This slow cooker apricot chicken recipe is tender chicken thighs in a delicious sweet and savory sauce made with apricot jam, soy and ginger. A super easy crock pot dinner option!
Apricot chicken is a unique dish that will please both kids and adults alike. Serve your chicken over rice pilaf or Instant Pot 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 chicken is 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 you make apricot chicken?
This recipe starts with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, which are seared until golden brown. Onions go into the pan to cook, then place the chicken and onions in your crockpot. Whisk together apricot ham, Dijon mustard, soy sauce and ginger, then pour that mixture over the chicken. Let the chicken simmer in the sauce until tender. Add a sprinkling of parsley, then serve and enjoy.
Tips for the perfect chicken
- I use chicken thighs because they have a lot of flavor and are less likely to dry out during the long cooking time. You can also use chicken breasts if you prefer.
- Fresh ginger is best for this dish, but if you don’t have any on hand, you can substitute 1/4 teaspoon of dried ginger.
- If you’re pressed for time, you can skip browning the chicken and onions. That being said, I feel that this step really adds a lot of flavor, and it’s definitely worth taking the extra few minutes to do it.
- Serve your chicken over rice, mashed potatoes, or couscous with a steamed vegetable on the side.
Apricot Chicken Variations
This recipe is delicious as-is, but you can switch up the ingredients to customize it to your tastes.
- Protein: Try using bone-in pork chops instead of chicken thighs.
- Jam: No apricot jam on hand? This recipe also works great with peach jam. You can also use pineapple jam for a tropical flair.
- Potatoes: You can add potatoes to the crockpot along with the chicken and onions. I recommend using whole baby Yukon gold potatoes.
Can you freeze apricot chicken?
This recipe is a great candidate for the freezer. Simply cool the chicken, then freeze it in a resealable bag or airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw the chicken overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat it on the stove top until warmed through.
This recipe is 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
Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken
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.
What onion pairs best with this recipe, red,white,or yellow?
I use yellow onion!
Shallots or leeks…and it’s a wonderful recipe! (BTW, typo in first ingredient list calls for “apricot ham.” For a split second, my mind wandered to “Cordon Bleu of some sort?”)
Loved this recipe……many thanks. I used orange marmalade as this was what I had on hand. You must get weary of people constantly changing your recipes. I find that I usually try it once as read and then add my own touches to the recipe to suit my taste for example, my family loves garlic. What is the worst that could happen everyone. Relax and enjoy the cooking. Again many thanks.
So easy, and so SO yummy. It does make quite a lot of “gravy”. Next time I might halve the sauce quantities.
Wonderful recipe! Because the sauce was thinner than I expected, I put some in a ramekin, au jus style, for extra dipping of the meat. I also added some dried Turkish apricots. Served with basmati rice and freshly cooked buttered beet greens. The plate was almost as pretty as the dish was delicious! Thanks! 🙂
Best slow cooker recipe I’ve tried. The kids and I love it! I serve with rice and broccolini.
Do good! I served it over quinoa which soaked up the yummy sauce! Happy family!
Can I use something else besides ginger.
You can omit it!
Can this be made in the oven?
I think it would work although I haven’t tried it this way!
Yep!! You can also use apricot nectar!!
I baked in oven, didn’t brown meat first. The chicken browned beautiful in oven. Hit under broiler for 2 minutes at the end of cooking time.
Just purchased a new Crockpot (Registered name) having gave my first Crockpot away many years ago. Making Apricot Chicken for Sunday night’s meal using Chicken Thighs (bone out) and soaked Apricots and a jar of Apricot necta with added teaspoon of honey soy, finely chopped Queensland Ginger, Sliced carrots and baby potatoes (although the baby potatoes in local supermarkets really are teenage potatoes judging by their size) whole green beans from my garden with a dash of sweet sherry for balance. Cooking on low for 5-6 hours with last hour on medium heat. Served on a bed of mashed sweet potatoes with a few slices of fresh High fibre low GI bread to soak up the juices of the apricot necta. Going to enjoy a bottle of 2016 Pinot Noir Rose which I’m sure will pair perfectly with this dish.
My whole family polished off this delicious recipe. I didn’t have apricot jam so I substituted a handful of whole dried apricots, a tbs of honey and a splash of chicken stock. Superb! Will make again.
I’ve got this in the crockpot now. I halved the recipe and the sauce seems quite runny compared to your pictures. I used Polaner Apricot Jam. Any tips to thicken? I tried cornstarch with cold water but still not very thick…
The sauce on this one is not super thick, cornstarch should work but it takes about 30 minutes longer in the crockpot to thicken up with the cornstarch.
Making this right now! Ive been looking for a chicken crock pot recipe and so far it smells divine!
Any suggestions for a low sodium version with a substitute for the soy sauce? This is a family favorite but we now have a family member in a low sodium diet. Low sodium soy sauce still has lots of sodium. Thanks! Fabulous recipe.
You could use 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce for a similar flavor.
wonderful suggestion thank you!
Can you substitute peach jam?
Yes that’s fine!
When you say use a cup of apricot jam , cup sizes vary so I have used the full jar in my cup. The jar says 349 g hope this is not to much , iam slightly worried that if it is too much the dish will be too sweet. Can you advise if this is ok also if too sweet what can I counteract this .
You should use a measuring cup to make sure you’re using an accurate amount. If you’ve filled up a cup sized measuring cup, you’ll be fine.
I’m using pear butter, don’t have an apricot tree.
Followed instructions in preparation. I used bonelesd skinless breasts. I put in slow cooker for 3 hours on.low and they fell apart! I decided to shred the chicken with forks and let it soak in the sauce on warm until serving. Serving over cauliflower rice stir fry from Trader Joes. Very good flavor znd smells great too. Leftover shredded chicken will make great quesadillas!
I’m in Australia. By ‘apricot preserves’ do you mean apricot jam? Recipe looks delish. Can I cook it in the oven? I dont iwn a slow cooker . Thanks!
Yes apricot jam!
Thank you! Jam it is!
Can I use bone in chicken breast? Does the cooking time change for breasts?
I’d add an extra hour as bone in breasts are larger than chicken thighs!
I would like to try this recipe but I don’t have the Dijon mustard. Can I use regular mustard.
Yes that should be fine!