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    Home » Recipes » Dinner

    Published: Apr 13, 2021 by Misty · This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see our privacy policy.

    Skillet Apricot Chicken

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    Spoon pouring apricot sauce on chicken with text overlay.
    Apricot chicken in electric skillet and on white platter with text overlay.

    This Skillet Apricot Chicken is pan-seared until golden and juicy, then covered in a sweet and sticky apricot jam glaze! It’s an easy weeknight dinner made in one pan (or electric skillet) in just 25 minutes. Get ready for rave reviews and a happy family! 

    Apricot chicken in electric skillet with fresh herbs on the side.
    This Skillet Apricot Chicken is made in one pan in just 25 minutes for an easy weeknight dinner!
    Skip to:
    • 🏅 Why this recipe is great
    •  🍑 Ingredients
    • 🔪 How to make Skillet Apricot Chicken
    • 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 For a crowd
    • 🙋 Questions and Answers
    • 👨🏼‍🍳 Tips & Tricks
    • 📖 More delicious recipes
    • 👋🏻 Connect with us!
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Anyone else find themselves serving a lot of chicken on weeknights?? 🙋🏼‍♀️  It’s just so easy, it’s inexpensive for a large family, and it freezes so well.

    If you’re looking for a new easy chicken recipe to try, this Skillet Apricot Chicken will be a huge winner! Super easy to make, addictively delicious for the family, and fast to clean up afterwards. The inspiration was borrowed from an old freezer cookbook recipe*, but we made significant changes to the sauce and made it a skillet chicken instead of grilled.

    *I would love to give credit but can't find the original recipe source. If you know where it came from let me know, and I will credit it here.

    Looking for more skillet chicken recipes? Try this Maple Chicken or this easy Electric Skillet Chicken with lemon.

    🏅 Why this recipe is great

    • It has the most delicious glaze. It’s the perfect combo of sweet apricot jam, savory dijon mustard, and flavorful herbs. 
    • The whole recipe is made in one pan in just 25 minutes! 
    • This is an electric skillet chicken recipe, which is perfect for a low heat dinner in the summer. But it can also be made in a skillet on the stove.

     🍑 Ingredients

    Ingredients for apricot glazed chicken on counter.
    The sticky apricot glaze is made with apricot jam, dijon mustard, and herbs.

    A full list of the ingredients is in the recipe card below, but here are a few noteworthy tips:

    Chicken breasts: Skip the time consuming process of pounding out the chicken breast. Instead slice them horizontally so that each chicken breast yields two thin pieces.
    Apricot jam: Use whichever brand you prefer or you can even make your own. I personally like the brands that leave small apricot chunks in the jam.
    Dijon mustard: The acidic taste of the mustard balances out the sweet jam. I suggest sticking with dijon; I haven’t tested any other mustard substitutes.
    Herbs: This recipe calls for dried thyme and rosemary to save time on washing and chopping the herbs.

    🔪 How to make Skillet Apricot Chicken

    • Salt the chicken: Start by trimming and slicing your chicken breasts in half horizontally. No need to pound them thin. Then sprinkle each side of the chicken with kosher salt and allow to sit for 5 minutes. 
    • Make the sauce: While the chicken is sitting, combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. 
    • Flour the chicken: Combine the flour and pepper in a flat dish. Coat each side of the chicken in flour and vigorously shake off the excess. The layer should be very thin. 
    • Cook the first side: In an electric skillet (affiliate) or skillet on the stove, melt the butter over medium heat (350°). Cook the chicken on the first side until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. 
    • Flip the chicken: Flip the chicken and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Then add the apricot jam sauce and simmer until the sauce has thickened into a glaze and the chicken is cooked through, 2-4 minutes.
    Salting chicken breast, coating chicken in flour, cooking chicken in electric skillet, adding apricot sauce.
    Salt the chicken to make it extra soft and juicy, then cook and add the apricot jam glaze.

    👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 For a crowd

    This meal works well when serving a crowd of 6-12, but I don't recommend it for larger groups. It is best served fresh, and to serve more than 12 people you will have to do 3+ rounds of cooking (or use lots of skillets). My favorite skillet for this recipe is this Cuisinart electric skillet (affiliate). It’s oval shaped and holds 6-8 pieces of chicken comfortably.

    🙋 Questions and Answers

    How to get soft and juicy chicken breasts?

    A couple quick tips: 1) Be sure to cut them thin and either salt or marinade them. For this recipe, salt is best. 2) After that just be sure not to overcook them. Overcooked chicken breasts will be dry every time. You can always use a thermometer to check your chicken. It's done when it reaches 165°F.

    Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts?

    Chicken breasts are best, but you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs too. Note that they will take longer to cook through. 

    Can I prep this recipe ahead?

    You can make the sauce and store it in the fridge for 2-3 days. I also like to trim and cut my chicken, then freeze it in a zipper bag. Then on the day of serving I just have to thaw the chicken and cook! 

    What to serve with apricot chicken?

    This chicken pairs well with rices, potatoes, roasted veggies, a simple green salad, or bread. Here are a few ideas to get you started: 
    Brown Butter Rice
    Golden Smashed Potatoes
    Hasselback Potatoes (Yukon Gold)
    America’s Test Kitchen Roasted Broccoli
    Rhodes Rolls recipe (buttery dinner rolls)

    Spoon pouring apricot glaze on platter of chicken breasts.
    Electric skillet chicken makes for an easy low-heat dinner during the summer.

