This apple-mustard chicken is grilled with a glaze made from fresh apples, Dijon mustard, and brown sugar, and served with a creamy apple sauce. The tart apples work especially well with the mustard and grilled chicken.
I had lots of apples this year, so I’m trying to use them while they are still fresh. I wanted to try them in a savory dish, and they worked particularly well with grilled chicken, Dijon mustard, and a little brown sugar. A small pinch of chili in the glaze adds some heat.
Making the Apple Glaze and Sauce
The glaze and sauce start with the same simple apple base. Apples are cooked with onion and garlic in a little butter and olive oil, then softened with a small amount of water and blended until smooth. I pass the purée through a sieve to make it silky, then divide it between the glaze and sauce.
The glaze is cooked down until thick and brushed onto the chicken toward the end of grilling. The brown sugar helps it caramelize, while Dijon mustard and a little chili keep it from being too sweet.
The sauce uses the remaining apple purée with a little Dijon, chicken stock, cream, and soy sauce. It is milder than the glaze, so the apple flavor comes through without making the dish too sweet.
If you enjoy fruit-based glazes, try my Apricot-Glazed Pork Loin too.
What to Serve with the Chicken
I served the chicken with roasted potatoes, green and yellow beans, and a simple mixed salad with fresh tomatoes. The potatoes go well with the creamy apple sauce, while the beans and salad add something fresh to the plate.
For an easy potato option, my Homemade Air Fryer Fries would also work well here. You could also keep the sides very simple with new potatoes and a green salad.
The chicken is fairly quick to prepare, especially if the apple base is made ahead. The glaze should be added toward the end of grilling so the brown sugar has time to caramelize without burning.
If you have tart apples on hand, this is a good way to use some of them. Cooking them down concentrates their flavor and turns them into something quite different from the usual apple desserts. You can also make this recipe with unsweetened apple purée if you don’t have fresh apples on hand. You’ll need about 300 g (10½ oz).
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Grilled Chicken with Apple-Mustard Glaze
Equipment
- Large saucepan
- Small saucepan
- Immersion blender
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Cutting board
- Chef’s knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Kitchen scale
- grill
- Tongs
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
Apple Base
- 350 g (12 oz) tart apples cored and cut into wedges
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp butter
- 3 tbsp water
Chicken
- 4 chicken breast fillets
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Olive oil for brushing
Apple-Mustard Glaze
- 100 g (3½ oz) strained apple purée
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 20 g brown sugar about 1½ tbsp
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 fresh sage leaves finely chopped
- Small pinch of chili flakes
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp butter
Creamy Apple Sauce
- 200 g (7 oz) strained apple purée
- ½ tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 dl chicken stock ½ cup
- 1 dl (½ cup) cream
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 – 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 fresh sage leave finely chopped
- ½ – 1 tsp apple cider vinegar or to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Salt if needed
Instructions
Make the Apple Base
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a saucepan. Add the apples, onion, and garlic and cook over medium heat for a few minutes, until the onion softens and the apples begin to soften.
- Add the water, cover, and cook gently until the apples and onions are completely soft.
- Blend until smooth with an immersion blender.
- Pass the purée through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing it through with a spoon to make it smooth.
Make the Glaze
- Place one-third of the apple purée in a small saucepan. Add the Dijon mustard, brown sugar, soy sauce, sage, chili flakes, salt, and black pepper.
- Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the glaze thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Make the Sauce
- Place two-thirds of the apple purée, Dijon mustard, chicken stock, soy sauce, brown sugar, and sage in a saucepan.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for a few minutes.
- Add the cream and simmer gently until the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Stir in the apple cider vinegar and season with black pepper. Taste before adding salt, as the soy sauce already adds saltiness.
Grill the Chicken
- Pat the chicken fillets dry and season with salt and black pepper. Brush lightly with olive oil. Grill over medium-high heat until the chicken is almost cooked through.
- Brush the chicken generously with the apple-mustard glaze and continue grilling, turning and brushing with more glaze, until the chicken is fully cooked and the glaze is lightly caramelized.
- Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving.
- Serve with the creamy apple sauce and your choice of sides.
