Chicken With Applesauce

Chicken with applesauce is a classic. We’ve all had it numerous times but did you know you can jazz it up? I’ve got three variations of Pressure Cooker Applesauce and we’re going to cover them all in this article. It was delicious and so easy to prepare, plus the numerous health benefits of eating apples makes this recipe more family friendly.

Chicken With Applesauce

INGREDIENTS

• Chicken
• 4 supremes, skin on
• Olive oil
• 2 tbsp
• Salt
• Pepper
• Bramley Apple
• 250 g, peeled and roughly chopped
• Cox Apple
• 250 g, peeled and roughly chopped
• Sugar
• 1 tbsp (optional, depending on tartness of apples and usage)
• Cloves
• 2
• 2 tbsp
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tbsp
• Brussels sprouts
• 250 g
• Rice Vinegar
• 250 g, wild

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 200°C (180° fan) / gas 6.
• Cook the wild rice according to packet instructions, drain and keep warm.
• Meanwhile drizzle the chicken with oil, season well and roast in the oven for 25 minutes.
• Peel and core the apples and cut into chunks.
• Place in a pan with the sugar, cloves, vinegar and water and cover with a lid.
• Cook over a low heat for 10-15 minutes, checking occasionally, until the apples have ‘exploded’ to a fine puree and are soft.
• Beat to a puree and remove the cloves.
• Cook the Brussels sprouts briefly in boiling salted water then drain thoroughly.
• Serve the chicken with the applesauce, rice and Brussels sprouts.

Applesauce BBQ Chicken

Applesauce BBQ Chicken is cooked quickly and glazed in a sweet and mildly spicy sauce with applesauce, bbq sauce, brown sugar, and hot sauce.

This simple Chicken Recipe takes Classic BBQ Chicken and gives it a flavorful twist by mixing smooth applesauce in with the tangy flavor of the sauce. 

APPLESAUCE BBQ CHICKEN

This ultra-easy recipe will quickly become a family favorite. The basic dish is prepared with the easiest cooking directions by just searing the chicken thighs on the stovetop. We’ve also included the slow cooker meal version later in this post. Then, the recipe gets the most amazing flavors from the unexpected and delicious apple-spiced barbecue sauce.

The sweet, tangy, and spicy flavor in the sauce is made with a few key ingredients. All you need is brown sugar, Barbecue Sauce, hot sauce, and applesauce. The idea of mixing applesauce into a classic bbq chicken dish might sound strange at first, but the smooth applesauce brings a comforting, sweet, and mild taste that perfectly balances the more bold flavors in the sauce.

This chicken recipe tastes amazing as the main course for your dinner, however, if you have leftovers the chicken pieces also make a great lunch. Toast your favorite bread and serve the chicken up in delicious chicken sandwiches. Add your favorite sandwich fillings like lettuce, tomato, cheese, or bacon for some fresh flavor. You could also serve up the chicken in small Dinner Rolls for adorable applesauce chicken sliders. 

COOKING TIPS

• Prep: If the chicken is frozen take it out of the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge a day in advance. Season the thawed chicken with pepper and salt to start. 
• Sear: Add the vegetable oil to a large skillet. Shift the pan from side to side until the oil coats the bottom, and raise the stovetop to medium-high heat. Brown chicken in oil for about 7-8 minutes on each side. You may need to cook in batches depending on the size of your skillet, but it’s easiest to use a large skillet and cook it all at once. 
• Sauce: Mix together the applesauce, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, and hot sauce in a separate bowl. Then pour the sauce mixture over the chicken, and let it all simmer together until the sauce is thickened. Remove the chicken from skillet and serve with sauce. 

VARIATIONS

• Heat level: You can make some small changes to the recipe depending on how spicy you want the sauce to be. For more heat, add in a little chili powder along with the hot sauce. However, if you want a more mild sauce, you can decrease the amount of hot sauce according to your taste. 
• Chunky apple sauce: If you want some extra texture and apple flavor in the recipe, you can use chunky applesauce instead of smooth. For even more fresh flavor slice an apple into small chunks and mix it with the sauce before cooking the sauce. 
• Flavor add-ins: There are plenty of ways you can experiment with the flavor in the sauce. Try mixing in fresh lemon juice, a teaspoon garlic powder, paprika, or a little apple cider vinegar. 

SLOW COOKER BBQ CHICKEN

• To make crock pot BBQ Chicken, start by spraying your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
• Then place the chicken thighs in the base of the slow cooker.
• Increase the BBQ Sauce and applesauce to 2/3 of a cup so that there is more liquid for the chicken to cook in. Whisk together the sauce ingredients and pour them over the chicken.
• Turn the slow cooker to low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours.
• Remove the chicken from the pot and serve the slow cooker recipe. 

HOW TO STORE

• Serve: Don’t leave cooked chicken at room temperature for more than 2 hours. 
• Store: After the meat has cooled down, you can transfer it to an airtight container to store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 
• Freeze: Make sure the chicken is completely cooled before you seal it in a gallon-size Ziploc bag or another freezer-safe container. The recipe will stay good frozen for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. 

Pressure Cooker Applesauce

In about a month, I will start my third year of packing school lunches.  And I will continue packing these said school lunches for the next seventeen years.  Are you feeling exhausted yet?   Here are two important things to remember, though, hopefully, my kids will start to make their lunches when they reach their later elementary years. And, packing lunches doesn’t seem so much like a chore when you realize how important it is to nourish kid’s minds and bodies when they are at school learning all day.  And after realizing what kids in France get for their school lunches, I have decided that it is pretty significant to feed my kids nourishing real food.

