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A spoon drizzles sauce over a piece of cooked, golden-brown chicken garnished with chopped herbs on a plate.
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5 from 5 votes

Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken

🍑🍗 A sweet and savory glazed chicken recipe that your whole family will love featuring tender, juicy chicken that's packed with rich flavor from apricot jam, soy sauce, garlic, and more. Perfect for busy weeknights because your slow cooker does most of the work! Oven-baking instructions are provided below as well.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Course: Chicken, Dinner, Slow Cooker
Cuisine: American, Chicken, Slow Cooker
Diet: Gluten Free
Keyword: apricot chicken in slow cooker, crockpot apricot chicken, slow cooker apricot chicken
Servings: 6
Calories: 352cal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 chicken thighs (blotted with a paper towel; I used bone-in, skin-on; you can sub with boneless thighs or boneless skinless chicken breasts)
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder or to taste
  • ¾ cup apricot jam (apricot preserves, peach jam or preserves, orange marmalade, or another favorite not-overly-sweet jam or preserves may be substituted)
  • ⅓ cup chicken broth (I use regular, if using reduced sodium you may want to add a bit more salt)
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce (reduced sodium or regular, depending on preference for saltiness)
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce optional and more or less to taste as desired (Cholula, Valentina, Sambal Olek, etc.)
  • Fresh herbs finely minced; optional for garnishing (parsley, basil, cilantro, green onions, etc.)

Instructions

  • Brown and Sear: To a large skillet, add the oil, season the blotted chicken with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders, add it with the skin side down, and sear over medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes, or until the skin is beginning to brown. Flip the chicken over and cook the second side for about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and set the skillet aside momentarily.
    Six browned chicken thighs cooking in a white skillet with oil and seasonings on a marble countertop.
  • Cooking Liquids/Sauce: Spray the ceramic insert of your slow cooker with cooking spray if desired for easier cleanup. Add the apricot jam, chicken broth, cornstach (it helps create a glaze or tighter sauce during the cooking process so do not omit), soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, hot sauce, and stir to combine with a wooden spoon.
    White bowl containing orange-colored sauce, likely apricot preserves, with a white powder and liquid ingredients on a marble surface.
  • Add Chicken: Transfer the chicken from the skillet and all the cooking juices into the slow cooker with the skin side up, spoon some of the cooking liquids or sauce over the top, and place the lid on top.
    Six cooked chicken thighs with a golden brown surface arranged in a white slow cooker with visible juices at the bottom.
  • Slow Cook: Cook for about 2-3 hours on HIGH, or about 4-6 hours on LOW. Cooking Tips - Chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165F when measured with a thermometer. Do not guess; measure. Because all slow cookers vary in their heat output, kitchen temperatures vary, the size of the pieces of chicken vary, etc. cooking times will vary and are provided as an estimate only.
    Five cooked chicken thighs in a slow cooker with a golden sauce, garnished with chopped parsley. Surrounding dishes include green beans and rice.
  • Rest, Garnish, Serve: Rest the chicken for 5-10 minutes, optionally garnish with fresh herbs, and serve it making sure to utilize all the apricot glaze and sauce in your slow cooker with the chicken or spoon it over rice, potatoes, or veggies.
    Close-up of several pieces of glazed, golden-brown cooked chicken garnished with chopped fresh herbs on a plate.

Notes

Baking Directions:
  • Preheat oven to 325F.
  • Season and brown the chicken in a large ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven (you'll need something with a lid) as instructed in Step 1 above.
  • Momentarily remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside.
  • Add all the contents of the cooking liquids/sauce and stir to combine as instructed in Step 2 above.
  • Add the chicken back into the skillet, spoon some of the sauce over it, and cover with the lid.
  • Braise (bake) for 45 minutes, or until the chicken has cooked through to 165F. Rest, garnish, and serve. 
Storage: Leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat gently as desired.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 352cal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 721mg | Potassium: 284mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 154IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg
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