• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About
    • Contact Me
    • Privacy Policy
  • Chickens and Farm Animals
  • Gardening
  • Recipes
  • Podcast
    • Guest Application

Beyond The Chicken Coop logo

menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • Chickens and Farm Animals
  • Gardening
  • About
    • Contact Me
    • Privacy Policy
  • Podcast
    • Guest Application
×

Home » Main Dish » Apricot Chicken

Published: Sep 19, 2022 by Kathy · This post may contain affiliate links

Apricot Chicken

Jump to Recipe
Chicken thighs in a glass baking dish.

Delicious easy to make Apricot Chicken Thighs made with a delicious homemade sauce using apricot jam.

This is perfect for weeknight dinners. Once the chicken is in the oven, you baste it once, but otherwise it's handsoff cooking!

A chicken thigh with a sauce on a plate with rice and peas.
Table of Contents
Easy to make dinner
Key ingredients
Step by step directions
Recipe tips
Serving suggestions
More delicious chicken recipes
Apricot Chicken

Easy to make dinner

There's just something so delicious about these baked apricot chicken thighs. A quick sauce is made with apricot jam, soy sauce, honey and a bit of red pepper flakes.

Then you just place everything into a baking dish and let the chicken cook for about 40 minutes. All you need to do is baste the sauce over the chicken halfway through the cooking time.

You'll have plenty of time to make a quick salad, some rice and an easy vegetable. Plus you'll have some extra time for whatever else you need to do before dinnertime.

Key ingredients

Ingredients for making apricot chicken.
  • Chicken - I use bone-in, skin on chicken thighs. You could also use skinless chicken thighs.
  • Apricot Jam - Homemade or store bought works fine. I have also used peach jam in this recipe.
  • Onion and Garlic - finely chopped
  • Dijon Mustard - adds perfect flavor
  • Soy Sauce - adds a depth of flavor to the sauce. Use low sodium if you have it.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar - Gives the sauce a tang!
  • Honey - adds a bit of sweetness.
  • Seasoning - dried ginger powder and red pepper flakes

Step by step directions

  • Make sauce - place all ingredients in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until the jam has melted and everything is heated through.
A saucepan with onions and spices.
An apricot sauce in a pan with a spoon.
  • Trim any excess fat or skin from chicken thighs. Place in a lightly greased baking dish and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
  • Pour sauce over prepared chicken and place uncovered in a 375°F preheated oven.
Chicken thighs in a casserole dish.
A sauce poured over chicken thighs.
  • Bake for 20 minutes and then baste sauce over thighs. Just use a spoon and scoop up any sauce in pan and pouring over each chicken thigh.
  • Return to oven for another 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the chicken is just beginning to brown.
  • Remove chicken from the pan and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Top with freshly chopped parsley, if desired.
  • Skim any grease off of remaining sauce and serve sauce on the side

Recipe tips

  • Use any size casserole dish that will hold the chicken. I used an 8x11 inch dish.
  • Bake chicken uncovered
  • When chicken is baked through, you can place under the broiler for a few minutes to help caramelize the chicken. Keep a close eye on the chicken so it doesn't burn.
  • The extra sauce is great to serve on the side. Just skim any excess grease off the sauce first.
  • Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving
Apricot chicken in a glass casserole dish.

Serving suggestions

Serve with any of your favorite side dishes. Some of ours include

  • Rice
  • Mashed Potatoes
  • Twice Baked Potato Casserole
  • Green Salad
  • Sauteed Peas
  • Green Beans

More delicious chicken recipes

  • Italian Dressing Chicken
  • Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
  • Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wraps
  • Cast Iron Chicken Thighs
  • Pesto Chicken Sandwich
  • Creamy Chicken Orzo
A plate with rice,  peas and chicken.

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop

Be certain to check out all my delicious dinner recipes!

  • Teriyaki Wings
  • Honey BBQ Wings
  • Baked Trout
  • Venison Tacos
A chicken thigh with a sauce on a plate with rice and peas.

