Little House on the Prairie cinnamon chicken lets you enjoy a version of the meal Laura made for Almanzo with no cayenne pepper in sight! This chicken recipe creates a wonderfully complex savory and slightly sweet main dish you’ll love.
I loved Little House on the Prairie growing up.
One episode in particular stands out, and that’s the episode where Laura tries to make a special dinner for Nellie and Almanzo.
Instead of using cinnamon, she coats the chicken in cayenne pepper, making both of them sick from all the spice.
My version of this recipe uses cinnamon and is perfectly seasoned to create a hearty blend of flavors that pair so well with potatoes, rice, and your favorite veggies.
What does cinnamon on chicken taste like?
Don’t worry if you accidentally put cinnamon on chicken, it can result in a delicious dinner!
In this recipe cinnamon adds a background of warming spice and a touch of sweetness accentuated by the honey in the marinade.
And yes there is garlic in the recipe, but the flavor mellows and adds savoriness to the sweetness for yummy results!
Ingredients
To make this, you’ll need:
- Apple cider– Use fresh cider that you can buy in or near the produce section
- Honey
- Lemon juice– Fresh or bottled
- Spices– Minced garlic, ground cinnamon, salt, and pepper
- Chicken– Large, boneless skinless breasts trimmed of any extra fat
- Olive oil – I prefer using extra virgin, but any olive oil will work.
How to Make
Making cinnamon chicken is very easy!
Just whisk the cider, honey, lemon, garlic, cinnamon, and salt pepper together in a mixing bowl.
Then, add the chicken breasts to a large ziplocking bag.
Pour the marinade over them and seal the bag to close, squeezing out any excess air as you do.
Refrigerate the marinaded chicken for at least 8 hours or overnight, flipping the bag several times while it’s marinating.
When you are ready to cook the chicken, pour the marinade out of the bag and into a large skillet.
Bring it to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to medium.
Let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes until it’s reduced by half, stirring occasionally.
Transfer the thickened sauce to a waiting bowl, and set aside.
Using paper towels, carefully wipe the still hot skillet clean.
Set the skillet back on the stove over medium heat and add the olive oil to it.
Once the oil is hot and shimmery, add two of the chicken breasts to it.
Brown them for 1-2 minutes on each side so that they sear, but don’t cook through.
Put the seared chicken into a 2 quart casserole dish.
Then repeat the previous step for the last two chicken breasts.
Pour the remaining marinade evenly out over the chicken.
Bake the chicken at 350°F for 30-35 minutes.
Reserve the juices to pour over the chicken when serving.
Serve the cinnamon chicken with your favorite sides.
Enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Can I freeze leftover cinnamon chicken?
Yes!
You can freeze it all together or in single serve portions.
Just put the chicken in a ziplocking freezer bag with a bit of the marinade and freeze for up to 3 months.
Tips and Tricks
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is cooked to 165F before serving, if unsure.
- The show’s version does use some cayenne pepper- experiment at your own risk.
- Don’t be off-put if the marinade smells odd, or if your house smells confusingly liked baked chicken and cinnamon rolls when baking. The chicken tastes DELICIOUS.
Other Easy Chicken Recipes
Little House on the Prairie cinnamon chicken is a delicious dinner for anyone and so fun for fans of the show.
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other easy chicken recipes?
Try these:
- Easy Crockpot Chicken Pho
- Mayo Parmesan Chicken
- Quick & Easy Greek Yogurt Chicken Curry
- Onion Crusted Herbed Chicken Breasts
If you’ve tried this LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE CINNAMON CHICKEN, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Little House On The Prairie Cinnamon Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups fresh apple cider
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed of fat (roughly 2 1/2- 3 lbs of chicken)
- 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Add the cider, honey, lemon, garlic, cinnamon, and salt & pepper to a mixing bowl. Whisk together until the mixture's smooth.
- Add the chicken breasts to a large ziplocking bag. Pour the marinade over them. Seal the bag to close, squeezing out any excess air as you do.
- Refrigerate the marinaded chicken for at least 8 hours, or overnight, flipping the bag several times.
- Pour the marinade out of the bag and into a large skillet. Bring it to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to medium. Stirring occasionally, continue to let the mixture simmer until it's reduced by half- about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the thickened sauce to a waiting bowl, and set aside. Using paper towels, carefully wipe the still hot skillet clean.
- Set the skillet back on the stove over medium heat and add the olive oil to it.
- Once the oil's hot (shimmery) add two of the chicken breasts to it. Brown them for 1-2 minutes on each side so that they sear, but don't cook through.
- Transfer the pan seared chicken to a small 2 quart casserole dish, and then repeat the previous step for the last two chicken breasts- until all are pan seared properly and in the casserole dish.
- Pour the remaining marinade evenly out over the chicken.
- Bake the chicken at 350°F for 30-35 minutes. Reserve the juices to pour over the chicken when serving.
- Serve the cinnamon chicken with/over steamed white rice or creamy mashed potatoes.
Notes
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is cooked to 165F before serving, if unsure.
- The show's version does use some cayenne pepper- experiment at your own risk.
- Don't be off-put if the marinade smells odd, or if your house smells confusingly liked baked chicken and cinnamon rolls when baking. The chicken tastes DELICIOUS.
Nutrition
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