This applesauce barbecue pulled chicken is sweetened with applesauce but makes for a healthy lunch sandwich that the kids will love!  Pepperidge Farm® Bakery Classics Slider Buns are the perfect size for lunch sandwiches, especially for those kiddos!

My sons love barbeque, pulled chicken sandwiches.  I thought that adding applesauce would be a fun way to make their favorite chicken naturally sweet but still wholesome.  Adding applesauce to this chicken was my six-year-old son’s idea.  I think he has caught my cooking bug.

Making this applesauce pulled chicken in my pressure cooker took minutes.  If you don’t have a pressure cooker, don’t fret!  You can quickly make this in a slow cooker or a saucepan on the stove as well.

Applesauce Pulled Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless chicken breast
• 1.5 cups applesauce
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder

Instructions

1. Add chicken, applesauce, barbecue sauce, and spices into your pressure cooker. 
2. Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 25 minutes.
3. Open lid. Shred chicken in the sauce and make sandwiches 

Optional: other sandwich fixings. Cheese, lettuce tomato, pickle, etc.

Pressure Cooker Method: Add chicken, applesauce, barbecue sauce, and spices into your pressure cooker. Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 25 minutes. Open lid. Shred chicken in the sauce and make sandwiches on Pepperidge Farm® Bakery Classics Slider Buns with your favorite fixings.

Slow Cooker Method: Add chicken, barbecue sauce, and spices to your slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Shred the chicken about 1/2 way through. Assemble sandwiches on Pepperidge Farm® Bakery Classics Slider Buns with your favorite fixings.

Stovetop method: In a saucepan over medium heat, mix applesauce, barbecue sauce, and seasonings until they form a sauce. Add chicken and cook the chicken in the sauce over low heat for 20-30 minutes. Remove chicken and shred. Place the chicken back in the sauce and mix. Assemble sandwiches on Pepperidge Farm® Bakery Classics Slider Bun with your favorite fixings.

It is crazy how fast this summer has gone by. These sandwiches are also delicious for get-togethers, picnics, and easy summer lunches as well! I like to keep an assortment of fruits, vegetables, cheese, and snacks to pack in my kid’s meals. There are so many healthy options that kids love.

Health Benefits Of Eating Apples

1. Apples May Lower High Cholesterol and Blood Pressure

Savor a juicy apple and you may help keep your ticker healthy in the process. “Studies have linked apple consumption with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, which may be related to the cholesterol-lowering benefits of the soluble fiber found in apples,” says Anzlovar.

According to the University of Illinois, soluble fiber helps prevent cholesterol buildup in the lining of blood vessel walls, therefore lowering the incidence of atherosclerosis (restricted blood flow in the arteries due to plaque buildup) and heart disease. It can also help lower blood pressure levels: One past review found that a higher intake of soluble fiber was associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease.

2. Eating Foods With Fiber, Including Apples, Can Aid Digestion

You’ve likely heard that fiber is good for digestion — and what you’ve heard is true! According to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, both types of fiber (soluble and insoluble, which means it can’t be absorbed in water) are important for digestion. And you’re in luck — apples have both types, according to the University of Illinois.

Soluble fiber helps slow down digestion, allowing you to feel full, and also slows the digestion of glucose, which helps control your blood sugar. Meanwhile, insoluble fiber can help move food through your system and aid with constipation and regularity, per Harvard.

Be sure to eat the apple skin, which contains much of the apple’s insoluble fiber, according to the University of Illinois.

3. Apples Can Support a Healthy Immune System

Who doesn’t want a stronger immune system going into autumn? Apples can be an important tool in your immune-supporting tool kit.

According to past research in animals, a diet filled with soluble fiber helped convert immune cells that were pro-inflammatory into anti-inflammatory and immune-supporting ones. Another animal study, published in May 2018 in the journal Immunity, found that a diet high in dietary fiber helped protect mice against the flu. (It’s not clear whether these effects would occur in humans, though.)

Still, there’s reason to believe that apples may bolster immunity, in part because they contain immune-boosting vitamin C. One past large review found that regular consumption of vitamin C plays many roles in helping the immune system function. For example, it can help strengthen the epithelial (a type of tissue) barrier against pathogens and guard against environmental oxidative stress, such as pollution and radiation, according to past research.

4. Apples Are a Diabetes-Friendly Fruit

If you have type 2 diabetes, consider adding apples to your diet. Sure, they’re a fruit, but it’s a common misconception that people with diabetes can’t eat fruit.

In this case, apples’ soluble fiber can help slow the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream and may improve blood sugar levels, Mayo Clinic notes. Plus, per Mayo, a healthy diet that includes insoluble fiber can lower your odds of developing type 2 diabetes in the first place.

5. The Antioxidants in Apples May Play a Role in Cancer Prevention

While there’s no one surefire way to prevent cancer, apples may help play a role in fighting off these diseases. “Apples may reduce the risk of certain cancers, which researchers speculate is related to the antioxidants found in apples,” says Anzlovar. Past research suggests that apples are high in antioxidants, and in laboratory studies, these antioxidants have been shown to limit cancer cell growth.