Our 20 Favorite Fall Chicken Recipes

Roast Chicken with Butternut Squash
Photo: © ANDREW PURCELL

These flavorful fall chicken dishes get a little help from the best seasonal produce. From Roasted Chicken and Acorn Squash with Sumac Browned Butter to Braised Chicken with Apples and Calvados to Chicken and Mushroom Shepherd's Pie with Parsnip Mash, we've put together a mouthwatering roundup of satisfying chicken preparations that incorporate our favorite tastes of autumn. Whether you're craving a comfort food classic or need an easy weeknight dinner, here are 20 next-level fall chicken recipes to choose from.

01 of 20

Lazy Chicken and Sausage Cassoulet

Lazy Cassoulet Recipe
Alison Miksch

Cookbook author Molly Stevens' cassoulet starts with a combination of chicken thighs, seasonings, aromatics, and smoked sausage. "A bit of tomato paste ups the umami quotient, and a splash of white wine contributes just enough acid to balance the richness. From there, everything gets gently folded together with cooked white beans," she says.

02 of 20

Sheet-Pan Chicken with Sourdough and Bacon

Sheet-Pan Chicken with Sourdough and Bacon
Con Poulos

In this easy one-pan recipe from Food & Wine Culinary Director at Large Justin Chapple, roast chicken legs drip meaty, delicious fat onto a smoky, peppery bed of potatoes, red onion, slab bacon, and crispy sourdough croutons.

03 of 20

Cardamom Chicken with Rice Pilaf

Cardamom Chicken with Rice Pilaf
© SUSAN SPUNGEN

Sprinkled with cardamom, roasted until crisp, and topped with an apple-flavored sauce, chicken legs become extraordinary. The chicken is perfectly matched by the raisin-studded rice pilaf that's also flavored with cardamom.

04 of 20

Chicken with Port and Figs

Chicken with Port and Figs
© DANA GALLAGHER

Dried figs are poached in port to make a luscious Portuguese-inspired sauce. Ruby port provides the best color, but tawny will also taste good. Serve with a green vegetable such as steamed broccoli.

05 of 20

Chicken, Wild Mushroom, and Roasted-Garlic Sauté

Chicken, Wild Mushroom and Roasted-Garlic Sauté
© DANA GALLAGHER

A variety of fresh mixed mushrooms and the concentrated flavor of dried porcinis lend a delicious, earthy flavor to this chicken thigh sauté with roasted garlic cloves. The dish is finished with a sprinkle of chopped tarragon, which adds a light, herbal sweetness.

06 of 20

Sticky Grilled Drumsticks with Plum Sauce

Sticky Grilled Drumsticks with Plum Sauce
© CEDRIC ANGELES

For this chicken recipe, a wonderfully sticky and pleasantly sweet glaze of fresh plums and red pepper jelly is brushed over drumsticks while grilling. Hot red pepper jelly makes for a spicier glaze, while sweet pepper jelly creates a milder one.

07 of 20

Chicken Breasts with Apricot-Onion Pan Sauce

Chicken Breasts with Apricot-Onion Pan Sauce
© Lucy Schaeffer

After sautéing chicken breasts, diced onions and white wine are added to sweep up the delicious browned bits left in the skillet. The sauce is then sweetened slightly with dried apricots and apricot preserves

08 of 20

Individual Chicken Pot Pies

Individual Chicken Pot Pies
© Scott Hocker

Chicken pot pie is so good that nobody wants to share. This classic recipe makes four individual pot pies, so now no one has to! For ease of preparation, we use store-bought shredded rotisserie chicken here.

09 of 20

Maple-Glazed Chicken Breasts with Mustard Jus

Maple-Glazed Chicken Breasts with Mustard Jus
© QUENTIN BACON

For this at-home version of chef David Slater's restaurant dish, chicken breasts are glazed with maple syrup and sherry vinegar, then finished with a mustard sauce and sprinkle of fresh breadcrumbs. Serve atop a bed of braised kale and chopped bacon for an extra-lovely plate.

10 of 20

Roasted Chicken Legs with Potatoes and Kale

Roasted Chicken Legs with Potatoes and Kale
© TINA RUPP

For this hearty dish, chicken legs are roasted on a bed of potatoes and kale so the meaty juices keep the vegetables moist. Prep takes just 10 minutes, and there's very little clean-up since everything bakes together in the same pan.

11 of 20

Pasta Rustica with Caramelized Onion, Chicken, and Wild Mushrooms

Pasta Rustica with Caramelized Onion, Chicken and Wild Mushrooms

Wild mushrooms, caramelized onions, and a pinch of chile flakes give this simple chicken pasta a burst of flavor. Serve topped with parsley and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

12 of 20

Poached Chicken and Roasted Acorn Squash

Healthy Chicken and Roasted Acorn Squash
© TODD PORTER & DIANE CU

Perfect as a holiday side or paired with a nice green salad for a quick and easy meal, this cold-weather twist on traditional chicken salad is sure to satisfy.

13 of 20

Chicken and Mushroom Fricassee

Chicken and Mushroom Fricassee
© SNEH ROY

This lightened-up classic is fast to pull together, especially if you buy pre-sliced mushrooms. It has a rich, slow-cooked flavor and a splash of cream adds a nice touch without making it heavy.

14 of 20

Skillet Chicken and Mushroom Pot Pie

Skillet Chicken-and-Mushroom Potpie
© Stephanie Foley

This one-skillet dish proves that making pot pie doesn't have to take a long time. It's brilliantly prepared with store-bought rotisserie chicken and buttered white bread in place of the usual labor-intensive puff pastry crust.

15 of 20

Roasted Chicken and Acorn Squash with Sumac Brown Butter

Roasted Chicken with Squash
Victor Protasio

Pre-salting the chicken makes for savory flavor throughout and helps crisp up the skin. Browning the butter adds nutty depth to the sauce; a flourish of sumac and Aleppo adds a fresh, bright flavor to the finished dish.

16 of 20

Sliced Poached Chicken with Baby Turnips and Mushrooms

Sliced Poached Chicken with Baby Turnips & Mushrooms
© Chris Court

This recipe employs a technique chef Linton Hopkins often uses when cooking for his family: He gently poaches an entire chicken in an herbed stock, then serves just the moist breast for dinner. You can use any combination of fresh herbs.

17 of 20

Chicken and Mushroom Shepherd's Pie with Parsnip Mash

Chicken and Mushroom Shepherd's Pie with Parsnip Mash

This recipe plays with the meat-and-potatoes mix of a traditional shepherd's pie, using chicken in the filling and buttery mashed parsnips on top. It's finished off in the broiler to ensure the mash is perfectly browned.

18 of 20

Pappardelle with Chicken Livers and Mushrooms

Pappardelle with Chicken Livers and Mushrooms
© LINDA PUGLIESE

For this luscious dish, pan-fried chicken livers and sautéed mushrooms get deglazed with a douse of dry Marsala before everything's enriched with heavy cream and tossed with pappardelle.

19 of 20

Butternut Squash-Chicken Pan-Roast

Butternut Squash-Chicken Pan-Roast
© CHRISTINA HOLMES

For this super easy recipe, all you do is roast chicken on top of a mix of squash, apples, and sage, then reduce the juices in the same roasting pan over the stove.

20 of 20

Braised Chicken with Apples and Calvados

Braised Chicken with Apples and Calvados
© Con Poulos

Chef Matthew Accarrino uses apples plus cider and the apple brandy Calvados to add layers of flavor to his braised chicken. To serve, the herbal and spice notes of a Loire Cabernet Franc make a terrific wine match.

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