This recipe for Instant Pot Apple Cider Chicken is a warm and comforting fall dinner that is also healthy and delicious. A tangy cider glaze gives the chicken and sweet potatoes a sweet and savory finish.
Note: the SLOW COOKER instructions are listed in the recipe card below
Instant Pot Apple Cider Chicken
This dinner screams fall flavor to me with its sweet potatoes, apple cider and sliced apples. It’s healthy and satisfying and comes together quickly. My whole family loved the taste of this dinner and there were no leftovers!
What ingredients are in apple cider chicken?
- Apple Cider–not to be confused with apple cider vinegar. You can use apple juice if you’d like in the place of cider.
- Chicken tenderloins–they turn out so tender and delicious! You can also use chicken breasts or chicken thighs cut into chunks
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
- Honey
- Dijon mustard—or spicy brown mustard
- Olive oil
- Sweet potatoes—or butternut squash
- Dried rosemary
- Cornstarch
- Granny smith, golden delicious apples or fuji apples, cut into wedges
How to make apple cider chicken in the Instant Pot and Tips
- Before I start cooking I like to prep the sweet potatoes and apples and get out all the ingredients.
- Pour apple cider into Instant Pot. Add in the chicken tenders. Sprinkle with 2 big pinches of kosher salt and some freshly cracked pepper.
- In a bowl stir together the honey, dijon and melted butter/olive oil. Pour it over the chicken.
- In a pan that fits inside your Instant Pot add the sweet potatoes, rosemary, salt, pepper and olive oil. Toss well until coated. I used one of these stackable pans *and I did not use the lid.
- Place a tall trivet* into the Instant Pot around the chicken. Place the sweet potato pan on top of the trivet. If you add the potatoes directly in with the chicken they will get overdone and be very mushy.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 4 minutes. When the time is up let the pot sit for 5-10 minutes and then move the valve to venting.
- Remove the sweet potato pan and set aside. Use hot pads…the pan is hot!
- Make a cornstarch slurry with about 1 Tbsp cornstarch and 1 Tbsp water. Stir the mixture into the pot with the chicken. Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. Add in the apples. (If you try to pressure cook the apples it will turn into applesauce!) When the sauce has thickened turn off the Instant Pot.
- Gently stir the contents of the sweet potato pan into the Instant Pot with the chicken and sauce.
- Serve and enjoy! (This is fun with fresh rosemary or fresh thyme as a garnish!)
- You can double this recipe if you’d like. Double all the ingredients and use a 3 minute pressure cook time since the pot will take a longer time to come to pressure.
Serving Suggestions
For the most part this is a one pot meal. However you can serve it alongside extra green vegetables like brussels sprouts, broccoli or a tossed salad. If you want to stretch it further double the apple cider for extra sauce and serve it on top of quinoa.
Recommended Tools to Make This Apple Cider Chicken Meal
- 3, 6, or 8 quart Instant Pot*
- Tall Trivet*
- Pot in pot dish*
- Apple corer/slicer*
- Peeler*
- Knife*
How to Store and Reheat
- To Store. This recipe is best enjoyed the day it is made, but can last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container*.
- To Reheat. Reheat the leftovers gently in the microwave or on the stovetop with a bit of apple cider to keep the chicken from drying out.
More recipes with apple cider
Instant Pot Apple Cider Donut Cake
Apple Juice Chicken (you can use cider in the place of apple juice)
Cheddar Cheese Butternut Squash Soup Recipe with Apple Cider
Want More Tried And True Instant Pot Recipes?
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- Buy the 365 Days of Pressure Cooking Cookbook
Instant Pot Apple Cider Chicken
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes (plus 5 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This recipe for Instant Pot Apple Cider Chicken is a warm and comforting fall dinner that is also healthy and delicious. A tangy cider glaze gives the chicken and sweet potatoes a sweet and savory finish.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup apple cider (not apple cider vinegar)
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenderloins (or chicken breasts or thighs cut into chunks)
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp Dijon (or spicy brown mustard)
- 1 Tbsp melted butter or olive oil
- 12 ounces sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes (or butternut squash)
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch + 1 Tbsp cold water
- 2 granny smith or golden delicious apples, peeled and sliced
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Pour apple cider into Instant Pot. Add in the chicken tenders. Sprinkle with 2 big pinches of kosher salt and some freshly cracked pepper.
