Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken Thighs

a photo of a white bowl with apricot chicken and a sphere or rice

Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken Thighs

This slow cooker apricot chicken is a modern take on the classic Aussie recipe, made extra flavourful and perfect for meal prep. It’s slow cooked until tender, packed with vegetables, and finished with a rich, slightly sweet sauce.

note - ingredients can be approximate

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 4

Total Time 4 10

Course dinner, Main Course, meal prep

Cuisine American, Australian, Fusion

Servings

Calories 646 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

1 kg (2 lb) chicken thighs, boneless see note 1
80 g (3 oz) French onion soup mix, approx.2, see note 2
800 g (1 ¾ lb) tinned apricots, approx.2 small tins
400 g (14 oz) apricot nectar, approx.1 tin
2 onions
6 cloves garlic
3 carrots
250 g (9 oz) button mushrooms
200 g (7 oz) green beans
500 g (2 ½ cups) rice, to serve, yields approx.8 cups

Instructions

Prepare

Dice 6 cloves garlic and 1 onion
Slice 3 carrots and the other onion into bite-sized chunks.

Cook

If your slow cooker has a searing or sauté function, heat it and sauté the diced onion and garlic directly in the bowl until softened and fragrant.
If not, do this step in a frying pan on the stovetop.
Season the 1 kg (2 lb) chicken thighs lightly (if desired), then brown them approx. 1 minute each side — either in the slow cooker (if it allows) or in the pan.
Add the 80 g (3 oz) French onion soup mix, 800 g (1 ¾ lb) tinned apricots, 400 g (14 oz) apricot nectar, 2 onions, 3 carrotsto the slow cooker. Stir to combine
Cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-4 hours.
In the last hour, add the 250 g (9 oz) button mushrooms and 200 g (7 oz) green beans so they stay tender, not mushy.
If you’d like a thicker sauce, remove the lid for the final hour. If you’re making this for meal prep, the sauce will naturally thicken once cooled and stored.
In the last 20 minutes, cook 500 g (2 ½ cups) rice your way or follow my tips and tricks.
Serve apricot chicken with the rice.

Video

Notes

Note 1 - Boneless Chicken Thighs

A lot of recipes call for bone-in, but the boneless is better for meal prep.

You can substitute for either/or, but you'll get less serves out of the equivalent amount of bone-in thighs.

Note 2 - French onion soup mix

There are many varieties at the supermarket, I recommend looking for one that has minimum filler ingredients and is higher in onion vs. salt.

Storing

Keep the rice separate to prevent it soaking up too much sauce and going mushy. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Reheating

Add a small splash of water to the apricot sauce and rice to loosen and allow to steam.

Reheat for 2-3 minutes in the microwave, stirring halfway until heated through.

Freezing

Freeze apricot chicken and rice separately. Store in freezer for up to 6 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 646kcalCarbohydrates: 83gProtein: 29gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 123mgSodium: 928mgPotassium: 967mgFiber: 6gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 6678IUVitamin C: 33mgCalcium: 88mgIron: 2mg

Keyword chicken, comfort food, one-pot, slow cooker

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