Chicken and Cider Casserole is a classic family meal, with a refreshing fruity twist. Filled with rich flavours, this is the perfect creamy casserole for a cold evening, or after a busy day when you need a little comfort food.
*This post may contain affiliate links to products I find useful when making this recipe. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.*
I love a good hearty casserole in the winter. There’s no better comfort food, and this chicken casserole is the perfect dinner for those frosty days where you don’t want to leave the house…or your duvet.
This chicken casserole with cider is based on my pork and cider casserole, which we love equally and has always been popular.
I’m always looking for chicken breast recipes because they are cheap and easy and always good to have in.
So, I was keen to see if one of our favourites would make a good chicken breast casserole without too much modification.
Totally does.
I’m actually not sure whether I prefer it with chicken or pork. The sauce is just absolutely gorgeous. It’s buttery, a little bit fruity, and completely different from other casseroles that are popular at this time of the year.
Do You Cook Chicken Before Putting it in a Casserole?
Not exactly. When I cook chicken in casserole I tend to just very quickly brown the breasts in my cooking dish before I do anything else.
For large breasts, I might cook them for 3-5 minutes on each side (less for smaller breasts). The middles won’t be cooked, but the outsides will be browned, and no longer raw.
I then set my breasts to one side, before frying the bacon and onions in the same butter and juices.
I return the partially cooked chicken breasts to the cooking pan when I add the stock and cider.
This Chicken and Cider Casserole cooks very slowly in the oven so the chicken breasts get plenty of time to cook through.
By the end of the bake, they are so soft that smaller pieces might be starting to fall apart.
What Cider Should You Use for a Chicken and Cider Casserole?
I’m not that fussy!
I wouldn’t recommend cooking with super cheap bottles of white cider that you may or may not have drunk with your mates when you were 15…
But that doesn’t mean that you need to spend a fortune either. I buy single bottles of dry cider from Aldi for not much more than £1.
Generally, if you are making this Recipe For Chicken and Cider Casserole, I would say dry cider is much better than sweet, medium strength (no more than 7%) is better for cooking with, as the alcohol won’t overpower the flavour, and if you wouldn’t drink it, don’t cook with it.
How Can I Make My Chicken Casserole Tastier?
Chicken Casseroles can be a little bland. Let’s face it, chicken can be a little bland.
Not this Chicken, Leek, and Cider Casserole!
The chicken is seasoned and browned in butter, the sauce has strong flavours like leek, cider, mustard, and tarragon, and it’s just super flavoursome.
What Herbs Go with Chicken Casserole?
I love tarragon in this chicken casserole with leeks. But you can skip it if you want and just stick with the flavours of the cider and mustard.
If you want to try a slightly different flavour, parsley works quite well too.
How Long Does Chicken Casserole Take to Cook?
Casseroles need a long cook to thicken and grow in flavour. I wouldn’t cook a casserole for less than 2 hours.
I cook my Creamy Chicken and Cider Casserole for just over 2 hours in total. Around 15 minutes to soften and prepare the veg and meat on the hob, then 1 hour 30 covered in the oven, and a final 30 minutes uncovered with the crème Fraiche and mustard.
This is a little less than I cook my pork casserole. But I found any longer and even the large chicken breasts completely broke up.
It’s still a long, slow cook though, giving the flavours time to enrich, and the chicken time to cook well.
What Temperature Does Chicken Need to be in a Casserole?
To be safe the chicken in any easy chicken casserole needs to reach 165 degrees F.
This isn’t a problem with such a long bake. But, if you want to check and don’t have a meat thermometer, simply slice the largest chicken breast open and gently touch it with your finger. It should be very hot to touch, and white all of the way through, with no pink bits.
What Can I Use Instead of a Casserole Dish?
When I make my Chicken and Cider Casserole Recipe, I bake it in a large cast-iron dish (affiliate link). These are completely heatproof, so great on the hob or in the oven, they conduct heat really well, and they last forever.
I cook everything from curry to spag bol in mine, and a good cast iron dish (or Dutch oven) is definitely a worthwhile investment.
But, for an easy chicken breast casserole, you can use anything that’s ovenproof and has a lid.
If you can’t use your ovenproof dish on the hob for the first part of the recipe, simply brown your chicken and soften your onions and bacon in a large frying pan, and tip into your ovenproof dish or pan before adding the stock.
Don’t worry about bringing the sauce to the simmer on the hob, just cover, and place in the oven.
Should Chicken Casserole be Covered in the Oven?
Cooking food uncovered encourages browning or crisping, and reduces the liquid. I cook this simple chicken casserole uncovered for the last 30 minutes, just to thicken and reduce the cider sauce.
But, the bulk of the cooking is done covered, so that you don’t need to worry about the Chicken with cider casserole drying out or crisping.
If your casserole is too thin or watery, bake uncovered for a little longer.
What Should You Serve with Chicken and Cider Casserole?
I absolutely love a chicken casserole and mash. There’s nothing more comforting than mashed potato, right?
You don’t really need to serve with veg, as there’s already plenty in there, but more never hurts if you wanted to add some greens to the side of your plate.
You could also serve this recipe for chicken and cider casserole with boiled or roast potatoes or crunchy bread to mop up the sauce.
Can You Reheat Chicken Casserole?
Yes. Carefully. And only once. And at your own risk.
Cool the casserole quickly, and place it in a sealed tub in the fridge, or freezer.
It can stay in the fridge for 1-2 days (as long as the chicken was in date) and should be reheated very thoroughly.
I’d reheat it on the hob, adding more stock or water if necessary, and simmer for 30 minutes, making sure the chicken is piping hot before serving.
If freezing, your chicken casserole will be fine for a month or two. Thaw thoroughly in the fridge before warming on the hob, again making sure the chicken is piping hot.
Only reheat once, so if there are lots left it’s a good idea to freeze in portions.
Chicken and Cider Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 4 Large Chicken Breasts (Seasoned with salt and pepper)
- 300 g Smoked Streaky Bacon (Chopped)
- 1 Red Onion (Diced)
- 2 Large Leeks (Chopped into thin slices)
- 2 Large Carrots (Peeled and roughly chopped)
- 500 ml Dry Cider
- 500 ml Chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons Creme Fraiche
- 2 tablespoons Tarragon
- 2 tablespoons Wholegrain Mustard
- 2 tablespoons Cornflour
- 2 tablespoons Water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170 degrees (fan-assisted) and melt the butter on the hob (medium heat) in a large, lidded ovenproof dish.
- Add the seasoned chicken breasts and fry 3-4 minutes of each side until browned.
- Remove the chicken from the dish and leave to one side on a large plate.
- Add the onions to the ovenproof dish and fry in the butter for 3 minutes until they are starting to soften.
- Add the bacon and fry for a further 5 minutes until browned, stirring frequently.
- Tip in the carrots, leeks, cider, and stock, stir and bring to a simmer on the hob.
- Nestle the chicken breasts on top.
- Cover and bake in the oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- In a jug or small bowl mix the creme fraiche, cornflour, water, tarragon, and mustard.
- Remove the casserole from the oven, uncover and stir.
- Pour in the creme fraiche mixture and stir through.
- Return to the oven, uncovered for a further 30 minutes.
Nutrition
Any nutritional information is given as a general guide only and may not be accurate. The information is provided using an online calculator and is specific to my ingredients. Please make your own calculations if you want precise information.