- In a bowl stir together the honey, dijon and melted butter/olive oil. Pour it over the chicken.
- In a pan that fits inside your Instant Pot add the sweet potatoes, rosemary, salt, pepper and olive oil. Toss well until coated.
- Place a tall trivet into the Instant Pot around the chicken. Place the sweet potato pan on top of the trivet.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 5 minutes. When the time is up let the pot sit for 5-10 minutes and then move the valve to venting.
- Remove the sweet potato pan and set aside.
- Make a cornstarch slurry with about 1 Tbsp cornstarch and 1 Tbsp water. Stir the mixture into the pot with the chicken. Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. Add in the apples. When the sauce has thickened turn off the Instant Pot.
- Gently stir the contents of the sweet potato pan into the Instant Pot with the chicken and sauce.
- Serve and enjoy!
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Add apple cider, chicken, honey, dijon, butter, sweet potatoes, rosemary, salt, pepper and olive oil into slow cooker. Stir well. Add in a couple pinches of kosher salt and some freshly cracked pepper.
- Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours.
- Make a cornstarch slurry with about 1 Tbsp cornstarch and 1 Tbsp water. Stir the mixture into the slow cooker. Add in the apples. Cook on high without the lid for about 10-15 minutes, or until sauce has thickened.
- Serve and enjoy!
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Instant Pot or Slow Cooker
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Delicious, but the sweet potatoes disintegrated. How can this be fixed?
★★★★★
Hmmm…did you cook them pot in pot?
I’ve made this twice before now, but I wanted to try it with pork. Last night I used cut up pork tenderloin and added onions, and mushrooms (needed to use). I used more liquid for the extra ingredients and for my 8 quart pot. It was delicious!! Karen, you have a great recipe here.
★★★★★
I love the idea of using pork with this recipe! Thanks for the idea
I made this 2 nights ago. So yum! I didn’t add any salt and used Fuji apples. Great flavor. I also used plain honey crisp apple juice… haven’t really been able to find apple cider this year. This will definitely be a routine recipe for me. Hits all my needs for diabetic and low sodium.
It really is so good. I am glad you discovered it Linda!
Karen, I only have chicken thighs on the bone with skin on hand, and I don’t want to run to the market. I know I can remove skin but can this recipe be made with chicken in the bone? How do I adjust the cooking time? Thank you.
I wish to make this tonight for dinner so I hope you see this in time🤨
Yes that will work fine! I would use the same time or maybe add 2 minutes
Can you use prepped pre-cut sweet potatoes in this slow cooker recipe, or should I use fresh sweet potatoes?
I think that would be totally fine!
I just finished eating this and it was delicious. I substituted Gala apples, as I like a little crispness and they worked wonderfully well.
I have a suggestion for a change of pace on Thanksgiving… a standard at almost all tables is candied yams/sweet potatoes. Double this recipe, leave out the chicken, then reduce the sauce down to about 3/4 of what it would normally be, also, perhaps use a bit more cornstarch, I had mine on saute for a fairly family/guests will our Ylong time and it was still a bit thin. be in awe at this wonderful “new” candied dish you served… I think leaving the two apples as the original recipe calls for would be perfect, but cut into chunks instead of wedges and added at the same time as you add the sweet potatoes back into the sauce.
Another hit Karen, thank you.
★★★★★
add to the previous post: Should read
I had mine on saute for a fairly long time and it was still a bit thin. Your family/guests will be in awe at this wonderful “new” candied dish you served…
I’d definitely eat that at Thanksgiving mmmm mmmm!
I bet this would be great with pork as a substitute!
Yes I think so too!
I am anxious to make this recipe!
★★★★★
You’ll love it!
This sounds good! Just wondering how softened the apples get?
My golden delicious were surprisingly soft by just stirring them in at the end!
Thanks Karen!