Tender, juicy chicken topped with sweet, sticky apricot glaze? Holy moly, this chicken is the remedy to boring chicken dinners everywhere.
This recipe isn’t new. In fact, this is one of the first recipes that ever made it’s way onto my blog + it has been well made + well loved…and for good reason! This recipe for Whole30 Apricot Glazed Chicken is DELICIOUS – like sticky, sweet, divine, delicious, winner, winner chicken dinner.
It’s chock full of garlic, mustard + sweet, dried apricots that really pack a flavourful punch. But the best part? It requires minimal effort.
You will ADORE this recipe. The rave reviews have made me confident of that. Let’s get cooking!
Ingredients in this Whole30 Apricot Glazed Chicken
The ingredient list for this Whole30 Apricot Glazed Chicken is so simple, but each one of these items really brings something big + wonderful to the table. So, try not to skip anything…even if it sounds crazy. Here’s what you need:
- Chicken – feel free to use whatever cut of chicken you most adore, but I can tell you – thighs bring something extra. The fat in chicken thighs ensures this chicken stays moist and succulent, which just sends the sweet + salty flavour over the top.
- Dried apricots – These babies bring the sweetness + they’re absolutely PACKED with vitamin A, rich in fiber, and full of antioxidants. And on top of all of that, they taste freaking great.
- Garlic – to really bring the sweetness of the apricot to life, I’ve paired it with a hit of zippy, fresh garlic. I know, I know, five cloves feels like a lot of garlic, but trust me here. The apricots can take it.
- Mustard – there’s just a little bit in here, but it adds a hint of unexpected tang. It’s perfect, I promise.
- Olive oil or Avocado Oil – this is really meant to carry the sauce. It helps the apricots to blend, but also ensures the topping gets the loveliest little crisp on top!
- salt + pepper
Putting this Chicken Dinner Together
To make the apricot glaze/marinade, it’s as simple as throwing everything into a blender or food processor. It’ll need to be something with a little bit of power, or you may spend a good amount of time scraping down the sides of your appliance! Apricots aren’t the easiest to blend into a paste, but I promise this step is so worth it.
Once you’ve got the marinade, simply add your chicken to a container or bowl or bag and toss with the marinade. Let it sit for as long as you are able – overnight is best, but even 30 minutes will work!
Once you’re ready to bake, remove the chicken from the bag + use a spoon to spread the extra marinade over the top of your chicken pieces + bake until crispy + golden + sweet + divine!
My favourite way to serve these apricot chicken thighs is alongside some roasted veggies – like beets or my salt + vinegar magic potatoes. But honestly, the flavour profile of this Whole30 Apricot Glazed Chicken is so versatile, you could serve it up a million different ways.
Throw it on top of some arugula with some goat cheese + sliced almonds – YUM! Pair it with cinnamon roasted sweet potatoes + some green beans – done deal. I think this would also be divine served with a buttery bowl of cauliflower (or regular potato) mash, but that’s just me. The possibilities of this dish are endless!
If you’re looking for an easy, awesome week night meal that you can bang out quickly, these apricot chicken thighs might be your new go-to (especially all of you Whole30 + Paleo peeps). Honestly, the hardest part of this recipe is waiting for the chicken to cook.
I really hope that you TRUST ME + give this recipe a try – it’s a winner, winner chicken dinner. If you do make yourself some of my sticky, sweet whole30 apricot glazed chicken, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below or tag me in your photos on Instagram. Or, pin this recipe to make it later!
Apricot Glazed Chicken Thighs (Whole30 + Paleo)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 cup dried apricots (unsweetened ones, please!)
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp dijon mustard (if you’re on Whole30, be sure there isn’t any wine in your mustard!)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Cover the died apricots in boiling water. Soak for at least 10 minutes until soft, but up to 30. Drain off the water.
- Make the marinade by adding the drained apricots, olive oil, garlic cloves, mustard, salt + pepper to a food processor or high speed blender. Pulse until all of your ingredients are combined and form a thick paste. Stop and scrape down the sides as necessary.
- Trim any extra fat off of your chicken thighs and place them into a plastic bag with your marinade. Massage the marinade into the chicken until each piece is well coated. Leave sit for as long as you have – a few hours or overnight is ideal, but even 30 minutes (or 15 if you're REALLY pushed) would be fine.
- Preheat your oven to 425f (or roughly 220c).
- Place your chicken thighs onto a baking sheet, roasting tin, or into a cast-iron skillet (my preference). Spoon some of the leftover apricot marinade from the bag over the top of each thigh before placing the pan into the oven.
- Bake your chicken for roughly 30 minutes (start checking at 20 if using chicken breasts), or until your meat thermometer reads at least 165f and the tops are golden brown.
I am going to make these – thanks Jessica
We made the chicken! It was delicious and easy to make.
Yay! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
I found this recipe because I had fresh apricots and no idea how to eat them all!
I used 10 fresh apricots (skin on) for 3lbs of chicken thighs and used 1.5x everything else. It has a unique taste, one that I’m undecided about on first taste.
Hi Jenna! I bet the fresh apricots made it quite tart – next time, I’d try the dry! They are a LOT sweeter + really balance out the flavours 🙂 Thanks for letting me know your experience!