! Thank you for another great recipe!
I have only like brussels sprouts half of the times i have had them, and I am not crazy about leftovers. THIS was DELICIOUS, and made GREAT leftovers, hah! Plus it only took about 30 minutes to make, which I really appreciate! I don’t have an oven-proof skillet, so I used a jelly roll pan and a steel cooling rack to finish crispifying the chicken. Then I was just able to pour the juices back into the skillet to use as broth. Suffice it to say – I will eat brussels sprouts this was always. YUM!
Made this tonight and oh my, it was so good! The flavors are so cozy, this will definitely be in my dinner rotation all fall and winter long. I served it with homemade pumpkin spice popcorn (at the request of my daughter) and it was a surprisingly perfect addition 🙂
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