I love this Pan-Roasted Chicken with Bacon and Apples so much that I put it on the cover of my first cookbook, The Zenbelly Cookbook! I first learned a variation of this at a little bistro I worked at in upstate New York, where I learned so much about food, about working as a team, and about myself. But that’s for another post.
pan roasted chicken with bacon and apples
(want the recipe in all its printed glory? Buy the cookbook!)
What can you find in The Zenbelly Cookbook, you ask? Good question! Here are the things I’m most excited about:
- How To’s: The beginning pages of The Zenbelly Cookbook are chock full of tips and techniques, complete with step by step photos to go with them. You’ll learn everything from how to source quality ingredients, to how to hold a knife, to how to cut up a whole chicken.
- Photos: 2 per recipe! Each recipe in the book has an ingredients photo (like the one below) and a plated photo (like the one above) I had so much fun doing both of these shoots, but mostly the ingredients shots. There’s something about organizing things neatly that brings me zen. Plus, I love how it gives a visual “before”, so you can see all of the ingredients you’ll be using. I hope you love them, too.
- Recipes! Duh, I know. But I’m so excited to share these recipes with you. While there are some favorites from the blog that just had to be included (like NY Style Pizza Crust and No Joke Chocolate Cake), about 100 out of the 110 recipes are brand new.
- Menus: I’ve included several menus for you, including an adventurous Thanksgiving spread, and a fancy multiple course dinner party menu that you can make 98% of ahead of time. Imagine how impressed your guests will be when you present them with an incredible dinner, all the while being nothing short of cool and collected. HOW DO YOU DO IT?! (Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me!)
This week, I’m sharing one of my all-time cooking methods with you. Pan roasting is a great way to not only speed up the process of cooking a whole chicken, but also makes it easy to infuse a ton of flavor into the bird. The end result is crispy skin, tender meat and more flavor than you think is possible from a 45 minute dinner!
WATCH THIS VIDEO TO LEARN HOW TO CUT UP A WHOLE CHICKEN – IT’S PROBABLY EASIER THAN YOU THINK!
video made by Jesse Kane / American Made Films
Prep Time:
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Comfort food, elevated. (But still simple to make!)
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, (cut up into 8 pieces)
- 1 teaspoon finely ground sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 pound bacon, (cut into lardons)
- 1 cup sliced shallots ((about 3 large))
- 1 apple, (sliced in ½-inch-thick half-moons)
- 1 cup white wine
- 3 to 4 sprigs fresh thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Season the chicken pieces liberally on both sides with the salt, and just on the flesh side with the pepper.
- Heat a large, dry cast-iron, or other oven-safe, skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken pieces skin side down in the hot skillet until nicely browned and crispy. Flip and cook on the flesh side for 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and nestle in the thyme sprigs. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, brown the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes.
- Pour off all but about a tablespoon of the fat, and add the shallots and apple. Saute for another 4 to 5 minutes, or until the shallots are softened and the apples start to brown.
- After the chicken had cooked for 15 minutes, add the bacon apple mixture to the pan with the chicken, doing your best to nestle it between the pieces as opposed to covering the skin.
- Roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
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JenniLoryn says
The part where you seat the chicken is confusing.
zenbellyblog says
Why? I’ve read it about 12 times and am not sure what’s confusing about it.
JenniLoryn says
You start with skin side down and flip to flesh side then flip again wouldn’t it be skin side down again but it says you end skin side up. Not trying to be critical just helpful. The recipe sounds delicious!
zenbellyblog says
Oh I know. I appreciate it! Better here than once it’s in in print 🙂 You start with the skin down, then flip it so the flesh side is down, and then flip again so it’s back where the way it started, skin side up. I’ll have 10 more people read it to figure out why it’s not reading clearly. Thank you!!!
zenbellyblog says
You’re right you’re right! You know this, obviously, sorry it took me forever to understand what was wrong… I’m sleep deprived. Thanks and sorry!
JenniLoryn says
Glad to help! 🙂
Heidi says
This thread is interesting and I’d love to put in my 2 cents. I flipped only twice (once per side) and this dish came out killer delicious. My experience with recipes is that 1 out of 10 might be a keeper. This is not only a keeper, this one is my new favorite! Oh, so delicious. Thank you for sharing your talents. 🙂
zenbellyblog says
Thanks, Heidi! I’m so glad you loved it! 🙂
Sile McDermott says
I get what Jenni is saying…
-skin down
-flesh down
-flip again with skin up. (the skin is already up before this point. this is where the confusion lies.)
Erin W. says
Start with skip down, flesh up
flip to flesh down, skin up
flip again to skin up? it’s already up
Other than that it looks yummy!
EL says
Hate to say it, zenbelly, but both the recipe and your reply to JenniLoryn don’t make sense. Skin down, flesh down, skin down is how it is written…. even though you say to finish with skin up. If you start with skin down and need to finish with skin up, then it would have to be: skin down, flesh down, skin down, flesh down…. that would make it end with skin side up. Make sense?
zenbellyblog says
Yup! I finally figured out why it wasn’t making sense in my head. Argh. Sorry about that! Edited.
Erin says
Just make sure it’s seared before you put it in the oven. It’s not an exact science, guys.
Gem says
Looks yummy…but what could you sub for white wine?
Adriane Marie Munger says
Chicken stick or apple cider:)
Adriane Marie Munger says
Chicken stock*
Kathy says
Skin side down first, flip to flesh side, sear, end up with skin side up. I understood right away, was hard to find the mistake. Sounds like a great recipe cant wait to try it.
Kathy says
Sorry for not being clear, the mistake was not on the recipe it was in the reply.
Sally says
Very, very good. Thank you!
Jill says
Ohmyheavens, I just made this for dinner and it was SPECTACULAR! I wanted to lick the pan clean. Seriously. Thank you.
zenbellyblog says
So glad to hear it! Thanks, Jill 🙂
Cynthia G. says
This is a Zen Belly day. First made the awesome Fluffy Almond Flour pancakes and for supper make this chicken dish. It was also delicious and a quite fast and easy way to cook a whole chicken. This recipe is also a “keeper”. Thanks so much!
Jennifer McElroy Long says
made this for dinner last night , delish !!! I was out of wine ( shocking and I’ve vowed not to let that happen again ) but I did have an open beer which I used as a sub. and I didn’t have a whole chicken but used several chicken thighs ( bone and skin on ) It was awesome, held up well with the bacon and apples. keeper recipe for sure !
Jules says
This was so quick & yummy! Threw in some cubed butternut squash in with the apples & shallots. Delish fall dish! Thank you!
Amy says
I love the idea of adding the butternut squash to make it a complete one-pan meal! I’m going to try this! Did it take longer to cook?
Christine says
I love to cook and usually can recognize a good recipe when I see one. This one looked marvelous. Followed your recipe and not only did the whole house smell great but my family loved it…. kids and adults. It is now in regular menu rotation. They beg for this and we now will make it when we are having company as it looks as impressive as it smells and tastes. Great recipe! I will continue to share it with all who will listen. Looking forward to getting my hands on your cookbook!
Lee says
I make this all the time it’s such a family favorite. I sub 8 thighs for the whole chicken because we are all dark meat fans and it is luscious. I also use chicken broth most of the time since we rarely have white wine around. Doesn’t seem to make a difference. Really good recipe! And I love your cookbook too
★★★★★
zenbelly says
Thanks, Lee! I’m so glad you love it. Chicken broth is a great sub for white wine, I should add that suggestion to the recipe!