Every year I look forward to the stone fruit season which starts around November here in Australia. Apricots peaches and mangoes are some of my favourite fruits and it’s inevitable that they will make their way into my cooking, as in this easy and delicious Asian inspired Apricot Chicken. If apricots were in season, I would add fresh quartered apricots to this one pan wonder. Otherwise, the apricot goodness comes from Apricot Nectar and Apricot Conserve only. Incidentally,Apricot nectar is also great to use in cocktails! Splash of gin, lots of ice then fill with Apricot Nectar. We’ll call this Adele’s Apricot Stunner, but this recipe is for another day.
What you need to make Apricot Chicken
As with most of my recipes, everything you need is probably already in your fridge and pantry.
- Chicken Pieces – I like to use thigh cutlets as they remain moist during the cooking process. If you are using boneless, cut them up into serving pieces. If using bone-in thigh cutlets, adjust the cooking time by about 10 minutes.
- Apricot Conserve, Apricot Nectar Drink (such as Golden Circle brand),Onion,Garlic,Ginger,Soy Sauce,Stock Powder,Flour and Salt and Pepper. If Gluten is an issue, substitute plain flour with Corn Flour. You also need a bit of oil for pan frying. Sweet Potato goes really well with this Chicken dish, but can be substituted with potatoes if you don’t have/like Sweet Potatoes.
- You need an oven proof pan ideally with a cover. Or cover with foil. Please note that this is cooked uncovered for the last 10 minutes of cooking time to thicken the sauce and to brown the chicken a little bit.
Easy does it.
- Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and dredge with a little bit of flour.
- Pan fry the chicken pieces in a little bit of oil until golden.
- Set the chicken to one side of the pan and add the garlic, onion and ginger. Then deglaze pan with Apricot nectar.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and cover and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes. Sprinkle with Chilli Flakes before serving, if you want it a bit spicy.
To serve and other Options:
- With Steamed Rice
- Serve with blanched Asian Greens like bok choy, Asparagus or Broccolini
- Make it Moroccan by omitting the soy sauce and substituting it with a juice of half a lemon. Add the following spices 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of paprika and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon powder after cooking the onions.
- Love more apricots? Add a handful of sliced and pitted fresh or dried apricots before baking.
- Serve with yoghurt and a simple green salad.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the thumbs up.