A sweet and spicy apricot sauce that's perfect for basting on barbecued chicken, glazing meatballs or serving over cream cheese with crackers. This jalapeno apricot sauce is so tasty with just a touch of heat.
This simple sauce is made with fresh apricots, jalapenos, sugar and white wine vinegar.
Why make this sauce
Jalapeno Apricot Sauce - is it a jam or is it a sauce? The answer is yes to both! This starts out as a jam but then white wine vinegar and fresh jalapenos are added and it becomes a sauce.
The vinegar adds a bit of a tang, that makes it perfect for adding to barbecued meats, glazing cocktail meatballs or serving as an appetizer on top of cream cheese.
This tasty sauce can also be used in my baked apricot chicken recipe! Just use this sauce in place of the homemade apricot jam sauce.
Key ingredients
- Fresh apricots
- Jalapeno
- Sugar
- White wine vinegar
Step by step directions
- Cut apricots in half and remove pit. Cut apricots into small chunks.
- Add apricots and sugar to a sauce pot.
- Heat over medium heat stirring often.
- Continue cooking until temperature reaches 220°
- Add chopped jalapenos and vinegar.
- Cook over low heat for an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and place in a heatproof dish.
Recipe tips
- No need to remove skin from apricots - just remove pit and chop into small pieces
- Remove seeds from jalapenos and chop jalapenos into a small dice. Use caution when handling jalapenos. The spicy oils will transfer to your hands - avoid touching your eyes or other sensitive areas.
- Stir sauce often to avoid scorching
- Sauce will continue to thicken as it cools
Shortcut method
I like to make this sauce from scratch, using fresh apricots. However, sometimes fresh might not be available or you want a sauce quicker than making from scratch. This shortcut method works really well.
- Use one cup of prepared apricot jam
- Heat jam over medium heat along with the vinegar and jalapenos
- Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes
- Remove from heat and use as desired
Ways to use sauce
- Use as a glaze with barbecued chicken breast - add during the final 10 minutes of cooking. Baste and turn every few minutes.
- Pour over cream cheese and serve with crackers
- Use with cocktail meatballs
- Use as a dip for chicken nuggets or coconut shrimp
- Bake in wonton cups
- Add to a toasted bagel with cream cheese
- As a dipping sauce with chicken tenders
Recipe Faqs
Apricots contain natural pectin. The sauce is heated to 220° which is the temperature needed for jam to set.
The sauce will last up to two weeks when stored in the refrigerator.
More great apricot recipes
If you have an abundance of apricots or just love them as much as I do, you'll also want to check out these recipes!
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
Check out all my delicious condiment recipes!
Jalapeno Apricot Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup apricots (chopped)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 jalapeno (finely diced)
- ½ cup white wine vinegar
Instructions
- Add chopped apricots and sugar to a sauce pan.1 cup apricots, 1 cup sugar
- Heat over medium heat until temperature of sauce reaches 220° F or reaches the gel stage for jam.
- Add jalapenos and vinegar and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring often.1 jalapeno, ½ cup white wine vinegar
- Remove from heat and add to a heat proof container. Store in refrigerator until use or use right away.
Notes
- Use one cup of prepared apricot jam
- Heat jam over medium heat along with the vinegar and jalapenos
- Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes
- Remove from heat and use as desired
- No need to remove skin from apricots - just remove pit and chop into small pieces
- Remove seeds from jalapenos and chop jalapenos into a small dice. Use caution when handling jalapenos. The spicy oils will transfer to your hands - avoid touching your eyes or other sensitive areas.
- Stir sauce often to avoid scorching
- Sauce will continue to thicken as it cools
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.
Mary says
I made this with half-dried apricots (I buy them online from a vendor who sells nuts, snacks, dried fruits). They do not have to be re-hydrated. I was so pleased with the outcome as the apricots did not become mushy, and the flavor...oh my!!! I might use a little more jalapeno in next batch. It's kind of hard to know how hot the peppers are. This recipe fits my needs perfectly as it's a small batch, although I do use it up rather quickly. It is great on grilled chicken, dip for shrimp (including coconut shrimp), and if I am out of jalapeno pepper jelly I use this on my scrambled eggs. I like hot/sweet, and sweet/sour flavors. Easy to make and I see no reason to be without it!!
Kathy says
Thank you so much! I'm glad to hear the dried apricots worked well!
Wendy says
Delicious! I love all the ideas for this glaze. Can’t wait to smother a chicken!
Kathy says
It's so good on BBQ chicken! Enjoy!!! 🙂
Ana says
Can it be done with dried apricots? Thanks
Kathy says
Hi Ana,
I have not used dried apricots before. However, I had one reader state she did use the dried apricots and simply rehydrated them to use.
Good luck!
Kathy 🙂
Kathy Sa says
Is that 220° Fahrenheit or Celsius?
Kathy says
Fahrenheit
Lucia says
Can I use dried apricots???
Kathy says
I have only made this with fresh apricots.
Kathryn Burgess says
Could you use peaches instead of apricots?
Kathy says
Hi Kathryn,
I haven't used peaches before, but I think they'd work just fine! Let me know how it turns out!
Kathy 🙂
Sandy says
If I use Apricot jam, should I eliminate sugar.
Kathy says
Hi Sandy,
I have not made this using apricot jam. But since apricot jam is already sweetened with sugar, I would eliminate it the sauce.
Let me know how it turns out.
Kathy 🙂
Renee Slaugh says
can you can this recipe to use at a later date?
Kathy says
Hi Renee,
Yes, you may can this sauce. You will need to process in a hot water bath. Please follow the steps in my recipe for apricot jam.
Enjoy! 🙂
Dan Hansen says
I ran out of my favorite apricot jalapeño jam so thought I’d just open a jar of apricot jam and dice up jalapenos in it. Needless to say it tasted horrible. The peppers tasted like pea pods. Would I be able to cook out that flavor at this point?
Kathy says
Hi Dan,
I'm not certain I totally understand you question...you just added raw jalapenos to a jar of jam? The peppers do need to be cooked and you can try to cook it now, however your jam may become too thick as it cooks. At this point, I'd say it's worth a try since it doesn't sound good the way it is.
Good luck,
Kathy 🙂
Lisa says
I didn’t have any white wine vinegar so I used rice vinegar. I doubled the recipe, came out great!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Kathy says
That's great! Rice vinegar would add great flavor! Thanks for your comment. 🙂