Description
This Grilled Apple Cider Chicken recipe is the ultimate fall meal! A spiced apple cider chicken brine, indirect heat grilling, & the best apple cider glaze yields the juiciest, most tender, & flavorful apple cider glazed chicken with the perfect crispy-sticky-tangy-sweet finish. Serve with grilled spiced squash & sweet potatoes for the best grilled fall meal!
Ingredients
- 4–5 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken parts (see Recipe Notes)
- 1 large delicata squash, sliced in half lengthwise, deseeded & sliced into 1/2-inch half moons
- 1 large sweet potato, sliced into 1/2-inch wedges
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
for the apple cider brine:
- 4 cups apple cider
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon whole allspice berries
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 12–15 whole cloves
for the apple cider glaze:
- 4 cups apple cider
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Make the apple cider brine: Combine all listed cider brine ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, just until the salt & brown sugar have dissolved. Remove from the heat. Transfer to a large glass bowl or large liquid measuring cup & set aside to cool.
- Make the apple cider glaze: Meanwhile, as the brine cools, prep the glaze. Wipe out the saucepan used to make the brine. Combine all listed cider glaze ingredients in the saucepan. Simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has reduced by about 3/4 – you should have roughly 1 cup of very syrupy, thick, dark brown glaze. Remove from the heat. Carefully transfer to a heat-safe airtight container or jar. Once cooled completely, store refrigerated for up to 1 week.
- Brine the chicken: Place the chicken parts in a large bowl or ziptop plastic bag. Carefully pour the apple cider brine (including all the whole spices) over the chicken, pressing down on the chicken parts as needed to ensure they’re submerged in the brine. Cover/seal and transfer to the refrigerator to brine for at least 12 hours or up to 2 days. The longer you’re able to brine, the juicier & more flavorful your cider chicken will be.
- Prep for grilling:
- Chicken prep: About 1 hour before you’d like to begin grilling, remove the chicken from the brine. Use a paper towel to pat the chicken as dry as possible. Set aside on a plate or a small baking sheet to come up to room temperature. Just before grilling, lightly season the surface of all of the chicken parts with kosher salt & ground black pepper.
- Squash prep: Place the sliced squash & sweet potato wedges in a large mixing bowl, topping with the olive oil, garlic, brown sugar, chili powder, & smoked paprika. Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper. Toss to coat & set aside.
- Light the grill: Prepare your grill for indirect cooking, creating a zone of direct high heat & a second zone of indirect heat. If using a gas grill, begin preheating at least 15 minutes before grilling. If using charcoal, light the charcoal at least 30 minutes prior to grilling. (To learn more about zone grilling, be sure to check out this post.)
5. Grill the apple cider chicken: Place the chicken on the indirect side of the grill, skin side up, as close to the fire as possible without being over the direct heat. Cook the chicken, rotating the pieces 180 degrees every 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken (without hitting the bone) registers a temperature of 150 degrees F. This could take as little as 15 minutes or up to 45 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken parts & the temperature of your grill. In my testing, bone-in chicken legs & thighs take 20-25 minutes while chicken breasts take closer to 45 minutes.
6. Glaze the chicken, grill the veggies: Turn all of the grill’s burners to medium heat. Move the chicken over direct heat & arrange the squash across the grill.
-
- Chicken: Use a pastry brush to baste the grilled chicken with the apple cider glaze. Cook for 1 minute per side, glazing the chicken generously along the way. Repeat 2-3 times, until your chicken is as charred & saucy as desired & an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken (without hitting the bone) registers a temperature of 160 degrees F. Remove from the grill and set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes. Carryover heat will cause the internal temperature to continue to rise as it rests. The chicken will be ready to serve once an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken (without hitting the bone) registers a temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Veggies: Grill the veggies about 5 minutes per side, until nicely charred & fork tender. Remove from the grill & set aside to serve.
7. Serve: Serve the cider grilled chicken with the grilled squash & sweet potato & any other side dishes you love. Enjoy!
Notes
- Best chicken to use for barbecued cider chicken: Use whatever you love most – seriously. This recipe will work great with chicken breasts, chicken thighs, chicken wings, drumsticks – whatever you love! I love a combination of bone-in, skin-on breasts, thighs, & legs, which is what you see pictured in this post. If possible, I strongly suggest using bone-in chicken parts, as they tend to be more flavorful & juicy than boneless parts.
- 20-Minute Meal Prep: This grilled cider chicken recipe is very easy, but there’s some prep involved. To make things simpler, carve out 20-30 minutes to get things prepped 1-2 days before you’d like to grill your chicken, &…
- Prep the cider brine according to Step 1 of Recipe Directions. (5 minutes active time)
- Prep the cider glaze according to Step 2 of Recipe Directions. (5 minutes active time)
- Optional: Slice the squash & sweet potatoes, & mix up the wet rub for the veggies. Store separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. (10 minutes active time)
- Brine the chicken according to Step 3 of Recipe Directions. (5 minutes active time)