Apricot-Glazed Chicken
"A former housemate requested this recipe after I'd moved away. I usually do this with Apricot preserves (Polaner All-Fruit works very well) but it can be done with reconstituted dried fruits, or any reasonably fruity-tart preserve. Orange Marmalade would be very tasty as well..."
- Ready In:
- 1hr
- Ingredients:
- 4
- Serves:
-
4-6
ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, spread open and laid flattish (butterfly them if you're feeling especially time-rich)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1⁄2 cup apricot preserves, approx 1/3 jar (or 1/2 cup reconstituted dried fruits, soaked in water or juice, your choice)
- 12 ounces chicken flavor stuffing mix, i.e. 2 packages, to be prepared per package directions
directions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F
- In a saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter. When the butter is melted, add most of the preserves (or the dried fruit) reserving about 2 tablespoons for later.
- Stir the preserves/fruit into the melted butter until it's well blended. Lay the chicken breasts flat into a 9x13 Pyrex pan. Spread the preserve&butter mixture over the chicken, coating the top surface well, let it slide down about the chicken if it goes that way. Dot the chicken with the leftover butter, and place the pan into the oven.
- Cook for 30 minutes (20 if you decided to butterfly) At the timer buzz, check the chicken. Chicken should be mostly cooked, but not yet done; the edges will appear "crisp", but the liquids may not be completely clear. Set the timer for another 15-20, depending on how done the chicken looks and start making your stuffing/dressing according to the package instructions; it should be wet not dry.
- At about 5 - 10 minutes before the chicken is done (which will be about as the stuffing is ready to "set" for a while) pull the pan out of the oven. Pick up the cooked chicken (I usually pile it all on one side of the pan, no need to dirty an additional plate), and stir the juices and the butter/preserve mixture together in the pan. Gently layer the stuffing into the bottom of the pan, and lay the chicken back on top of the stuffing. Sprinkle the reserved preserves (or reconstituted fruit) on top of the stuffing and put the pan back into the oven.
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Reviews
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Very good thanks! I've made this twice. I think I made it the first time as written and this time, inspired by one of the reviews I just put the stuffing under the breasts and the sauce on top. I covered it with foil and baked for about 45 minutes. Then I took off the foil and broiled it until it started to bubble and brown on top. Hubby said it was a keeper. -
My mom used to make this for us when we were kids, but she always left the skin on, and stuffed them with the stuffing and spread the jam on top of the skin and over any leftover stuffing. For company, it looks really pretty. I made it once for a big dinner party, and I got lots of oohs and ahhs and "Oh, this must have taken you forever!" I just smiled. =) So easy and so delicious!
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Very easy to make and a lot of flavor!
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As the Mom of 29 month old twins, I would have to give this a 5 star rating. It makes the chicken tender & just sweet enough for the kids to like it. Thanks for a quick fix for dinner!
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
I collect recipes (and cookbooks) obsessively and hope to eventually start posting some of my own. I tend to modify existing recipes, often for special occasions, and hope to share them with people who don't feel comfortable with potential kitchen trauma.
Some of my favorites are; milk-free custard for a fruit tart for an allergic friend, Oatmeal-molasses cookies on a day when I ran out brown sugar, and a surprisingly easy apricot-glazed chicken.
