Roasted Chicken with Fennel and Pears

This roasted chicken with fennel and pears is the autumnal one-pot wonder you’ve been dreaming about.

Subtly sweet, super savory, and so easy to make. This roasted chicken with fennel and pears is my new favorite autumn recipe.

I love adding fruit to savory dishes, like my sautéed pears with pork chops or my apple beef stew recipe. This super simple one-pot dish combines the subtle, buttery sweetness of Bartlett pears with crisp, juicy roasted chicken. Fennel balances out the dish, and potatoes give it a perfect heartiness.

I love that it comes together in just one pot, but delivers an amazing depth of flavor.

How to make this roasted chicken with fennel and pears

What you need

You only need a few ingredients to make this simple, savory dinner recipe.

• Chicken: I recommend bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for the best flavor.
• Aromatics: I use onion and fennel as the aromatic base for this dish.
• Potatoes: Quartered, baby gold potatoes make this meal hearty. You can use any potato variety, such as red or russet, and cube them instead.
• Sauce: I make the sauce with just chicken stock, Dijon mustard, and honey.
• Bartlett pears: Any pear variety will work here, but I love Bartlett pears.
• For serving: I finish the dish with lemon juice and a sprinkle of fennel pollen. Fennel pollen is pricy, but it tastes so good. It’s definitely a splurge spice for me, but a tiny bit goes a long way.

How to make it

• Step 1: Brown the chicken thighs in a wide, ovenproof pot until the skin is crisp and golden. Transfer to a plate.
• Step 2: Add the sliced onion and fennel to the pot and sauté briefly. Add the potatoes and cook for a few minutes longer.
• Step 3: Whisk together the chicken stock, Dijon mustard, and honey. Pour it into the pot and bring to a boil.
• Step 4: Turn off the heat and arrange the chicken on top. Place the pear slices around the chicken and drizzle with a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil. Season very lightly with a pinch of salt and transfer to the oven for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender and the chicken is at least 165ºF.
• Step 5: Remove from the oven and finish with lemon juice, fennel fronds, and a few shakes of fennel pollen if you like.

From there, you’re ready to serve it up. Place a chicken thigh onto each plate and spoon the pears, broth, and vegetables around the chicken.

Roasted Chicken with Fennel and Pears

This roasted chicken with fennel and pears is the autumnal one-pot wonder you've been dreaming about.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Inactive time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 494kcal

Equipment

• Wide pot

Ingredients

• 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (about 1½ pounds total)
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt (plus more to taste, see Note 1)
• ¾ teaspoon black pepper (plus more to taste)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (plus more)
• 1 yellow onion (peeled and sliced into thin wedges)
• 1 fennel bulb (trimmed, cored, and sliced into thin wedges; fronds reserved)
• 12 ounces baby gold potatoes (quartered)
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 Bartlett pear (cored and sliced lengthwise)
• 1 lemon
• Fennel pollen (optional, for serving)

Instructions

Prepare the chicken:

• Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
• Pat the chicken dry and season with 1½ teaspoons kosher salt and ¾ teaspoon black pepper.

Brown the chicken:

• Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a wide, ovenproof pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken skin-side down. Fry without moving for 5 to 6 minutes or until the skin is golden brown and crispy. Flip and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.

Cook the aromatics:

• Add the sliced onion and fennel to the pot and sauté over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed.

Make the sauce:

• Whisk together the 1 cup of chicken stock, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and 1 teaspoon honey until smooth.

Roast the chicken:

• Pour the sauce into the pot of potatoes and fennel and bring to a boil. Stir to lift anything stuck to the bottom of the pot. Turn off the heat. Arrange the chicken, skin-side up, on top of the potatoes.
• Arrange the pear slices around the chicken. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil and finish with a sprinkle of kosher salt.
• Transfer the pot to the oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender and the chicken is at least 165ºF when pierced with an instant-read thermometer. See Note 2.

To serve:

• Remove the chicken from the oven and squeeze the juice from 1 lemon over the pot. Finish by tearing the fennel fronds and arranging them over the chicken. If desired, sprinkle a dusting of fennel pollen on top.
• Place a chicken thigh on each plate and spoon the pears with the broth and vegetables around. Enjoy!

Notes

Note 1: The amount of salt will depend on the final weight of your chicken. I recommend using 1 teaspoon per pound of chicken.

Note 2: Chicken thighs can withstand cooking beyond 165ºF, so don’t fret if the chicken reaches 165ºF before the potatoes finish cooking. Just continue roasting until the potatoes are fork-tender.

Nutrition

Calories: 494kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 28g | Sodium: 1053mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin C: 42mg

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