Apricot Chicken

Kathy
Baked chicken thighs with a sweet and sour apricot glaze.
5 from 12 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 thighs
Calories 364 kcal

Equipment

  • Glass Baking Dish 7x11
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients
  

Sauce

  • 1 cup apricot jam
  • ¼ cup finely diced onions
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Chicken

  • 6 chicken thighs
  • fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Instructions
 

Sauce

  • Make sauce - place all ingredients in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until the jam has melted and everything is heated through.
    1 cup apricot jam, ¼ cup finely diced onions, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Chicken

  • Trim any excess fat or skin from chicken thighs. Place in a lightly greased baking dish and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
    6 chicken thighs
  • Pour sauce over prepared chicken and place uncovered in a 375°F preheated oven.
  • Bake for 20 minutes and then baste sauce over thighs. Just use a spoon and scoop up any sauce in pan and pouring over each chicken thigh.
  • Return to oven for another 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the chicken is just beginning to brown.
  • Remove chicken from the pan and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Top with freshly chopped parsley, if desired.
    fresh parsley for garnish
  • Skim any grease off of remaining sauce and serve sauce on the side

Notes

  • Use any size casserole dish that will hold the chicken. I used an 8x11 inch dish.
  • Bake chicken uncovered
  • When chicken is baked through, you can place under the broiler for a few minutes to help caramelize the chicken. Keep a close eye on the chicken so it doesn't burn.
  • The extra sauce is great to serve on the side. Just skim any excess grease off the sauce first.
  • Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving

Nutritional Disclaimer:

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Serving: 1thighCalories: 364kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 20gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 467mgPotassium: 299mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 183IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg
Keyword baked chicken, chicken with apricot glaze, easy baked chicken
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @BeyondTheChickenCoop or tag #beyondthechickencoop!
« Episode 012 Dried Pears
Episode 013 How to Can Smoked Fish »
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Don says

    October 07, 2022 at 10:37 am

    5 stars
    Fantastic! Great flavor, tender, and easy to make. Wife not a fan of apricots, any other jam ideas?

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      October 07, 2022 at 11:20 am

      Hi Don,
      How about peach jam. You could also try orange marmalade or for a totally different taste, apple jelly!
      Enjoy,
      Kathy 🙂

      Reply
  2. Velva says

    September 22, 2022 at 7:31 am

    Kathy this is a fantastic weeknight chicken dish. The sweetness of the jam cooks right into the chicken, and helps form a delicious crust. Thanks for sharing this recipe idea.

    Velva

    Reply
  3. David @ Spiced says

    September 22, 2022 at 4:55 am

    5 stars
    Oooo-what a fun idea! I especially love that you used homemade apricot jam for this. I know I could use store-bought jam, but I want to track down some fresh apricots now. We have a huge fig tree in our yard...maybe I can find someone who wants to trade! Thanks for the inspiration, Kathy!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      September 22, 2022 at 5:42 am

      Store bought jam works perfectly! Now about those figs...

      Reply
  4. Don says

    September 19, 2022 at 8:46 pm

    Can I use frozen chicken?

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      September 20, 2022 at 5:48 am

      Hi Don,
      If using frozen chicken, the baking time will increase - maybe even double in time. I'd start just the chicken first and then add the sauce later so it doesn't burn. I haven't tried cooking it from frozen, so I don't know how much time it would actually take.
      Kathy 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

The author holding a chicken.

I'm Kathy, a busy working mom who loves to cook from scratch, grow a garden, and raise farm animals. Take a look around and find all my recipes, gardening tips, and country living antics.

More about me →

Popular Recipes

  • Oatmeal Banana Muffins
  • Beer Battered Fish
  • Pan Fried Walleye
  • Chicken Pasta Bake

Homemade Bread

  • Pretzel Buns
  • Braided Bread
  • Honey Oat Bread
  • Potato Bread
  • Pumpkin and Sunflower Seed Bread
  • Homemade White Wheat Bread

Featured In...

Beyond the Chicken Coop recipes have been featured in many different sites.

Footer

↑ back to top

Beyond the Chicken Coop recipes have been featured in many different sites.

About

  • Privacy Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 Beyond the Chicken Coop®