Bacon Cheddar Apple Chicken Skillet is a cozy one skillet chicken dish that is full of flavor! From the smoky bacon, sweet apples, and gooey cheddar cheese, this is no boring chicken!
Is it starting to feel like fall where you live? We’ve had pretty mild weather the last couple of weeks, with some cooler mornings and evenings, and I have to admit – it has me craving comfort food! I’m not completely ready for sweaters and boots, as I really do like walking outside with a t-shirt and shorts on, but man I love fall.
To get us ready for the cooler months ahead, I’ve been making and testing a bunch of comfort food and Instant Pot recipes. This Bacon Cheddar Apple Chicken Skillet is the first one ready to share with you guys!
When I was naming this recipe, I asked Marc what he thought about Bacon Cheddar Apple Chicken Skillet and he thought it was way too long. “What about Autumn Chicken Skillet?” he asked. He had a good point and a pretty good suggestion to go along with it, but if I named it Autumn Chicken Skillet, how would you know that this chicken is stuffed with gooey cheddar cheese? And how would you know that there’s smoky bacon and sweet apples in the sauce?!
So yes, while name of this chicken skillet is long, every word is worth it.
This Bacon Cheddar Apple Chicken Skillet is the perfect dish to kick off fall. It’s actually all made in one skillet, too! You start by frying the bacon, then sautéing the cheddar stuffed chicken. Then you make a delicious pan sauce with apples, shallots, chicken broth, cream, and some thyme. After adding the chicken back to the sauce and letting it finish cooking, you have a seriously delicious autumn meal.
I served this with a wild rice and kale salad, some roasted brussels sprouts, and fresh bread – so good!!
Bacon Cheddar Apple Chicken Skillet is a cozy one skillet chicken dish that is full of flavor! From the smoky bacon, sweet apples, and gooey cheddar cheese, this is no boring chicken!
In a large cast iron skillet, cook bacon until crispy.
Remove bacon from the skillet and place on a paper towel lined plate.
Keep bacon grease in skillet and add olive oil, if needed, to cook the chicken.
Carefully cut a pocket in each chicken breast and stuff it with the cheddar cheese. I used a block of cheddar cheese and cut the cheese into slices that fit into the chicken pockets. You can use a toothpick to keep it closed.
Heat the grease/oil over medium-high heat and add chicken breasts.
Cook chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side, until golden brown. They do not need to be cooked through.
Transfer browned chicken breasts to a plate.
With the remaining oil/grease, add the shallot and apple. Cook until apple is softened and shallots are translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook one more minute.
Add the chicken broth and dijon, and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Slowly add in the cream and thyme, stirring to combine. Add bacon back into the sauce, stirring to combine.
Return the chicken back to the skillet, tucking it into the sauce.
Bring the sauce to a simmer, then cover the skillet. Let cook over medium heat for another 8-10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. I always use a meat thermometer and cook my chicken until the middle reaches 165 degrees F. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your chicken.
Where’s the cheddar cheese?