Apple-Stuffed Chicken with Maple-Dijon (Poulet Farci)

Apple-Stuffed Chicken with Maple-Dijon (Poulet Farci)

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One of the reasons why I love one-pan dinners is for the simple fact that they’re usually really easy. Not every dinner can be as carefully planned out and cared for as Sunday night dinner.

That said, why should I eat something mediocre on the weeknights just because I don’t have as much time to cook as I do on the weekends? It doesn’t have to be that way, and meals like this apple-stuffed chicken with maple-dijon sauce prove it.

This is the kind of dinner that takes 10 minutes of hands-on prep, and another 25 minutes of you just sipping your wine as it bakes away in the oven.

Apple-Stuffed Chicken with Maple-Dijon (Poulet Farci)

The French often stuff their chicken with various produce as well, sometimes with spinach or mushrooms. The literal translation of stuffed chicken is poulet farci, and that’s what you’ll find listed on some French menus.

This apple-stuffed chicken is just as any good French poulet farci. Instead of stuffing the chicken breast with épinards (spinach) or champignons (mushrooms), I nestled in slices of hand-picked apples with shards of gruyere cheese.

I seasoned the outside of the apple-stuffed chicken breast with a sprinkling of herbes de provence, then drizzled a maple-dijon sauce on it before serving.

Apple-Stuffed Chicken with Maple-Dijon (Poulet Farci) Apple-Stuffed Chicken with Maple-Dijon (Poulet Farci)

When I tell you this apple-stuffed chicken is de-lish, I’m saying it with an extra emphasis on the delicious part. First of all, you get a wonderful combination of sweet and salty with the apple slices and gruyere.

The herbes de provence provide that wonderful touch of earthiness, and the maple-dijon at the end just turns up the volume by making this dinner truly delectable. The sauce has that notable kick from the dijon, but it’s also subdued into a palatable experience from the sweetness of the maple syrup.

You can make this apple-stuffed chicken for one, for two, or for a whole table of guests, really. All it requires is a small handful of simple ingredients and minimal effort to make this spectacular fall dinner.

Apple-Stuffed Chicken with Maple-Dijon (Poulet Farci)

Apple-Stuffed Chicken with Maple-Dijon

Yield: 2
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Baked chicken breasts stuffed with apple slices and gruyere cheese.

Ingredients

  • 2 large chicken breasts, with skin
  • 1/2 a large apple, cut into thin half-moon slices
  • 1 oz gruyere cheese, cut into shards/slices
  • 1 tsp herbes de provence
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

for the sauce

  • 2 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Use a sharp knife to horizontally cut into each chicken breast to create a pocket. The chicken breast should be in the shape of a taco shell. Don't completely split the breasts in half, but do cut deep enough so that you have room to stuff the breasts.
  2. Add a generous pinch of salt to both sides of the breasts, as well as a small pinch of freshly ground pepper. Add 1/4 tsp of the herbes de provence to each side of the breasts.
  3. Place 4 to 5 thin apple slices into the pockets of the breasts. Place the cheese on top of the apple slices. Poke a toothpick or small wooden skewer into the edges of the chicken breasts to keep the pockets pinned closed.
  4. Pour the olive oil into a cast-iron pan (or other oven-safe pan), and warm the pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, carefully place the stuffed chicken breasts in the pan. Brown each side for 3 to 5 minutes.
  5. Transfer the pan to the oven and allow the breasts to bake for approximately 25 minutes, until cooked through. Let the chicken breasts rest in the pan while you prepare the sauce.
  6. Whisk the dijon and maple syrup together until combined. Remove the wooden toothpicks/skewers and plate the chicken breasts. Pour the maple-dijon sauce over the chicken breasts. Serve with your choice of side.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 2 Servings
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 202
Apple-Stuffed Chicken with Maple-Dijon (Poulet Farci). Recipe via MonPetitFour.com

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18 Comments

  1. This looks wonderful and I plan to add it to our menu very soon. One quick question: do you call for skin-on chicken breasts to keep the meat moist? Is there another reason? I’m wondering if anyone has made the dish using skinless chicken breasts. Thank you!

    1. The skin will provide more chicken flavor and protect the meat from over cooking. Once ready to serve, you can peel the skin off but it is really tasty.

    2. Hi Amy, that’s exactly it. The skin helps keep the breast moist. You can definitely do it without skin, but just be checking on the chicken to make sure it doesn’t dry out. If you do use skin, you can peel off the skin after as well. 🙂

  2. I too enjoy a sweet-savory combination but my family does not. What can I substitute for the maple syrup to make the Dijon sauce? Blessings to you in Paris!

  3. This is absolutely delicious! Not only did it satisfy my sophisticated palate family but it also fulfilled my mantra of being easy & healthy! Perfect for a Tuesday night or special enough for a dinner party and no one has to know you didn’t slave all day. I am passing on your blog and this recipe to my social media as they need you! Thank you so much – am going to play with changing out some of the ingredients like maybe try pear with blue cheese or sun dried tomatoes with a goat cheese too.

    1. Thank you so much, Cindi! I so appreciate the kind feedback! If you’re sharing the blog, please feel free to share the membership too (frenchculinaryexperience.com/membership) for anyone who may want more detailed step-by-step visuals 🙂

    1. Hi Lori! Thanks for the kind feedback. 🙂 Do you hate the dried herbs or the actual herbs themselves? If you don’t like the dried version, then you could use some fresh thyme and rosemary finely chopped. If you don’t like those herbs (dried or fresh), but you want to go beyond a salt and pepper seasoning, I would recommend using one of those grill seasoning mixes by McCormick (be it chicken, steak, or vegetable seasoning). Those usually have great flavor!

      1. Thank you for the suggestions. It’s the lavender in the herbs de provance I don’t like so I will try using other seasonings, just wasn’t sure if one would be better than the other. I will be trying this recipe this weekend.

  4. I love dishes like this that look like you worked all day, but really have simple prep. Elegant enough for a dinner party and these flavors! And I like the way you think – pop it in the oven and sip on a glass of wine while you wait. 🙂

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