Chicken, Cabbage, and Apples Sheet Pan Dinner in the Air Fryer

Get ready to experience a filling, fall-inspired one-pan meal. This chicken, cabbage and apples sheet pan dinner combines autumn’s rich, savory flavors with a hint of sweetness. It’s perfect for a weeknight dinner that feels unique but is super simple to prepare. The best part? There’s minimal cleanup! Imagine juicy, honey mustard-marinated chicken roasting to perfection alongside tender cabbage and caramelized apples, all in one pan, all in the air fryer.

Simple Ingredients Needed for Our Chicken, Cabbage, and Apples Sheet Pan Dinner in the Air Fryer:

Ingredients

• Chicken thighs
• Gala apples
• Cabbage
• Marinade:
  • Olive oil
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Honey
  • Dijon mustard
  • Salt

Supplies

• Air fryer
• Small mixing bowl
• Whisk or fork
• Cutting board
• Knife 
• Medium mixing bowls (2)

The Cosori 5.8QT air fryer is my favorite for one-pan meals or when I’m cooking for larger groups. It is big enough to fit more food inside, so I can feed everyone at once (yay for less batch cooking!).

Other dishes with honey mustard marinade

Use this marinade for other delicious honey mustard dishes, or double the chicken in this recipe and add it to the salad!👇

More ways to use honey mustard chicken:

1. Honey Mustard Sausage Rolls
2. Cobb Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing
3. Honey Mustard Salmon
4. Slow Cooker Creamy Honey Mustard Chicken

How to Make Chicken, Cabbage, and Apples Sheet Pan Dinner:

Step 1: Make the marinade

Add the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey mustard, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Whisk them together to create your own homemade honey mustard marinade.

You can also prepare your chicken by deboning and removing any skin or excess fat. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and pound down any larger thighs.

Step 2: Chop and marinate the cabbage and apples

Wash the apples and cut them into ½-inch slices. Wash and chop the cabbage into 2-inch chunks.

Place the apples and cabbage into a small bowl. Add half of the honey mustard marinade and stir to coat.

Make sure to give the chicken enough time to marinate in the delicious homemade honey mustard marinade to get the juiciest chicken ever. Talk about YUM! When you’re craving it later, you’ll want to make this one again with other dishes.

Step 3: Marinate the chicken thighs

Place the chicken thighs in another small bowl and season them with salt and pepper to taste. Then, pour the remaining honey mustard marinade over the chicken, making sure the marinade covers the chicken.

Now, let everything marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Step 4: Prepare the air fryer

After the chicken marinates, place the chicken thighs in one half of the air fryer basket and the cabbage and apples in the other half.

As the cabbage cooks, it will shrink. Feel free to pile it up or leave a little out if it can’t fit, and add more as it begins to cook and shrink. If there is not enough room in the basket for the chicken, cabbage, and apples, cook them in batches.

Step 5: Air fry

Once the air fryer basket is ready, place it in the air fryer and cook it at 380°F (193°C) for 14-18 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (75°C) at its thickest point.

At halfway through cooking, flip the chicken, stir the cabbage and apples, and then do it again at the last 2-3 minutes.

Continue to check the chicken’s internal temperature and add time as needed. When the chicken reaches its temperature, remove it from the air fryer and continue to roast the cabbage and apples, if desired.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different cut of chicken besides chicken thighs?

Chicken thighs are some of the most tender and flavorful pieces of chicken, especially paired with this delicious homemade honey mustard marinade.

However, this dish would also be delicious with chicken breasts or any boneless cut of meat in place of the chicken thighs.  Just be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly.

You can snag my air fryer cheat sheet to see how long it takes to cook chicken (and any other food, too!). Or watch how I make perfect chicken breasts in this video.

Can I replace the cabbage with another vegetable?

Cabbage is a great fall vegetable to pair with apples. However, other delicious earthy vegetables would also be great in this dish. For a well-rounded vegetable-filled meal, you could also try:

• Brussels sprouts
• Kale
• Butternut squash
• Parsnips

What apples work best in this recipe?

Gala apples are my favorite with this recipe because they are sweet and have a firm texture that caramelizes beautifully when cooked. Their honey-like flavor complements the marinade and offers a contrast to the earthy cabbage and tender chicken.

Other great apples for this dish could be:

• Honeycrisp
• Fuji
• Braeburn
• Pink Lady

How can I prevent my apples from getting mushy?

The apples will get soft during cooking. For firmer, crunchy apples, add them halfway through the cooking time. You could also cut them into wedges or chunks instead of thin slices. Thicker apples will take longer to soften while still caramelizing on the outside.

You could also add lemon juice to the apples to help them retain their structure and prevent over-softening.

What would go well with this meal?

I love adding chickpeas to the marinade. They add versatility with added protein and fiber. You could also serve this dish with a side of crusty bread or fall-themed grain, such as quinoa or wild rice.

Favorite Fall Dinner Recipes in the Air Fryer 🍂

Look no further if you want more ways to cook with fall flavors and vegetables! We have easy, no-fail recipes in the air fryer that will become your seasonal favorites.

• Acorn Squash Dinner
• Stuffed Sweet Potato with Salsa and Beans
• Simple Cowboy Casserole Dinner in the Air Fryer
• Quick and Easy Guide to Air Fryer Roast Beef Dinner

Air fryer tips and tricks

• Air Fryer 101
• Learn these common Air Fryer Mistakes!
• All about the Best and Worst Air Fryer Accessories
• How to Clean Your Air Fryer
• How to Cook Any Recipe in the Air Fryer
• FREE Download → Air Fryer Tips & Temps
• Air Fryer Buying Guide
• Watch Fabulessly Frugal YouTube Channel for Air Fryer Recipes

Chicken, Cabbage, and Apples Sheet Pan Dinner

Try this delicious Chicken, Cabbage, and Apples Sheet Pan Dinner in the air fryer for a simple dinner that shouts fall.

4.75 / 5 ( 4 Reviews )

Print Rate

Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes minutes

Total Time: 58 minutes minutes

Serves: 4

Adjust Servings: 4

US CustomaryMetric

Equipment

• Air Fryer
• Small mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Cutting board
• Knife
• Medium mixing bowls

Ingredients

Honey Mustard Marinade

• ⅓ cup Olive oil
• ¼ cup Apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup Honey
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp Salt

Chicken Ingredients

• 4 Chicken thighs, skin off, deboned
• 1 large Gala apple
• ½ head cabbage

Instructions

• In a bowl, whisk to combine the oney mustard marinade ingredients.
• Debone and remove the skin and excess fat off chicken thighs if needed.
• Chop the cabbage into 2-inch pieces.
• Slice the apple into slightly thick pieces but still thin slices.
• In a bowl, combine the cabbage, apples, and 1/2 c of the honey mustard marinade.
• In a separate bowl, marinate the chicken with the remaining honey mustard marinade. - -- Season the chicken marinade to taste with salt and pepper.
• Let both marinate for at least 30 minutes.
• In one half of the air fryer basket, layer with chicken thighs. Place the cabbage and apple mixture on the other half of the air fryer. As the cabbage cooks, it will shrink. Layer the cabbage up or leave a little out if it can’t fit, and add more as it begins to cook and shrink. If there is not enough room in the basket for the chicken, cabbage, and apples, cook them in batches.
• Air fry at 380 °F (193° C) for 14-18 minutes or until the chicken's internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C).
• Halfway through cooking, flip the chicken and stir the cabbage and apples. During the last 2-3 minutes, do this again. Add more time as needed until the chicken is roasted to your liking.

Nutrition

Calories: 289kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 18g | Sodium: 687mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 27g

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