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a wooden spoon resting in a casserole dish with pieces of little house on the prairie cinnamon chicken breasts
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4.82 from 16 votes

Little House On The Prairie Cinnamon Chicken

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.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Marinade Time8 hours
Total Time9 hours
Course: Chicken, Dinner, Entree, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Southern
Servings: 4
Calories: 435kcal

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

Calories: 435kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 849mg | Potassium: 973mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 74IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg