Ginger Apricot Chicken

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This dish is all about the ginger apricot sauce!! It delivers sweet, umami and zip all at once. Serve over rice to enjoy all that saucy goodness.

Apricot jam is the greatest flavour hack in this recipe, delivering sweet fruitiness and giving the finished sauce nice body. This tasty dish takes about 30 minutes to make — so great for quick weeknight meals.

I originally developed this as a Whole30 recipe but immediately realized it was easily one of the best things I made the entire program, I re-wrote the recipe with pantry and fridge basics (without dietary limits) with simple substitutions for gluten-free and Whole30 versions.

One of the reasons people give up on Whole30 is food fatigue from eating the same ‘compliant’ foods over and over. Eggs, bacon, avocados, nut butters, dates and sweet potatoes became SO off-putting for me. This Ginger Apricot Chicken saved me from food boredom!

Eat well and be well,

Sonia x

🎥 Watch video for Ginger Apricot Chicken

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Recipe Notes for Ginger Apricot Chicken

1. I originally developed this recipe while on Whole30 so I’m including substitution options for soy sauce:

   a.     Whole30 and Paleo – Use 6 tbsp coconut aminos, no water

   b.     Gluten free – Use 3 tbsp tamari plus 3 tbsp water

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Ginger Apricot Chicken

Yield: 4

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Ginger Apricot Chicken

This dish is ALL about the ginger apricot sauce - it delivers sweet, umami and zip all at once. I love this Ginger Apricot Chicken served over rice to enjoy all the saucy goodness.

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 40 Min

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Ingredients

• 2½ lbs (454g) skin-on boneless chicken thighs (or 8-10 bone-in thighs)
• 1/3 tsp kosher salt (increase to 2/3 tsp for Diamond Crystal kosher salt)

For the ginger apricot sauce:

• 2 tbsp soy sauce – see note 1
• 4 tbsp water – see note 1
• 4 tbsp apricot jam (use juice sweetened no sugar added jam for Whole30/Paleo)
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar (sub with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar for Whole30/Paleo)
• ¾ tsp grated fresh ginger (easiest from frozen ginger knob; with skin is fine)
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1-2 Thai red birds eye chilis, thinly sliced (optional)

For garnish:

• 1 scallion, sliced

Instructions

1. Lightly season chicken pieces with kosher salt on both sides. Heat 11" cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, whisk together sauce ingredients and set aside.
2. Once pan is hot, arrange chicken thighs skin-side down (no oil needed) in 2 batches so as not to overcrowd them. Cook 1-2 minutes or when fat has started to render out of the skin. Lower heat to medium without disturbing the chicken and continue cooking for 8 minutes or until almost all of the fat under the skin is rendered and the skin itself is golden brown and crispy. Flip chicken and cook on the other side 3-5 minutes or whenever cooked through i.e. juices run clear when pierced with a knife or meat thermometer 165f inserted at the thickest part. Set aside and repeat for remaining chicken thighs.
3. Once all chicken pieces are cooked, there is likely quite a lot of chicken fat in the pan. If you like, feel free to keep the fat as we all know there is lots of flavor in it. Personally, I pour out (or mop with a paper towel) all but a tablespoon of the fat before proceeding.
4. Turn heat down to low and pour sauce ingredients into the pan, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the good bits from the chicken. Simmer gently to thicken slightly, about 2 minutes. Return chicken pieces to the pan and coat on both sides with sauce OR coat only the bottom side to keep the skin crispy.
5. Serve over steamed rice along with a favorite green veggie -- I like bok choy, Chinese broccoli or broccolini. Drizzle everything with the extra sauce from the pan. Garnish with scallions. Enjoy!

Notes

1. Substitution options for soy sauce allergy – replace soy sauce and water in the sauce with: 

• Whole30/Paleo – use 6 tbsp coconut aminos, no water
• Gluten-free – use 3 tbsp tamari and 3 tbsp water

Nutrition Facts

Calories

679

Fat

47 g

Sat. Fat

13 g

Carbs

15 g

Fiber

0 g

Net carbs

14 g

Sugar

9 g

Protein

47 g

Sodium

779 mg

Cholesterol

278 mg

Disclaimer: nutritional information is auto-generated and should be used as an approximation.

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