Smoked Chicken in a Creamy Apple, Bacon and Cider Sauce by BBQ Explorers

This dish is simple to create outdoors and packed with rich, comforting flavour. Smoking the chicken over applewood and cooking it on the BBQ adds a subtle depth that makes the whole meal. It’s a perfect one-pan recipe for a relaxed yet impressive outdoor cook.

For this recipe, Neal used our newest addition, the Stainless Steel Tri-Ply Chef’s Pan, which is ideal for outdoor cooking thanks to its durable BBQ-safe stainless steel build and excellent heat distribution. It handled the smoky BBQ heat with ease!

---

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• 4 rashers of smoked bacon, roughly chopped
• 1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced
• 1 apple, thinly sliced
• 250ml apple cider
• 150ml dry sherry
• 150ml of double cream
• 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme
• Salt & pepper
• 70g unsalted butter
• Your choice of vegetables

---

Equipment

• Stainless Steel tri-ply Chef’s Pan
• Chopping Board

---

Cooking Method

1. Prepare your BBQ for indirect cooking and heat to 180°C.
2. Add the chicken breasts to the grill and pour a handful of wood chips directly onto the coals. We went for apple wood as it adds a delicate smoky flavour. Don’t cook the chicken all the way through. Probably to a temperature around 60°C. Remove from the grill and keep warm.
3. Add the bacon rashers to the grill and cook for a few minutes over direct heat, and remove.
4. Next, add the unsalted butter to the chef’s pan and heat over the coals.
5. Add the sliced onions and cook until soft. Next, add the dry sherry and cider, and cook until it has reduced by half.
6. Add the bacon, apple, and thyme, stir, and cook for one minute.
7. Stir in the double cream and add the smoked chicken. Let it simmer for a few minutes and remove from the BBQ once the chicken hits an internal temperature of 75°C.
8. Serve with your favourite vegetables. Neal went for parmentier potatoes, mange tout, and broccoli.