Easy Apricot Chicken

Asian, Poultry

Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 15 mins Source: nospoonnecessary.com

Ingredients

Sauce:
cup Apricot Preserves
TBS Light Brown Sugar, packed
TBS Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
TBS Rice Vinegar
tsp Sriracha, or more to taste (can substitute crushed red pepper flakes)

½ pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into 1’’ pieces
Kosher Salt & Ground Black Pepper
TBS Vegetable Oil, DIVIDED
large Yellow Onion, cut into 1’’ pieces
medium Red Bell Peppers, cut into 1’’ pieces
large Jalapeno, seeds and ribs partially removed or fully for a less spicy dish
large Cloves Garlic, minced
heaping tsp Ginger, grated
(8 ounce) Can Pineapple Chunks, drained
Optional for Serving: Rice, Sliced Jalapenos, Sriracha, Sesame Seeds, Chopped Cilantro, Sliced Scallions, Avocado, Shredded Carrots, Chopped Cashews

Directions

Make the sauce:
In a small bowl, whisk together apricot preserves, brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and sriracha. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.
Season chicken generously with salt and pepper.
Cook chicken:
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add 2 tablespoons of oil, swirling to coat.
Add the chicken to the skillet, in batches if necessary to not overcrowd the pan. Cook the chicken until golden until golden and almost cooked through, about 4-5 minutes.
Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
Cook veggies:
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan, and add the onions and bell peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring until slightly softened, about 2 minutes.
Add in the jalapeno and cook another minute.
Add in the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Simmer:
Add the chicken along with the apricot sauce and pineapple to the pan. Toss everything well to coat. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and sauce is thickened.
Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve chicken over rice immediately, garnished with sliced jalapenos, sesame seeds and fresh herbs if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

Chicken Breast: You can substitute the chicken breast with boneless skinless chicken thighs. Just make sure you cook the chicken in step 3 until it is golden brown and almost cooked through.

Heat level: If you aren't a fan of spicy food, choose jalapeños that are smooth with zero white lines. The smoother a jalapeño, the younger and more mild it is. Also, make sure you completely seed and fully remove the ribs from the jalapeños as that is the source of the heat. As well, omit the sriracha from the apricot sauce.

Mise en place: Once you start cooking, this stir-fry recipe goes really quickly, so make sure you have everything prepped and ready to go before you start cooking!

Nutrition