A fan favorite in my family on any night of the week is my Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken. This warm flavor combination offers sweet and savory all in one dish. It is easy to make and can pair with your go to side dish.
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This apricot chicken recipe is simple, yet rich in flavor. I always get the best compliments about this particular meal, as it brings out the best fall apart chicken deliciousness.
The apricots, spices and sauce all together make a melt in your mouth chicken delight! It is so simple to make and can be left for hours to cook on its own. You can complete this meal with your favorite pairing side dish.
If you love easy chicken recipes, you’ve got to try my Huli Huli Chicken, Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu, Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Herb Chicken, and Crock Pot Fiesta Chicken next! I think you will love these too!
Why You’ll Love This Crock Pot Apricot Chicken Recipe
- Family Friendly. This meal is a crowd pleaser - we always rave about it around the table!
- Simple Ingredients. You will have most, if not all, ingredients on deck which means less time at the grocery store!
- Sweet and Savory. This apricot chicken will leave your belly feeling satisfied with both sweet and savory elements.
Ingredients
Here is what you’ll need to prepare apricots with chicken in your slow cooker. They are all simple ingredients that will be easy to find in your cupboard or local grocery store.
- Chicken breasts: I prefer using boneless and skinless chicken as it's to work with and pulls apart easily we’ve slow cooked it.
- Apricot preserves: Use any brand of preserves you find on the jam aisle in your local grocery store. You can even use homemade!
- Ketchup: It's savory flavors combined with some sweetness great way to balance the flavor of the apricots. You can also use tomato paste in lieu of ketchup by mixing in some water to create a ketchup-like consistency!
- Spices: The garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes add to the spicy levels of the recipe, and can be adjusted to taste to bring up or down the heat!
- Garlic: This can be from the clove and chopped up, or bought minced for a more simple preparation.
- Ginger: Grated and thrown in the mix - adds a really great zing factor!
- Honey: Enhances the other sweet flavors in the dish while also enhancing the consistency of the sauce.
- Low-Sodium Soy Sauce: I prefer to add my salt to taste, so low-sodium is my personal way to go when added in soy sauce.
- Green Onions: For garnish at the end!
- Cornstarch: Helps thicken the sauce and helps it stick to the chicken for extra flavor.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Chicken Thighs or Drumsticks: A good alternative substitute if you want a more tender meat is replacing the breast with thighs, or even drumsticks if you prefer bone-in chicken. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time to make sure your choice of chicken is fully cooked.
- Pork: Swap the chicken for pork chops! Depending on the thickness you may need to shorten or extend the cooking time.
- Add some veggies: Sliced onions, bell peppers, and zucchini would be a great option.
- Make it spicy: Add some more red chili flakes or Sriracha to give the sweet and savory sauce a spicy kick!
- Other Fruits: Alternative fruit options are apples, pears or mandarin oranges, to give your chicken the sweet and spicy flavors.
How to Make Apricot Chicken in the Slow Cooker
You will only need one mixing bowl and your slow cooker to start this recipe. Once you have completed the simple steps below, you can relax as the slow cooker does the work!
Step 1: Season the chicken. Season both sides of the chicken with the seasoning mixture and then place it in the bottom of the slow cooker.
Step 2: Make the sauce. Whisk together your apricot preserves, ketchup, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, honey and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the slow cooker.
Step 3: Cook the chicken. Cover with a lid and set your slow cooker on high for 2½-3½ hours or low for 4½-6 hours.
Step 4: Shred the chicken. Remove the chicken and use two forks to shred the fully cooked chicken. Remove ¼ cups of sauce and whisk the sauce and cornstarch in a small bowl until there are no lumps, then stir into the sauce. Add the chicken back into the slow cooker and coat it in the sauce.
Step 5: Add the garnish. Sprinkle the chopped green onions on top of your apricot chicken.
Hint: Adding Veggies?
If you're adding some vegetables, add them as a layer on the bottom of the crock pot before you add the chicken.
Storage Directions
- Refrigeration: Store leftover apricot chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Reheating: You may reheat leftovers in the microwave or a pan on the stovetop until warmed throughout.
Serving Suggestions
This easy Apricot Chicken recipe is great for a weeknight or weeknight dinner, holidays, potlucks, family dinner, parties, or any crowd. You can multiply the recipe to make more portions for larger groups.
We love this chicken over slow cooker rice but it also pairs well over mashed potatoes or with these Crock Pot sweet potatoes. Feel free to change it up and serve it with your favorite veggie like my slow cooker green beans, corn on the cob, or Crock Pot glazed carrots.
Expert Tips
- Keep the Juices! All the wonderful ingredients that have been simmering for hours will create a delicious juice to keep your chicken moist and serve as a great topper for rice.
- Check your Temperature: Chicken should be cooked to an internal temp of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Be sure to check the temperature before shredding the breasts.
- Sear the Chicken: If you take this extra step, use either butter or olive oil on the pan before lightly searing each side of the chicken. This will help it not stick to the pan and will help lock in the moisture of your chicken before popping it into the slow cooker.
Recipe FAQs
Any brand of apricot preserves will work for this dish.
Once the chicken is easily pulled apart and dowsed back into the sauce, you are ready to serve! No extra cooking is necessary.
Using frozen chicken breasts is perfectly fine, just make sure you thaw them in a plastic bag under running cold water.
More Delicious Chicken Recipes
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Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1¼ cup apricot preserves
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- sliced green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Season both sides of the chicken with garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, and salt. Then, place in the slow cooker.
- In a medium bowl, add apricot preserves, ketchup, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, honey and red pepper flakes. Whisk until well combined and pour over chicken.
- Cover and cook on high for 2½-3½ hours or low for 4½-6 hours.
- Remove the chicken and shred it with two forks. Remove ¼ cups of sauce and whisk the sauce and cornstarch in a small bowl until there are no lumps, then stir into the sauce. Add the chicken back into the slow cooker and coat it in the sauce.
- Serve over rice and garnish with green onions.
Notes
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- Keep the Juices! All the wonderful ingredients that have been simmering for hours will create a delicious juice to keep your chicken moist and serve as a great topper for rice.
-
- Check your Temperature: Chicken should be cooked to an internal temp of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Be sure to check the temperature before shredding the breasts.
-
- Sear the Chicken: If you take this extra step, use either butter or olive oil on the pan before lightly searing each side of the chicken. This will help it not stick to the pan and will help lock in the moisture of your chicken before popping it into the slow cooker.
Nutrition
*Nutrition information is an estimate. It may vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact ingredient numbers, I recommend calculating them with your preferred nutrition calculator.
Ryan Allen says
This may be my new favorite chicken. It is so good over rice or noodles.