Apple-Rosemary Chicken

I promise you this chicken will leave smiles at the dinner table. The sweetness of the apples and cider combined with the savoriness of the rosemary produces one of the tastiest chicken pan sauces you've ever had. And then top it off with a garnish of bacon … oh yeah!

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 40 mins
• Calories: 269 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 slices bacon, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ½ cup apple cider
• 1 firm apple, cored and cut into 1/2-inch slices
• ½ onion, vertically sliced
• ½ cup sodium-free chicken broth

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Pound chicken breasts with a tenderizer to an even thickness and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Place flour in a large plastic resealable bag. Add chicken breasts one at a time and shake to coat with flour. Remove from the bag, shake off excess flour, and set aside.

Step 2

Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon slices on paper towels, reserving about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the skillet.

Step 3

Add butter to the reserved bacon fat and cook over medium heat until melted. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink in the center and a meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the breasts. Remove from skillet and keep warm.

Step 4

Add apple, onion, and garlic to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in chicken broth, apple cider, rosemary, and lemon juice. Cover and simmer until apple and onion are tender, about 4 minutes. Remove apple and onion to a plate and keep warm. Leave pan juices in the skillet.

Step 5

Bring pan juices to a boil and cook until slightly reduced and flavor has intensified, about 3 minutes. Return chicken, apple, and onion to the skillet, and reheat briefly until warm. Serve garnished with the pan sauce and crisp bacon.