This baked chicken with apples and honey is an easy to make weeknight dinner for all the family. With fruity flavours from the apple, the sweetness of the honey and a herby hum from the thyme and sage, it is so flavourful and works wonderfully with rice, cous cous or mashed potatoes.
Chicken always feels like a versatile ingredient, with so many ways to add flavour. You may like to take a peek at my rosemary chicken fillets or the coconut chicken skewers, which are perfect for a summer BBQ.
This baked apple chicken feels particularly cosy for the fall or winter months, and the sweetness is just so good. I think it will become a family favourite for you!
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⭐ Why you'll love this recipe
- Perfectly sweet. The combination of apple and honey give just the right amount of sweetness, without being overpowering.
- Low carb. If you prefer to be, this is a lower carb chicken traybake.
- Easy to make. Just a few steps and then the oven does the work for you.
🐓 Ingredients
An easy recipe that combines fresh ingredients and some pantry staples. You will need:
- Chicken - use chicken breasts, cut into two or three pieces depending upon their size.
- Apples - gives a lovely sweetness.
- Honey - feels quite indulgent and gives an extra sweetness too.
- Onion and garlic - for a base of flavour.
- Apple juice - used to cook the traybake and prevent it from being dry.
- Sage and thyme - both provide a lovely herby hum of flavour.
Make sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredients and their quantities!
🔪 Step by step instructions
STEP 1
Fry the chicken in a skillet for a few minutes on each side. Set aside in the baking tray. Add more half oil (if needed) to the skillet and fry the onion and garlic until softened. Add the sliced apples and cook for a further minute. Pour in the apple juice and honey, and season with thyme, sage, salt and pepper. Add the flaked almonds if using and cook for a further few minutes.
STEP 2
Pour the apple mixture over the chicken and stir so that is evenly coated in the mixture. Cover the baking tray with foil and bake in the oven until the chicken is cooked through with an internal temperature of 165F.
🍽 How to serve
If you would like some carbs on the side, this baked chicken with apples goes so well with the following:
- Rice - this is how we tend to serve the dish. Rice is great for dishes with sauce as it mops up all the flavours. I particularly like wild rice as it is a bit nutty to taste, or a wild rice and whole grain mix. Gluten-free for those that prefer to be, or are coeliac.
- Cous cous - I love cous cous for being so easy to cook (simply pour on boiling water and cover in a bowl for 5 minutes, then fluff up with a fork) and it's great paired with fruity dishes.
- Mashed potato - this is the preferred option of my little nieces! Try out my creamy potato cauliflower mash for some good old comfort food!
🥣 More delicious chicken recipes
Find so may delicious chicken recipes here on the site, including my popular pesto chicken risotto and pan fried panko chicken. Some recent recipes:
I’m always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to hear of new recipes. And please do leave a star rating if you tried the recipe!
📖 Recipe
Baked Chicken with Apples and Honey
Ingredients
- 1.5 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 2 skinless chicken breasts halved
- ½ onion diced
- 1 clove garlic optional
- 1.5 granny smith apples cored and sliced
- ¾ cup apple juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon sage fresh
- 1 tablespoon flaked almonds optional
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C / 390F.
- Cut the chicken breasts lengthways. In a skillet add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and fry the chicken breasts for 2-3 minutes on each side. Place in your baking tray.
- In the same skillet add another half tablespoon of oil (if needed) and fry the onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the sliced apples and cook for a further minute. Pour in the apple juice and honey, and season with thyme, sage, salt and pepper. Add the flaked almonds if using. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Pour the apple mixture over the chicken, loosely cover the baking tray with foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes and then serve.
Notes
- If you are using dried sage rather than fresh, you may wish to reduce the quantity a little as it is more pungent in dried form.
- For those on a low histamine diet, it would be beneficial to use an apple juice with as few, if any, additives as possible.
- Please note that nutritional information is offered as a courtesy. It is auto-generated and should be understood to be an estimate.
Swiss Interest Group Histamine Intolerance (SIGHI) food compatibility list for histamine
All ingredients score 0 on the SIGHI list, with the exception of:- garlic, which scores 1. It is stated that small amounts are usually well tolerated after cooking.
- black pepper, which scores 2. The SIGHI list states that small amounts are tolerated.
- almonds, which score 1. It is stated that small amounts are well tolerated. Almonds are optional for the recipe.
Karen says
combination of the apple & honey works really well with the chicken. Had it with couscous & another time with mash & veg,lovely
Claire says
So glad you like it Karen! It's quite versatile to have with different sides isn't it.
Camilla says
Lovely combination of flavours!
Claire says
So glad you liked it Camilla!
Tan says
Has anyone tried in an instant pot?
Claire says
I don't have an Instant Pot, but I'm so tempted to get one! Will report back if I make the recipe in it.
Sheryl says
This sounds mouth watering! I wouldn't have thought of apples and chicken together for a tray bake!
throughthefibrofog says
It's a good one - an old family recipe adapted a little. Hope you like it!
Shruti Chopra says
Hahahhaha - "when I asked for ingredient measurements, she looked at me blankly and said, ‘well it’s just what feels right isn’t it’. So helpful mum, so helpful!" - that is exactly how my mum is! Everything is what feels right and I always feel lost when she says that. I do love how you got your mum on this with you despite the lack of measurement help. It's so nice to share family recipes. Thank you for doing that because this seems like a combination I'd never think of.
throughthefibrofog says
It's a lovely experience with family recipes and cooking together isn't it. Makes it feel more special in a way.