Name: Bacon Bourbon Apple Fennel Chicken
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 70 min
Ingredients: 5 pounds of bone in chicken*; 5 strips of uncured bacon; 1 fennel bulb (trimmed of fronds and cored, fronds reserved for garnish if desired); 2 Vidalia onion (peeled); 2 apples; Flour (salt, and pepper for dredging chicken); Salt and pepper to season vegetables and apples; ½ cup bourbon

Just like that, we’ve gone from 90 to 55 degrees here in New Jersey overnight

Time to hunker down with some roast chicken, and nothing says Fall like my Bacon Bourbon Apple Fennel Chicken

This recipe serves six to eight, so you can cut in half, or just enjoy leftovers, like we do in our home

I like uncured bacon with no added sugar or preservatives for this recipe, and use whatever apples I have on hand, which is usually Honey Crisp, Pink Lady, or Fuji

Granny Smith would also work well and add a slightly tart flavor to balance the richness and smokiness of the bacon

Bacon Bourbon Apple Fennel Chicken

Course Entree, Main Course

Cuisine anti inflammatory, Chicken, dairy free, Healthy

Keyword Chicken, Comfort Food, Dairy Free, One Pan

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Calories 650 kcal

Ingredients

5 pounds of bone in chicken*
5 strips of uncured bacon
1 fennel bulb trimmed of fronds and cored, fronds reserved for garnish if desired
2 Vidalia onion peeled
2 apples
Flour salt, and pepper for dredging chicken
Salt and pepper to season vegetables and apples
½ cup bourbon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees convection roast
Place bacon strips in a large baking pan, and bake on center rack until crisp, turning once, about 10 minutes
Remove bacon to a paper towel, and leave bacon drippings in pan
Dice fennel, onion, and apple into ½ inch pieces, and toss in baking pan with bacon drippings
Sprinkle with salt and pepper
Dredge chicken in flour seasoned with salt and pepper
Arrange dredged chicken over diced veggies, skin side up
Roast until chicken in minimum 165 degrees internal temperature, and chicken skin is crispy
Turn oven up to 450 degrees, and sprinkle bourbon evenly over chicken
Return to oven and bake about 5 minutes more
Crumble cooked bacon into 1/4 inch pieces
Serve chicken over apple, onion, fennel mixture, and garnish with bacon pieces and fennel fronds, if desired