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Fall dinners just got easier and more delicious with this creamy spiced apple pecan chicken! Sweet, juicy apples, crunchy pecans, and tender chicken come together in a one-pan, 20-minute meal that everyone will love. As a nutritionist, I always aim for meals that are healthy, simple, and full of flavor, and this recipe checks all the boxes!!
I cannot get enough of apples in the fall!! Recently, I picked up a big crate of organic Honeycrisp apples at my local farmer’s market and have been experimenting with new ways to cook with them. From salads to breakfasts, side dishes, and now dinner, apples bring natural sweetness, texture, and depth to any meal. Adding pecans makes this chicken dish irresistible and perfect for family dinners or even entertaining guests.
If you love apples in savory recipes, you will also enjoy my refreshing Apple Slaw, one of my favorite apple recipes which makes a fantastic side dish for this chicken!
How to Make Creamy Spiced Apple Pecan Chicken
This recipe comes together easily in about 20 minutes with just one pan. Start by mixing spices for a flavorful chicken rub. I love combining cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Sear the chicken on each side for a few minutes to lock in flavor. The chicken doesn’t need to cook completely at this stage. Cover and set aside.
Next, add chopped pecans, apples, and crushed garlic to the same skillet. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often to mix in the spices. Add the creamy component—coconut milk works for a dairy-free version, or use half and half or heavy cream if you prefer. Scrape the bottom of the pan to capture every bit of flavor. Return the chicken to the skillet and cook for another 5 minutes until fully done.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- One-pan meal that saves time and cleanup
- Sweet apples and crunchy pecans paired with savory spices
- Quick weeknight dinner that feels special enough for guests
- Healthy and satisfying for the whole family
Tips for Best Results
- Choose firm apples like Honeycrisp or Fuji for perfect texture
- Sear chicken properly to get golden, flavorful edges
- Stir apple and pecan mixture frequently to avoid sticking
- Make it dairy-free with coconut milk or enjoy with cream for extra richness
Serving Suggestions
Serve over rice, quinoa, or spaghetti squash for a filling meal. Add a fresh side salad and top with my favorite fall dressing, Toasted Pecan Vinaigrette, for a complete dinner. This dish is comforting, cozy, and perfect for busy fall evenings!!
Creamy Spiced Apple Pecan Chicken (Dairy-Free, Paleo, Whole30)
Ingredients
- 3-4 large chicken breasts
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 2 large apples, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch chunks
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1.5 cups full fat coconut milk*
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp arrowroot starch
- 1 tbsp water
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Begin by heating a large skillet to medium high heat.
- Prepare your chicken breasts by pounding them to be thinner, and possibly cutting them in half (if they are HUGE).
- In a small bowl stir together the cumin, cinnamon, cardamom and salt. Coat or rub the chicken with spices.
- Add 2 tbsp olive oil to your pan once hot, and begin to cook the chicken. Sear on each side for 2-3 minutes (depending on thickness of chicken). Chicken does not need to be fully cooked, but almost cooked. Set aside and cover with foil.
- Place remaining olive oil in the skillet and add garlic, apples, and pecans. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until apples soften and pecans are fragrant. Continue to scrape the bottom of the pan to collect spices from the chicken.
- Pour in coconut milk, apple cider vinegar, and scrape the bottom of the pan to flavor the sauce. Add Chicken back to the skillet.
- In a small bowl, mix together arrowroot starch and water. Pour into the pan.
- Cover with a lid and let the mixture cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until the mixture is thickened and chicken is cooked through. Add an additional pinch of salt, or more to taste.
- Serve immediately over rice, greens, or vegetable noodles.
Love the idea of this recipe! Changes the seasoning a bit to my taste (hate cumin) and added dried cranberries and celery. However…I used half and half as described in notes and when it mixed with the vinegar it coagulated and was an awful texture. It tasted great and I’d like to make it again. Any idea why the texture got messed up?
This was a huge surprise – so delicious and so fragrant.
This was delicious! I used canned coconut milk and it seemed really thick. Would that be correct?
Yes!! It should be really thick.
The recipe was well written and easy to follow. I have to prepare more like 8 servings, didn’t have cardamom or coconut milk, and I think the jury is still out on how well my family likes sweet/savory combinations in dishes. I was a little leery to add the ACV…still wondering what benefit it had to the recipe? I expected it to curdle the milk (reg milk, not coconut), and it did. But everything turned out ok in the end. The texture of the pecans was really nice, the chicken turned out nicely tender, and it was a terrific topper to the cauliflower rice. Cooking for 8, of course I added more garlic (3 cloves). I never use only one clove of garlic for anything, lol. We paired the chicken/rice with roasted green beans and that was great.
Overall, though, I’m just not sure we love the dish. And that’s ok! We tried something new, and that’s important. The overall flavor seemed a little bland…wondering how we can kick it up a bit? But remember, I didn’t have cardamom so I just left it out. That may have been enough to make the dish more enjoyable.
I would recommend a few steps of pre-cooking work: mince the garlic, peel/cut up the apples, prep the spices before you even begin with the chicken.