Apricot-Glazed Chicken
Excellent recipe with modifications. Use a lower temperature of 340-350F with a longer duration (40-60 minutes). It will brown at a lower temperature because of the apricot glaze. Chicken slowly cooked will be tender and brown. Added red bell peppers along with the fennel for color and to complement the sweet taste. After browning chicken in olive oil, sauteed the fennel and red bell peppers (cut in long strips) in the same pan with the chicken. The chicken juices softened the vegetables. Reduced heat and added the apricot glaze, ensuring it covered the chicken breast and vegetables. The apricot glaze was altered to include: 3/4 c apricot jam, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard, 2 tablespoons honey dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste. This modified apricot mix plus the lower oven temperature ensures plenty of liquid so the vegetables don't dry out.
Excellent recipe with modifications. Use a lower temperature of 340-350F with a longer duration (40-60 minutes). It will brown at a lower temperature because of the apricot glaze. Chicken slowly cooked will be tender and brown. Added red bell peppers along with the fennel for color and to complement the sweet taste. After browning chicken in olive oil, sauteed the fennel and red bell peppers (cut in long strips) in the same pan with the chicken. The chicken juices softened the vegetables. Reduced heat and added the apricot glaze, ensuring it covered the chicken breast and vegetables. The apricot glaze was altered to include: 3/4 c apricot jam, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard, 2 tablespoons honey dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste. This modified apricot mix plus the lower oven temperature ensures plenty of liquid so the vegetables don't dry out.
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- freshly ground pepper to taste
- 4 chicken breast halves, bone-in and skin-on about 3 lbs total
- 1/2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 cup apricot jam
- 1 large fennel bulb trimmed, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons honey dijon mustard
- Carbohydrate 31.3210878127248 g
- Cholesterol 55.68 mg
- Fat 15.5701366673445 g
- Fiber 2.35383327790855 g
- Protein 19.6264500009017 g
- Saturated Fat 2.85891166670779 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (208g)
- Sodium 187.141088663673 mg
- Sugar 28.9672545348162 g
- Trans Fat 0.999476666758453 g
- Calories 336 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat an oven to 425ºF. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper.
- In a large ovenproof fry pan over high heat, warm the oil. Add the chicken and cook, turning once or twice, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes total.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl, stir together the jam, vinegar, mustard, garlic and the 1/2 tsp. salt. Brush the glaze over the chicken breasts, leaving about 1 Tbs. in the bowl. Add the fennel and toss with the remaining glaze. Spoon the fennel over the chicken. Bake until the chicken is opaque throughout, about 10 minutes. Divide the chicken among individual plates, spoon the fennel over it and serve immediately. Serves 4.
Standard pan sauces rely on savory reductions, but fruit-based glazes operate under entirely different chemical rules. Apricot jam contains high concentrations of fructose and sucrose, meaning it scorches rapidly if exposed to intense dry heat. Many cooks treat this dish like a standard roast chicken, setting the oven above 400 degrees Fahrenheit, only to end up with bitter, blackened skin before the meat cooks through. Managing thermal energy correctly is the single most important factor in achieving success here.
Bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts require careful temperature regulation to prevent the exterior from burning while the interior remains raw. Searing the meat first in an ovenproof skillet renders the subcutaneous fat and builds initial color over eight to ten minutes. Once the glaze and sliced fennel are introduced, lowering the cooking environment helps the sugar caramelize gradually rather than carbonize. Fennel naturally releases moisture as it softens, protecting the pan drippings from drying out during the baking phase.
Fruit glazes combined with mustard and vinegar trace their lineage to medieval European sweet-and-sour preservation techniques, where fruit preserves masked the intensity of salted meats. Modern variations use fresh aromatics like garlic and sharp vinegars to balance the heavy sweetness of the jam. Selecting a whole grain or honey dijon mustard introduces emulsifying agents that help the glaze cling to the poultry skin instead of sliding directly into the pan.
Watch the chicken closely during its final minutes in the oven. The glaze should turn a deep amber color and bubble gently around the edges of the fennel. Remove the pan immediately when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure the breast meat retains its moisture.
