This Quick Apricot Chicken recipe is the perfect way to get out of a boring chicken breast rut! A super easy family dinner that tastes truly special.
Anyone else get bored by the same-old, same-old chicken breast dinners? 🙋🏻♀️
Well, this recipe is one to change that. It’s one of our favorite at-home takeouts when time is short and I’ve already maxed out my one pot pasta allowance for the week, ha!
It’s quick. It’s easy. It’s incredibly flavorful – and definitely beats that dreaded dinner rut!
Quick Apricot Chicken Recipe
Recipes with a sticky glaze are definitely a winner when it comes to adding flavor to chicken in a relatively short amount of time.
And just FYI – this is a recipe that works WITHOUT any soup mixes or bottled salad dressings!
Instead, this is chicken with apricot preserves and soy sauce and a little few extra things to max out on the flavor front. Don’t worry if you have small kids (I do!), this recipe is still mild enough so they’ll enjoy it too.
Simply put, this is a quick dinner fix all from scratch, just the way I like it.
How to cook apricot chicken
This is a really simple and straight-forward recipe, so it doesn’t need a ton of tips or explanations.
I’m just going to give you a few super quick hints to make this recipe absolutely foolproof:
- brown the chicken before adding the other ingredients – I know we all tend to skip this step when we’re short on time, but it really does add a ton of flavor
- you don’t have to make apricot chicken breast – you can also use thighs, wings or drumsticks, but you will have to adjust the cooking time. I prefer diced chicken breast because it cooks the fastest.
- adjust the flavor to your taste – you can add grated ginger or chili flakes for a little spiciness, or use ketchup instead of BBQ sauce if you don’t care for the smokiness
A note on sauce consistency:
Sometimes your sauce just won’t come out the way you like it – it depends a lot on your exact ingredients, if your meat has been frozen etc. etc.
If you need to troubleshoot this apricot sauce for chicken:
If it’s too thin, simmer without a lid for a few extra minutes and it should thicken.
If it’s too thick and sticky, thin it out with a few spoonfuls of orange juice – add a little bit at a time until it’s just the way you like it.
What sides go well with this quick apricot chicken?
We like to keep things simple with a side of rice and something like an asian-inspired cucumber salad or slaw.
Stir-fry veggies, broccoli or roasted asparagus would all be nice, too!
Other quick and easy chicken recipes:
Quick Apricot Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil I like to use sesame, but any neutral oil will work, too
- 1 pound diced chicken breast
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/3 cup orange juice or more if you prefer a thinner sauce
- 1 cup apricot jam OR preserves
- 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
Optional for Serving
- chopped scallions, sesame seeds and rice
Instructions
- Brown chicken: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned (it doesn’t have to be cooked through yet). Stir in onions and garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Make sauce: Pour the orange juice into the pan with the chicken, scratching the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to medium. Add apricot jam, BBQ sauce, soy sauce and honey. Stir well.
- Finish dish: Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat and gently simmer until chicken is done (internal temperature should be 160°F) and sauce has thickened to your liking. Serve over rice with scallions and sesame seeds, if you like.
