Instructions

1. 1

   Pat the chicken thighs dry and season both sides with kosher salt and black pepper. Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.

2. 2

   Place the chicken skin-side down in the skillet and cook for 7 minutes without moving it. Turn the thighs and cook for 3 minutes more, then transfer them to a plate. It's ready when the skin is deeply golden and releases easily from the skillet.

3. 3

   Reduce the heat to medium and add the sliced onion. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. It's ready when the onion has softened and the garlic is fragrant without browning.

4. 4

   Pour in the apple cider and whisk in the Dijon mustard and thyme, scraping up the browned bits from the skillet. Simmer for 3 minutes. It's ready when the cider has reduced slightly and the browned bits have dissolved into the sauce.

5. 5

   Return the chicken skin-side up, along with any juices from the plate, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 7 minutes. It's ready when the thickest part of each thigh reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.

6. 6

   Transfer the chicken to a serving plate and whisk the butter into the cider sauce over low heat for 2 minutes. Spoon the sauce and onions around the chicken. It's ready when the butter is fully incorporated and the sauce lightly coats a spoon.

Used in this recipe: Instant-Read Thermometer · Fish Spatula · Garlic Press (Amazon, affiliate links)