Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken

This slow cooker apricot chicken recipe is tender chicken thighs in a delicious sweet and savory sauce. A super easy dinner option! 

Apricot chicken is a unique dish that will please both kids and adults alike. Serve your chicken over rice pilaf or mashed potatoes for a complete meal.

This site doesn’t have a lot of slow cooker recipes, mostly because I’m not the biggest slow cooker fan. That being said, this slow cooker apricot chickenis FABULOUS and you’ll love it, even if you’re like me and you don’t use your crockpot that often. The sauce is what makes this dish special, it’s sweet, savory and tangy, all in one. And don’t even get me started on the melt-in-your mouth chicken!

How Do I Make Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken?

I use bone-in skin-on chicken thighs for this recipe, primarily because the bones add a lot of extra flavor during the slow cooking process and the skin helps to keep the moisture trapped inside each thigh so you don’t end up with dry chicken. You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer, or simply follow the recipe as directed and peel the skin off before serving. I’ve never tried this with chicken breasts, but I would imagine it would work just fine.

I like to brown my chicken before I put it in the slow cooker. This is an optional step, but it adds SO much extra flavor in my opinion. I brown the chicken thighs on both sides, then add the onions to the pan to soften. The chicken and onions go into the slow cooker and are topped with a simple yet delicious sauce of apricot preserves, soy sauce, mustard and ginger.

I like to serve this slow cooker apricot chicken over rice. Add a salad or green veggie and you’ve got a complete meal with minimal prep time!

This apricot chicken really is one of the best slow cooker meals I’ve had. The chicken just falls off the bone and that sauce is the perfect blend of sweet and savory. Try it tonight and watch the rave reviews pour in!

Other Recipes You’ll Love

• Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
• Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
• Grilled Chicken Kabobs
• Honey Mustard Chicken
• Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken Video

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4.75 from 12 votes

Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken

This slow cooker apricot chicken recipe is tender chicken thighs in a delicious sweet and savory sauce. A super easy dinner option!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword slow cooker apricot chicken, slow cooker chicken

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 4 hours

Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 349kcal

Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

• 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 onion thinly sliced
• 1 cup apricot preserves
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

• In a small bowl, whisk together the apricot preserves, soy sauce, dijon mustard and ginger. Set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a large pan over high heat. Season the chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Place the chicken thighs skin side down in the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side until deep golden brown. Add the onions to the pan and cook for 5 minutes or until softened.
• Place the chicken thighs and onions in a slow cooker. Pour the apricot sauce over the chicken and onions.
• Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Notes

Adapted from A Year of Slow Cooking. Nutritional information includes the chicken skin; if the skin is discarded the calorie and fat count will be lower.

Nutrition

Calories: 349kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 475mg | Potassium: 308mg | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 115IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1.2mg