    👨🏼‍🍳 Tips & Tricks

    • Try to slice the breasts as evenly as possible to ensure that they cook in the same amount of time.
    • Use a light hand when flouring the chicken. It should have a thin coating. A thick coating just results in a gummy coating. 
    • Cook over medium heat. If it is too hot the outside of the chicken breast will cook before the inside is done. 
    • If using a non-stick pan or skillet, be sure to use rubber tipped tongs. Metal tongs will scratch up your skillet.
    White platter with Skillet Apricot Chicken and fresh herbs in background.
    This sticky apricot jam glaze is absolutely addicting!

    📖 More delicious recipes

    • If you love electric skillet chicken recipes, this Brown Butter Herb Chicken is AMAZINGLY flavorful and so easy. 
    • Tender Pepper Steak is a fast and filling weeknight dinner that sneaks in extra veggies.
    • This loaded Potato Bake is an easier way to eat twice baked potatoes that’s make ahead and freezer friendly. 
    • For a sweet treat, try these Golden Graham Rice Krispie Treats. They’re soft, gooey, and super flavorful.
    • This Honey Mustard Sheet Pan Chicken and Vegetables is the perfect dinner for a busy weeknight!

    👋🏻 Connect with us!

    If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating to let us know how it is! We’d also love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. Tag @borrowedbites or hashtag #borrowedbites to show us your food!

    📋 Recipe

    Apricot chicken in electric skillet with fresh herbs on the side.

    Skillet Apricot Chicken

    This Skillet Apricot Chicken is pan-seared until golden and juicy, then covered in a sweet and sticky apricot jam glaze! It’s an easy weeknight dinner made in one pan (or electric skillet) in just 25 minutes. Get ready for rave reviews and a happy family!
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dinner, Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 294kcal
    Author: Borrowed Bites

    Ingredients

    • 3 large chicken breasts trimmed and cut in half horizontally
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½ cup flour
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • 4 tablespoon butter

    Apricot Sauce

    • ½ cup apricot jam
    • ½ tablespoon soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground mustard
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon garlic minced
    • ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
    • ¾ teaspoon dried rosemary
    • 3 tablespoon chicken broth
    • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Sprinkle each side of the chicken with kosher salt and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
    • While the chicken is sitting, combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
    • Combine the flour and pepper in a flat dish. Coat each side of the chicken in flour and vigorously shake off the excess. The layer should be very thin.
    • In an electric skillet heated to 350° or skillet on the stove over medium heat, melt the butter. Cook the chicken on the first side until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes.
    • Flip the chicken and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the apricot sauce and simmer until the sauce has thickened into a glaze and the chicken is cooked through, 2-4 minutes.

    Notes

    Tips & Tricks
    • Try to slice the breasts as evenly as possible to ensure that they cook in the same amount of time.
    • Use a light hand when flouring the chicken. It should have a thin coating. A thick coating just results in a gummy coating. 
    • Cook over medium heat. If it is too hot the outside of the chicken breast will cook before the inside is done. 
    • If using a non-stick pan or skillet, be sure to use rubber tipped tongs. Metal tongs will scratch up your skillet.

    Add Your Own Notes

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    Nutrition

    Calories: 294kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 782mg | Potassium: 468mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 316IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg

    All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.

    Tried this recipe?Leave a rating or pin it for later!

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Ann says

      March 05, 2022 at 1:32 pm

      5 stars
      Made this tonight. It was delicious!

      Reply
      • Misty says

        March 05, 2022 at 2:20 pm

        Glad you liked it!

        Reply
    2. tennille jenks says

      September 21, 2021 at 2:11 pm

      5 stars
      im making this tonight im going to add pimientos to mine as well thanks for sharing looks yummy

      Reply
      • Danielle says

        September 25, 2021 at 11:50 am

        Sounds delicious! If you have a minute let us know how it turned out.

        Reply
    3. SYBIL LEE says

      July 20, 2021 at 10:58 am

      Going to make this KETO! Only have to leave off flour, use SF jam and SWERVE (SF) brown sugar! This looks delicious!

      Reply
      • Danielle says

        July 20, 2021 at 3:53 pm

        Hope you enjoy!

        Reply
    4. Misty Mason says

      May 05, 2021 at 10:33 am

      Can I omit the mustard for another ingredient? My husband isn’t a fan of mustard and neither am I. Thank you 😊

      Reply
      • Danielle says

        May 05, 2021 at 1:27 pm

        Hello! I would encourage you to try it with the mustard. I really do not like mustard but in this recipe it adds a background note that is perfect. If you really don’t want to then I would just skip it and see if you like it. Or try leaving out the dijon and only using the mustard powder. Most people don’t like the sharpness of mustard which isn’t in dry mustard. Hope that helps! Please let us know how it turns out for you! And love your name. 😉 My daughter, Misty, is the other half of this blog.

        Reply

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    Hi! We are Danielle and Misty: a mom and daughter with a serious passion for seeking out the best recipes to serve again and again to those we love. With a mix of everyday favorites and indulgent weekend fare there is something here for you and yours as you develop your own family traditions.

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