Apricot Chicken (One Pot)
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Quick and easy apricot chicken recipe, made with simple ingredients in one pot on stovetop. This 30 minute meal is sweet and spicy with soft and tender chicken breasts.
If you are fond of the the sweet and spicy flavor combination, you would love this apricot chicken recipe, just as much as my One Pot Pineapple Chicken or this One Pot Honey Garlic Chicken.
How do you make apricot chicken?
- Saute chicken until golden brown.
- Add onions, ginger, garlic and cook until soft and fragrant.
- Mix in apricot preserves, soy sauce, mustard, salt, pepper, red chili flakes, broth.
- Cover and cook for a few minutes.
- Then, uncover and cook until sauce is thickened.
- Garnish with parsley and you are done.
This is not apricot glazed chicken
That’s because a separate glaze is not made to baste the chicken. Everything is cooked together.
Slow cooker/ Crockpot apricot chicken
Dump all the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours.
Apricot chicken breast/ Apricot chicken thighs/ Apricot chicken wings
I used chicken breasts, cut into small pieces but you can replace that with thighs or wings or even drumsticks.
Baked apricot chicken
Mix all the ingredients (from the recipe below) in a large bowl and marinade for at least 1 hour or overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. Cook the remaining marinade in a nonstick saucepan on the stovetop until it thickens. Brush it on the baked chicken, prior to serving.
Fresh apricot chicken
I don’t recommend it in this meal because fresh apricots release a lot of water, when they are cooked and it takes longer to evaporate extra liquid and thicken the sauce.
Dried apricot chicken
I don’t recommend this either because dried apricots don’t have a strong flavor like jams and preserves and the final meal tastes a little bland. Also, dried apricots don’t blend together as well as jams and preserves and no one wants chunks of fruit while they are eating.
Healthy apricot chicken
This meal would be considered relatively healthy, especially if you are using sugar free, natural preserves/jam.
Apricot preserves chicken/ Apricot jam chicken
You can use either preserves or jam because there is no noticeable difference. Just use the best quality you can find for the best flavor.
Apricot sauce for chicken
The sauce is made by cooking together onion, ginger, garlic, apricot preserves, mustard, soy sauce, salt, pepper, red chili flakes.
How long do you cook apricot chicken in the oven?
It can be baked in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.
Catalina chicken
This meal is very similar to the Catalina version but that one uses a Catalina dressing too.
Tips for easy apricot chicken recipe
- Use a nonstick pot to prevent sticking and burning.
- Use the best apricot jam or preserves you can find for best flavor. Farmer markets have some of the freshest ones I have ever had.
- Adjust the amount of red chili flakes, based on your preference, or you can omit them entirely, if you are not fond of spicy food.
- Chicken thighs, drumsticks or wings can all be replaced with chicken breasts.
- Make sure you are using low sodium broth to prevent the meal from getting too salty. Broth can also be replaced with water.
- Serve this meal with a side of rice or roasted vegetables like: Oven Roasted Green Beans or Oven Roasted Broccoli or Oven Roasted Asparagus.
- If the sauce is too thick, add a little water and cook for about 2-3 minutes to thin it out. If sauce is too thin, cook uncovered for a few minutes until liquid is reduced.
Other One Pot Chicken Recipes
One Pot Apricot Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 2 pounds Chicken breasts, Boneless, Cut into 1-2 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup Onion, Finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Garlic , Finely minced
- 1 tsp Ginger , Finely minced
- 1 cup Apricot preserves, Or jam
- 2 tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- Salt , To taste
- Pepper, To taste
- 1/4 tsp Red chili flakes, Optional
- 1/4 cup Chicken broth, Low sodium, Or water
- 1 tbsp Parsley, For garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil in a nonstick pot over medium high heat.
- Add chicken and saute until golden brown.
- Add onions, garlic, ginger, and saute for a few more minutes until onion is softened (About 5 minutes).
- Add apricot preserves, soy sauce, mustard, salt, pepper, red chili flakes, broth and mix everything together.
- Cover and cook for about 8-10 minutes.
- Uncover and cook for a few more minutes until liquid is released and sauces thickens.
- Garnish with parsley and enjoy!
Notes
- Read all my tips above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
Happy cooking everyone!
Thanks for the recipes. Turned out perfect and the family loved it. I used a different mustard (since I did not have Dijon).
That’s great! There are so many wonderful mustard flavors that can be used.
This chicken is super tasty, especially with plain rice. Thank you for sharing this recipe.