Oktoberfest Chicken and Red Cabbage

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 85 min
Servings: 8
Yield: 8 servings

Description

This Oktoberfest chicken and red cabbage recipe features chicken thighs, cabbage, bacon, and apple for a sweet and sour German-inspired main dish.

Ingredients

4 slices bacon
1 tablespoon bacon drippings
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 pounds skinless chicken thighs
1 red onion, sliced
1 large apple, cored and sliced
1 head red cabbage, cored and sliced
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2 Cook bacon in a large oven-safe or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate until cool; crumble bacon. Leave drippings in the skillet.
3 Whisk flour, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and smoked paprika together in a medium bowl until evenly combined; dredge chicken thighs in flour and shake off excess.
4 Cook chicken in drippings in the skillet over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes per side; transfer chicken to a plate.
5 Drain and discard all but 1 tablespoon drippings from the skillet. Add onion and apple; cook and stir until onion is translucent and apple softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in cabbage and bacon; season with kosher salt. Cook, stirring often, until cabbage is softened, 5 to 8 minutes.
6 Add vinegar and red wine to cabbage mixture; stir in brown sugar and cinnamon until well combined. Bring to a boil; cook until sauce is reduced by half, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Place chicken thighs on cabbage in the skillet.
7 Bake in the preheated oven until cabbage is tender and chicken is cooked through, about 40 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).