Apricot Balsamic Chicken With Rosemary | finding time for cooking

I’ve been accidentally keeping this recipe a secret the last couple months. I know, I’m sorry…that’s not what friends do.

It wasn’t not on purpose. It’s just that life’s been so crazy, and this chicken has been one of the things getting me through. As the weather has gotten too cold for my normal nightly grilling, I had to try and find something else super easy but still healthy to have regularly. And once I tried this once, I was totally hooked.

This apricot balsamic chicken recipe comes courtesy of Joy the Baker (link at the end of this post), and it’s so simple but feels kind of fancy. The original recipe calls for chicken thighs, and it probably is best because thighs stay more moist and bring more flavor.

But I use chicken breasts sometimes, just because I struggle with the texture of thigh meat and don’t typically have it on hand. Chicken breasts work just fine, and my biggest tip is to make sure they’re sliced or pounded thin and even, so they cook quickly without drying out (also, try brining them first). I also swapped out the thyme the original recipe calls for and added rosemary instead, which I think gives it a punchier flavor.

This is the kind of recipe you can actually whip up on a weeknight after a frantic day of work in less than 30 minutes, then sit down with a glass of wine and take a deep breath.

You know you know what I’m talking about.

In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Season both sides of the chicken liberally with the salt and black pepper. You can go ahead and whisk together the jam, vinegar and stock and just set it aside.

Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and brown on the first side undisturbed for 5 minutes.

Flip the chicken and sprinkle with the fresh rosemary. Cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about another 5 minutes more. You can use a meat thermometer to make sure it’s done, chicken should be 165 F inside.

Pour the sauce over the chicken and cook uncovered for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and becomes a thin glaze. It’s important to make sure your heat isn’t too high or you’ll scorch the glaze before it thickens (feel free to turn it down to medium-low).

Serve as is, or over rice, cous cous, or whatever floats your boat. Personally I didn’t think there was enough sauce to really warrant something like rice, so I like it just by itself with vegetables.

This has become such a go-to weeknight recipe, and it makes awesome leftovers!

Apricot Balsamic Chicken

2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)
Fresh-ground salt and pepper
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary
1/3 cup of apricot jam
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup of chicken stock

In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Season both sides of the chicken liberally with the salt and black pepper.
In a small bowl, whisk together the jam, vinegar and stock, and pour over the chicken.
Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and brown on the first side undisturbed for 5 minutes. Flip the chicken and sprinkle with the fresh rosemary. Cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about another 5 minutes more. You can use a meat thermometer to make sure it’s done, chicken should be 165 F inside.
Cook uncovered for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and becomes a thin glaze. Make sure your heat isn’t too high or you’ll scorch the glaze before it thickens.
Serve as is, or over rice, cous cous, or whatever floats your boat.

Original recipe from Joy the Baker

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