Harvest Chicken Skillet with Sweet Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts, and Sautéed Apples—one of the top five most popular recipes on my site— is a skillet dinner recipe that happened due to a chance encounter at Trader Joe’s. Had it not been for a fortuitous introduction in the wine aisle, this gem of a recipe might have been lost forever.
The original version of harvest chicken skillet with sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and sautéed apples first appeared in my recipe archives four years ago, when I was still snapping haphazard recipe photos with my non-smart phone. I took these photos under our hazy orange kitchen light 30 seconds before dinner. I then casually uploaded the recipe to the interwebs and happily went along my food blogger path. The photos were far from enticing (see for yourself—I included the original at the bottom of this post for posterity), and I assumed no one ever really got around to cooking it.
Fast forward a few years and a few hundred recipes later, and I had all but forgotten this Harvest Chicken Skillet existed.
Then, I went to Trader Joe’s.
Harvest Chicken Skillet History
I was browsing the wine aisle at Trader Joe’s debating which bargain bottle to add to my cart, when a blog reader stopped me to introduce herself. SO FUN! (PS. This does not normally happen.)
She mentioned that she makes this Harvest Chicken Skillet almost every week in the fall…and it took me an indisputably awkward amount of time to figure out which recipe she was talking about.
After attempting to play it cool, I found the recipe on my phone, then promptly purchased every ingredient I needed to remake it right then and there.
Harvest chicken skillet with sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and sautéed apples, welcome back into my life!
Harvest Chicken Skillet with Sweet Potatoes Brussels Sprouts and Sautéed Apples—Autumn in a Meal
We’ve eaten this chicken skillet so many times since that run-in at Trader Joe’s, I honesty don’t know how I forgot about it in the first place. It features all of my favorite fall ingredients—sweet potatoes, apples, Brussels sprouts, and a touch of cinnamon—along with one of my favorite year-round ingredients, BACON. I love that it’s made in single pan, is healthy and filling, and reheats well too (just like this Sweet Potato Pasta).
If you’re a fellow lover of bacon and Brussels sprouts, give these Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts a try!
Today’s version of the recipe is almost identical to the original version I posted back in 2012. I clarified a few things in the recipe directions to make them easier to follow and added the nutritional information.
This recipe is also Paleo and Whole30 approved, so if you are following either diet, you can enjoy it too.
More Stellar, Healthy Chicken Recipes
- Sheet Pan Chicken with Sweet Potatoes, Apples, and Brussels Sprouts (based off of this very recipe)
- Apple Cider Chicken (new favorite!)
- 5-Ingredient Chicken Feta Pasta
Recommended Tools to Make This Harvest Chicken Skillet Recipe
- Cast iron skillet (this is another excellent, more budget-friendly option)
- Non-slip cutting board
- Vegetable peeler
Dear Harvest Chicken Skillet with Sweet Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts, and Sautéed Apples, I’ll never forget you again!
Chicken, Apple, Sweet Potato, and Brussels Sprouts Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon chopped
- 3 cups Brussels sprouts trimmed and quartered (about 3/4 pound)
- 1 medium sweet potato peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 8 ounces)
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
- 4 cloves garlic minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth divided
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large, nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium high, until hot and shimmering. Add the chicken, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and black pepper. Cook until lightly browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate lined with paper towels.
- Reduce skillet heat to medium low. Add the chopped bacon and cook until crisp and brown and the fat has rendered, about 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate (I simply laid another paper towel on top of the plate with the chicken, then stacked the bacon on that). Discard all but 1 1/2 tablespoons bacon fat from the pan.
- Increase skillet heat back to medium high. Add Brussels sprouts, sweet potato, onion, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender and the onions are beginning to look translucent, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the apples, garlic, thyme, and cinnamon. Cook 30 seconds, then pour in 1/2 cup of the broth. Bring to a boil and cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add the reserved chicken and remaining 1/2 cup broth. Cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in reserved bacon and serve warm.
Notes
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (the bacon will soften somewhat, but the meal is still yummy). Reheat gently in the microwave with a splash of chicken stock to keep it from drying out.
Nutrition
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Hi Erin,
How much sodium per serving?
Hi Linda! I stopped including sodium info, because it can vary so much depending upon what products you used, and I found a lot of conflicting info online, so ultimately I didn’t feel comfortable publishing it because sometimes it wasn’t even in the ballpark. If you’d like to calc yourself, there are lots of free tools online (myfitnesspal.com is popular). I hope that helps!
Pretty easy to make, I followed the recipe. My husband eats Whole30 and said it was really good. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I don’t like Brussels sprouts much, so I substitute broccoli and it’s still really really good.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Angela! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Easy to make, tastes great & it’s super healthy. I’ve made this recipe a few times. Love it.
I’m so happy that you’ve enjoyed it, Mike! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
What do you serve this with? Or is it good as a stand alone?
Hi Erika! I think you can definitely serve this on its own, but it would also be delicious with a side of Apple Walnut Salad or Sauteed Carrots. I hope you enjoy it if you try it!
Personally, I like a skillet or a hash to have some texture to it, and I felt like with all the broth added at the end this dish became too mushy. All the vegetables had the same texture and the cinnamon and apple just overwhelmed everything (even the bacon! How does that even happen?). If I were going to try and make this again I would personally leave the apple, the broth, and the cinnamon out, or at least put a lot less. I get trying to bring in that holiday sweetness, but it was just over the top for me.
I’m sorry to hear that this dish wasn’t to your tastes, Kirsten. I (and many other readers) have enjoyed it, so I truly wish it would’ve been a hit for you too!
Hi Erin,
Quick question about this recipe. Does it turn out sweet tasting with the apples? I’m intrigued by the recipe but my husband doesn’t care for sweet tasting dinners so I just want to be sure it’s a hint of sweet with mostly savory. Thanks!:)
Hi Kirsten! The dish has a nice balance of sweet and savory flavors. I hope this helps and that you enjoy the recipe if you try it!
I made this tonight! It came out really good and my husband approved!
I have to say that since I’ve been paleo and trying to cook better, I look for different recipes and found this one.. I’m not an experienced cook at all b it watching the video kept me from getting too overwhelmed and luckily it was an easy to follow recipe that came out good! Thank you ?
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Kellie! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
At what point do I add the reserved bacon grease? ?
Hi Heather! At the end of Step 2, you will discard all but 1 1/2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings (which stay in the pan). I hope this helps!
One of our families favorite recipes! Thank you so much for the great, flavorful recipe!
I’m so happy that you’ve enjoyed it, Denise! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
This is one of our favorite meals. We cook from your blog and cookbook 4-5 times a week! Your meals are delicious!!
I’m so happy that you’ve enjoyed the recipes, Kris! Thank you for sharing this wonderful review!
I loved finding a recipe to put to use winter veggies from the farmers market, but it took a long time to chop everything up into so many tiny pieces, and my husband and I didn’t love the cinnamon/thyme flavor. I might try again roasting everything in larger pieces in the oven, maybe leaving out the cinnamon.
Thanks for trying the recipe, Samantha! I hope it goes even better next time!
I want you to know, I use to have to make 2 meals a day. Due to my picky family. But no more since I started on your recipes. I switched one time from yours and I won’t do it again. Your recipes are the best I’ve personally have tried. Wish you had more deserts. Thank you so much for your knowledge on what fits with everything. Love the title it fits. Sincerely , The Weldon Family.
This comment MADE my day, Dottie! Thank you for sharing this kind review!