Chicken Sausage & Apple Skillet (1-Pan + 20-Minutes!)
Developed and tested by Robyn Conley Downs
on Sep 30, 2024 (last updated Nov 2, 2025) 
If you’re craving something cozy, quick, and full of sweet-savory flavor, this chicken sausage and apples skillet is it! Juicy chicken apple sausage gets browned up with crisp apples, caramelized onions, and a splash of cream for an easy one-pan dinner that’s ready in about 20 minutes!
5 star review
“There are so many food blogs out there, but yours is the one I always come back to! I love all of your recipes and make several of them a week. This one really satisfied my fall apple craving. The apples with the onion were so delicious. Thank you for sharing such simple but extremely tasty and healthy meals!”
– Dana
Chicken Sausage + Apples = The Perfect Flavor Combo for Dinner
Chicken + apples equals a delightful flavor pairing if there ever was one, and these simple ingredients really shine when combined together. Case in point: my 5-ingredient slow cooker apple chicken is always a winner, as is my chicken & apple skillet recipe, so why not keep the party going and create an apple and chicken sausage combo?!
And, I don’t know about you, but I pretty much always have pre-cooked Trader Joe’s or Aidells chicken apple sausage on hand for those nights I didn’t plan ahead and need dinner on the table ASAP. But, sometimes chicken sausage needs a bit of zhuzhing up – so for this weeknight win I combined perfectly seared and slightly caramelized slices of sausage with sauteed onion and apples in a super simple pan sauce that’s seriously addicting.
One note that I feel bears repeating for this recipe in particular – apple chicken sausage does have a tendency to burn very easily. For this reason, I recommend having your apples and onions sliced and ready to go before you start cooking. Then don’t walk away from the sausages while they saute. Once you add the apples and onions you should be good to go.
Ok, now hear me when I say this one is really, really simple — I really mean it. Once the sausage is cooked and set aside, saute the apples and onions, add chicken stock and seasonings, then at the end splash in some cream and apple cider vinegar. Voila! While apple chicken sausage is a great option for this recipe, it also works with other pre-cooked chicken sausage flavors – it will just add some more flavor fun to this stovetop meal.
This meal is seriously so good, you’ll be licking the last bits of sauce out of the pan. And while crusty bread, rolls or rice are great options for serving, I highly recommend pairing this one with my weeknight garlic bread. Trust me, your family will absolutely be singing your praises.
Welcome to My Kitchen! Let’s Make Chicken Sausage & Apple Skillet
Make it Dairy-Free
This chicken sausage apple skillet is easy to make dairy free by using unsweetened, unflavored dairy free creamer. Dairy free half and half could also be used, but the sauce won’t be as thick. Or, you could leave the cream out, but of course, it won’t be as creamy.
Chicken Sausage & Apple Skillet (1-Pan + 20-Minutes!)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 6 pre-cooked chicken apple sausages, sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 medium sweet-crisp apples, cored and cut into ¼ inch thick slices, such as Fuji, Gala, or Braeburn
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- ¾ cup reduced sodium chicken stock
To Add at the End
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat a large 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the chicken sausage. Cook until browned on both sides, about 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- To the same pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter along with the onion, apples, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Sprinkle the apple-onion mixture with the garlic powder and black pepper, stirring to combine. Add the chicken sausage back to the pan along with the chicken stock, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the stock reduces by half, about 5 minutes.
- Add the cream to the pan and cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and taste, adjusting the seasoning if desired. Serve the chicken sausages and apple-onion sauce sprinkled with chives, if desired.
Notes
- Optional topping: any chopped soft fresh herbs, but especially chives.
- One note that I feel bears repeating – apple chicken sausage does have a tendency to burn very easily. For this reason, I recommend having your apples and onions sliced and ready to go before you start cooking. Then don’t walk away from the sausages while they saute. Once you add the apples and onions you should be good to go.
- I tested this recipe with Trader Joe’s apple chicken sausage as well as Aidells chicken apple sausage. Trader Joe’s includes sugar in the sausage, so can burn really easily, so keep an eye on that.
- You want a pre-cooked chicken sausage for this recipe. The number of sausages in a pack can vary, and the exact number you use is up to you. I found 6 was about the right number to feed 4 people, but feel free to adjust that number up or down depending on what you have and how many people you’re feeding.
Very good! Ended up serving with potatoes (bc we had some to get rid of). which worked nicely but not necessary. Even the toddlers liked it!
Cassandra, great idea to add potatoes — that definitely makes it a full one-pot meal. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!
There are so many food blogs out there, but yours is the one I always come back to! I love all of your recipes and make several of them a week. This one really satisfied my fall apple craving. The apples with the onion were so delicious. Thank you for sharing such simple but extremely tasty and healthy meals!
Dana, I have to say, you made my day! Thank you so much for taking the time to share these kind words — they mean more than you know. So happy to know you’re enjoying the recipes and that this one was a hit. Here’s to many more!
Wow! impressed with this recipe it will become one of our regular meals from now on.
I always say a recipe is open to change, I omitted the cider vinegar & used single cream instead of double cream ( a little lighter in calories). Thank you it was really tasty.
Barbara, thanks for sharing the tweaks you made, and so happy to hear you enjoyed. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Made this yummy quick dinner this evening- so good! Roasted brussels sprouts were a perfect complement.
What a great idea to add brussels sprouts! Thanks for the tip and for leaving a reivew, Erika!
Thank you for this tasty recipe. We ate it with roasted sweet potatoes. My teen daughter said, “This looks like fall food!”
Oh I love that, fall food indeed! Happy to hear you enjoyed this one, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review!
My husband loved this! I added some rotisserie chicken and fresh Thyme sprigs.
Donna, fresh thyme sounds lovely in this one. Happy to hear you enjoyed, and thanks so much for leaving a review!
Tried this for the first time tonight and we loved it! Served it with mashed potatoes, a great summer to fall hot, cozy meal. Thanks, Robyn
Jill, summer to fall dinner is the perfect way to describe this one! Thanks, as always, for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review!
Would apple juice or apple cider work in this recipe? If so, what amounts? I plan to make this with some pasta.
Norma, I haven’t tried it, but I think you can replace 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the chicken stock with apple juice or apple cider and it would be lovely! The sauce will be slightly sweeter, but I think it will pair perfectly with the apples and chicken sausage. If you give it try let me know how it turns out!
It was fabulous! I added about 1/2 teaspoon of fresh rosemary when I added the dairy at the end and it was the perfect fall meal.
Lori, oh yum, fresh rosemary sounds like a lovely addition! I’ll have to try that next time I make this one. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review!
I don’t think I’ve ever left a review on any of the hundreds of recipes I’ve made from blogs but I LOVE this one! It is the perfect fall/winter meal. I mix in some roasted Brussels sprouts at the end for added veg and it’s perfect. Thank you!
Shonna, yay, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe, and great idea to add Brussels at the end! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review, I really appreciate it!
Great flavor, but seemed soupy. Took about 30 minutes to reduce. Next time I’ll add less broth.
Interesting, I’ve never heard of this being an issue from anyone who has made it, I’m not sure what happened for you. But, yes, you can always reduce the stock down to 1/3 or 1/2 cup next time!