Cider-Brined Roast Chicken and Fall Vegetables Recipe

The very thought of fall brings back memories of my childhood where I would visit the pumpkin patch and go apple picking with my family. In my adult years, fall means apple cider cocktails and comfort food! One of my favorite meals that I make on repeat during the fall and winter months are roasted chicken and vegetables. This Cider-Brined Roast Chicken and Fall Vegetables is my new absolute favorite and I promise it will be yours as well!

I love that with roasted chicken you can always try new and different flavor combinations. One of my favorite things to do is brine my chicken. If you’re not familiar with brining, it is the process of soaking meat in a salted solution to ensure moist, cooked meat. The salt helps the chicken to absorb some of the water, making the meat juicier. This technique is perfect for leaner cuts of meat such as chicken or chicken breasts.

You can leave your chicken in the brine for up to 2 days. It’s great to get done ahead of a family meal so that it’s ready to cook on the day of your meal. When you’re ready to cook the chicken, you’ll want to drain the brine and rinse the chicken in cool water. Dry your chicken completely and allow it to sit in the refrigerator for an hour to dry out the skin. Dry skin means crispy skin! Allow the chicken to come to room temperature for one-hour before roasting.

This bring recipe combines the sweet, fall flavors of apple cider, rosemary and sage for a sweet, aromatic finish. I also like to fill the cavity of the chicken with apples, onions and rosemary before baking for added flavor. The vegetables are easy to prepare as well and are a great balance of fall flavors to round out the meal. You can replace the sweet potatoes with butternut squash or swap out the Brussels sprouts for broccoli if you’d like.