Apricot Chicken

Easy coconut rice topped with saucy shredded Apricot Chicken. This healthy and delicious dinner can be ready in 30 minutes or less!

3 Reason We Love This Apricot Chicken Recipe

1. Healthy Choices: This recipe uses good-for-you ingredients like olive oil and less sugar, making it a great choice for a healthy weeknight dinner. (Save this indulgent Creamy Sausage Pasta for one of those nights you’re craving comfort;)
2. Tasty and Fresh: It’s full of delicious flavors from the apricot sauce, and the cucumber salad and avocado add a nice, fresh touch.
3. Easy Chicken Options: You can grill the chicken or use a rotisserie chicken, making this apricot chicken simple and versatile to cook.

Ingredients In Apricot Chicken

For the Chicken:

1. Chicken Breasts or Prepared Rotisserie Chicken: The main protein of the dish.
2. Olive Oil: Used for grilling the apricot chicken.
3. Garlic and Ginger: Combined to enhance the flavor of the chicken sauce.
4. Apricot Preserves: The key ingredient for the chicken’s sweet sauce. Slather extras over a fresh slice of Honey Whole Wheat Bread.
5. Rice Wine Vinegar and Lite Soy Sauce: Combined to add tanginess and umami flavor to the chicken’s sauce.
6. Cornstarch and Water/Broth: To thicken the chicken’s sauce.
7. Sugar: For a slight sweetness in the chicken’s sauce.

For the Coconut Rice:

1. Basmati Rice: The base grain for the apricot chicken.
2. Lite Coconut Milk: Used to cook the rice for a creamy, coconut flavor.
3. Salt: To season the rice.

How To Make Apricot Chicken

1. Cook Rice: Simmer basmati rice in lite coconut milk and salt until absorbed; let it stand covered.
2. Grill/Shred Chicken: Grill seasoned chicken breasts or shred rotisserie chicken.
3. Prepare Sauce: Sauté garlic and ginger, add apricot preserves, soy sauce, vinegar, and thicken with cornstarch mix.
4. Combine Chicken and Sauce: Mix the chicken with the prepared sauce.
5. Cucumber Salad: Toss sliced cucumbers in olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
6. Assemble: Top coconut rice with sauced apricot chicken, cucumber salad, and avocado slices.

Chicken Cooking Options

• Rotisserie Option: This is your fastest option: Buy plain seasoned rotisserie chicken, shred for use.
• Use Meat Thermometer: Aim for 160°F, allowing carryover heat to reach 165°F. Avoid undercooking or overcooking.
• Grill: Season chicken with olive oil, salt, pepper. Grill at 450°F for 4-5 minutes each side until 165°F. Slice or shred your apricot chicken.
• Bake: At 425°F on parchment-lined sheet for 18 minutes, flipping halfway. Rest covered for 5-10 minutes. Slice or shred.
• Sauté: In oiled pan, cook chicken 4-6 minutes each side. Rest covered for 5-10 minutes. Slice or shred.

More Easy Chicken Dinners

• Avocado Chicken Salad
• Honey Lime Chicken
• Chicken Ramen
• Chicken Stir Fry
• Coconut Curry Chicken

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5 from 4 votes

Apricot Chicken

By Chelsea Lords

Whip up this saucy, shredded Apricot Chicken with an easy coconut rice base for a nutritious, delicious dinner that’s ready in 30 minutes or less!

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 2 servings

Equipment

• Small pot
• Grill or grill pan
• Medium pan

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 3/4 cup basmati rice
• ▢ 1 (13.5-ounce) can lite coconut milk
• ▢ Salt and pepper
• ▢ 2 Persian cucumbers or 1 English cucumber
• ▢ 4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar divided
• ▢ 8 teaspoons olive oil divided
• ▢ 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or 1-1/2 cups prepared rotisserie chicken, see note 1
• ▢ Vegetable oil for oiling grill grates
• ▢ 1 tablespoon freshly minced ginger 1-inch piece
• ▢ 1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic 3 cloves
• ▢ 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes add to heat preference
• ▢ 2 tablespoons apricot preserves
• ▢ 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ▢ 1/2 cup water or chicken broth
• ▢ 1 teaspoon granulated sugar optional
• ▢ 1 large ripe avocado thinly sliced

Instructions 

• Cook rice in a small pot with coconut milk and 1/4 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 10–15 minutes until milk is absorbed. Let stand covered for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork.
• Meanwhile, slice cucumbers into 1/4-inch rounds. In a medium bowl, whisk 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Toss cucumbers in the mixture and set aside. Toss again before serving.
• If using rotisserie chicken, shred or cut chicken off the bones. If grilling chicken, preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat (400–450℉). Generously oil grill grates with vegetable oil (I use a paper towel). Halve and pound chicken for even thickness (not super flat), then season both sides with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook for 8–10 minutes, flipping once halfway, or until juices run clear and internal temperature reaches 160–165℉. Tent chicken with foil and let rest for 5–10 minutes, then thinly slice or shred.
• Make sauce by heating remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Sauté ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Add apricot preserves, soy sauce, and remaining 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon rice vinegar. Boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium, and simmer 2–3 minutes until reduced by half. In a separate small bowl, whisk cornstarch with water until smooth, then gradually stir mixture into sauce until it thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt, pepper, and optional sugar to taste. Toss chicken in sauce until well coated.
• Assemble by dividing coconut rice between plates or bowls, then top with sauced chicken, cucumbers, and thinly sliced avocado. Drizzle with remaining apricot sauce. Enjoy hot!

Recipe Notes

Note 1: There are a few ways to prepare the chicken for this meal. I highly recommend using a rotisserie chicken or grilling the chicken for best flavor, but see the post for how to sauté or bake the chicken for this meal.

Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 520kcal | Carbohydrates: 42.1g | Protein: 6.2g | Fat: 38.6g | Cholesterol: 3.1mg | Sodium: 91.1mg | Fiber: 0.8g | Sugar: 10.6g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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