Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken Thighs – Sticky Apricot Preserves Chicken Dinner Made Easy.
Spoon apricot preserves over chicken thighs, and 2 ingredients and put into slow cooker to make a sticky supper, which I make without even having to think. This Slow Cooker Apricot Thigh Chicken turns simple bone-in chicken thighs into a sweet and savory dinner with minimal effort.
The apricot preserves and soy sauce slowly caramelize with the chicken, creating a sticky, flavorful glaze that pairs perfectly with rice or vegetables. It is an easy crockpot meal that delivers big flavor without complicated cooking, making it ideal for busy weeknights or effortless family dinners.
Slow Cooker Apricot Thigh Chicken
Ingredients
- Bone in, skinless chicken thighs (approximately 6-8 pieces)
- Quantity: 2 1/2-3 pounds
- Apricot preserves
- Quantity: 1 cup
- Low-sodium soy sauce
- Quantity: 1/4 cup
- Apple cider vinegar.
- Quantity: 2 teaspoons
- Quantity: 2 teaspoons
Directions
Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken Thighs
Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken Thighs
- Cut off all the excess fat of the thighs of the chicken, but leave them otherwise intact.
- Blot them using paper towels to ensure that they fit well in the slow cooker without a lot of liquid.
- Lay the uncooked chicken thighs in one layer at the bottom of the 4- to 6-quart (slow cooker).
- It is not important that they are overlapping to some extent, however, they should be mostly on one layer in order to cook evenly.
- Add the apricot preserves, soy sauce and vinegar of cider to a small bowl and stir them together until they are relatively smooth.
- You do not really have to mix it into a fine paste, but you must not leave big chunks of preserves.
- Pour the apricot mixture into the chicken thighs of the slow cooker and each piece should be covered.
- Add any additional mixture on the surface in order to make it drip round the chicken as it cooks.
- Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW (5-6 hours) or HIGH (2 1/2-3 hours) until the chicken has become very tender and has an internal temperature of at least 165degF (74degC).
- The sauce will be loosely looking at this stage but after standing it will become slightly thick.
- When the sauce is cooked, taste and add more salt by adding a splash of soy sauce or add more brightness by adding one teaspoon of vinegar.
- To get a thicker and stickier sauce, place the cooked chicken in a dish and cover with foil and then pour the sauce in a small saucepan where it can be simmered on the stovetop 5-8 minutes until it is slightly reduced and then it can be spooned back over the chicken.
- Serve the chicken thighs, and pour over each serving a good deal of the sticky apricot sauce.
Variations & Tips
- To add some hotness, 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes or a small squeeze of sriracha to the apricot mixture can be added and then they may be spooned over the chicken.
- In case you want boneless, skinless chicken thighs, then use the same weight, but reduce the cooking time one or two hours and check that it is done about 4 hours on LOW or 2 hours on HIGH.
- To tilt the dish further, you can work with chicken breasts, but they will more likely become dry, so place them on LOW and begin checking after 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
- To add a little more complication, add 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or 1 minced clove garlic to the preserves, soy and vinegar.
- Sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds can be added on top of your final dish, as well, to add color and texture.
- Should you want more sauce, add more apricot preserves 1 1/2 cups and more soy sauce 1/3 cup,
- leaving the vinegar at 2 tablespoons and reducing in the stovetop in case you desire it to be very sticky.
Notes
- The sauce thickens as it cools.
- Serve it with rice or vegetables to make a full and satisfying meal.
- For extra depth of flavor, marinate chicken in sauce for 30 minutes before slow cooking (optional).