Chicken roasted with apples and fennel, a perfect fall pairing, is both weeknight simple and dinner-party worthy.
Seasoned with rosemary, thyme, and sage and drizzled with olive oil, the chicken turns tantalizingly crisp while the rendered fat bastes the onions, apples, and fennel until they’re meltingly tender.
You want a good sharp apple, such as Haralson, to cut through the richness of the dark meat; the acidity also gives the dish a lift. The caramel notes of the crisped chicken skin echo that of the roasting apples. Do include the fennel. While some folks are put off by raw fennel’s pushy licorice taste, the flavors mellow as its edges soften and become slightly sweet and lush. Together, the apples and fennel become a nutty duo, more than the sum of their parts.
Fennel is more versatile and easier to work with than celery, its tough, stringy cousin. Fennel is also hardy enough to prepare in advance. Remove and discard the hard end of the bulb, then slice or chop it up and store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Save the stalks for soup and the fronds for garnish. This cool-weather crop is now at its peak, as are our local apples. When at the farmers market, taste the apple samples and choose your favorites. Both are fabulous, raw and cooked.
This roast chicken, apple and fennel recipe is easily doubled for built-in leftovers, which can become the foundation for lunches and simple dinners. Toss the chicken into a salad; simmer the cooked veggies together in a stock for soup, or tangle with pasta and top with sharp cheese.
Try the apple-fennel slaw to serve alongside; it will last a few days in the refrigerator, too. Take a little extra time on Sunday and make it easy in the kitchen through the week.
Roast Chicken With Fennel and Apples
Serves 4 to 6.
Chicken thighs are roasted with tart apples and fennel for a quick full-on autumn dinner. Sharp bright apples amplify the mellow anise notes of fennel to give the rich thighs a lift. Serve with a crisp apple-fennel slaw on the side.
- 2 1/2 to 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, patted dry
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 1 medium fennel bulb, fronds removed, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 tart apple, such as Haralson or Keepsake, cored and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons mixture of chopped fresh parsley, rosemary, and sage
- 1/4 cup hard or sweet cider
- Fennel and apple slaw (see recipe)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place chicken thighs in a 2-quart baking dish. Tuck the onion, fennel, and apple slices around the chicken, and drizzle the olive oil over all. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper and the fresh herbs, reserving some for garnish. Add the cider.
Roast until the chicken becomes crisp and the vegetables become caramelized and tender, about 25 to 35 minutes, basting occasionally with the pan juices. If the chicken skin is not fully crisped, run the chicken under the broiler for about 1 to 2 minutes.
Serve with fennel and apple slaw.
Simple Fennel and Apple Slaw
Serves 4 to 6.
Use this crisp slaw to accompany the Roast Chicken With Fennel and Apples.
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon coarse mustard
- 3 tablespoons sunflower or hazelnut oil
- 1 large fennel bulb, sliced thin
- 1 large tart apple, cored and sliced thin
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts or walnuts
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, maple syrup, and mustard, and then whisk in the oil. Put the fennel and apple into a medium bowl and toss with the vinaigrette. Season to taste with the salt and pepper and serve topped with the nuts.
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