Apricot Glazed Chicken Breasts are a weeknight-friendly skillet dinner packed with flavor in every bite.
Apricot Glazed Chicken Recipe
We can all agree there are as many ways to prepare chicken breasts as there are cooks, and that’s not a bad thing. The variations ensure we never grow tired of this popular dinner staple.
Pan-seared chicken breast, cooked in a small amount of oil and seasoned with salt and pepper and finished with a large knob of butter, is the first (and simplest) way I learned to cook chicken and a technique I always go back to. The end result of this method is chicken with a golden-crisp exterior and a still-juicy interior, and is just as popular when served with steamed veggies as it is on top of a creamy Alfredo pasta.
This glazed apricot chicken is a delicious variation of my tried and true chicken, I think you’ll love the flavor as much as I do.
Apricot Chicken Ingredients
Lots of pantry staples in this recipe, which makes it even easier to get on the dinner table.
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts – Look for chicken breasts that are on the smaller side and are relatively the same size.
Olive Oil – feel free to use any other high-temperature oils such as avocado or peanut.
Butter – flavor booster
Chicken Broth – use low-sodium
Apricot Preserves – preserves contain the richest portions of fruitiness in comparison to jelly, with the largest amount of the fruit’s flavor in a mixable form.
Soy Sauce – make sure it’s low-sodium as well
Garlic – minced as finely as possible
Ground Ginger – so flavorful with apricot
Salt and Pepper – flavor booster
Red Pepper Flakes – for heat
Fresh Cilantro – you could also use basil or fresh parsley
GET THE FULL (PRINTABLE) APRICOT GLAZED CHICKEN BREASTS RECIPE BELOW. ENJOY!
Key Steps for Juicy Chicken Breasts Every Time
- Begin with a wide, deep pan and add oil. Cook the chicken over medium-high heat, and you’ll want to have plenty of room for the four breasts. Using a skillet that is both wide and deep accommodates the chicken and keeps oil splatter to a minimum.
- Don’t move the chicken for a full five minutes once in the pan. Once you place your chicken in the hot pan, do not poke, prod, wiggle, or try to turn over the chicken for a full five minutes. If you can’t easily flip the chicken with tongs, it’s not ready for turning.
- Flip it once and don’t touch again. Flip the chicken breast only one time, with the goal of golden-brown color on each side.
- Finish with butter. Butter, would burn if added in the beginning, but adds flavor and mouthfeel when added to the sauce at the end of cooking.
How Do I Know When My Chicken Is Done?
A meat thermometer is the best way to tell when the chicken is done. You’ll want to cook the breasts until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
More Simple Chicken Dinners to Try
You don’t need to be an expert cook to whip up these tasty chicken dinners. Give them a try!
- Chicken and Snow Pea Stir Fry
- Air Fryer Caribbean Spiced Chicken
- Best Grilled Chicken
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Weeknight Chicken Saltimbocca
- Simple Chicken Tenderloin Parmesan
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Apricot Glazed Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup apricot preserves
- 2 tbsps low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (add more if you prefer spicy)
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (bring chicken close to room temp)
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsps butter
- fresh chopped cilantro or parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together chicken broth, apricot preserves, soy sauce, minced garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper; add chicken to the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes on each side until chicken breasts are cooked through and the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees F.
- Pour apricot sauce over chicken and simmer for 2-3 minutes until warmed through, occasionally spooning sauce over the tops of the chicken breasts. Finish sauce with butter. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and serve immediately over rice.
Notes
Nutrition
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