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This Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken is bursting with flavor!

This Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken is a staple in my house.  Bursting with flavor this chicken has 4 ingredients and a few seasonings making it a budget-friendly crowd-pleasing dinner!  Chicken thighs cook up in a flavorful sauce of apricot preserves, french dressing and onion soup mix.  This gives a sweet and sour taste to this chicken that makes a delicious sauce that goes fabulous over rice.

I love easy dinners that are full of flavor and that everyone loves.  This dinner is easy and I like that I can just throw in the slow cooker and this Apricot Chicken is always a favorite. I love that I can just throw everything in the slow cooker and have a delicious, flavorful dinner that everyone really enjoys.  Whenever I find a dinner that everyone in my house likes that is amazing because I have some picky eaters but they love this chicken!  And for it to be in the slow cooker? That’s a double win! This Apricot Chicken is full of sweet and savory flavor.  This is a filling dish that is budget-friendly. The base of this dish is chicken thighs which are always a more affordable option and we serve it over rice, also very budget-friendly.   This Apricot Chicken is full of flavor from the rich chicken, sweet apricot preserves, savory onion soup mix and the creamy tangy French dressing. It goes perfectly over a bed of white rice which absorbs all that delicious sauce.  You can also serve it over mashed potatoes or noodles.  Plus the leftovers just get better and better!   This Apricot Chicken is always such a family favorite, it kind of has an orange chicken taste which is always a favorite with my kids.  You can also stretch it and customize it by adding veggies like carrots or broccoli. I love that you can tweak this to your family’s taste, you can swap out the preserve flavor or even swap out the chicken for pork.   This is great served with a little side salad and some soft bread but I like to serve it with these nice and fluffy Lunch Lady Rolls.  Everyone is feeling the pinch with the grocery bill right now and you can’t get much cheaper than chicken thighs and rice.  So this is a fabulous dinner when you are trying to save a few pennies and it makes a lot!  The leftovers are amazing! Next time you want a family friendly dinner just throw these ingredients together and let the slow cooker take care of the rest!  I promise your whole family will love this Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken. 

You will want to make this dinner again and again! We do!

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Easy and delicious.
• Family-friendly.
• Budget-friendly.
• Full of flavor.
• A set it-and forget-it meal.
• Perfect for weeknights.
• Sweet and Savory flavor.

My favorite slow cooker for this recipe is this Hamilton Beach one.

Gather all your ingredients.

Sear your chicken. 

Place the chicken in the slow cooker.

Mix up the sauce. 

Pour the sauce over the chicken. 

Cook 4-6 hours and serve!

RECIPE FAQS

Can I switch the preserve flavor?

Yes!  You change up the preserve flavor to pineapple or orange would be great as well! Can I substitute the chicken? Yes, you can use cubed up pork roast, or any boneless cut of chicken you have on hand. 

What should I serve this with?

This is amazing over a bed of white rice with some roasted broccoli.  I also like to serve it with some of these Homemade Hawaiian Rolls on the side. 

What else can I add?

The sauce to this dish is so flavorful it will make any veggies you add super delicious!  I have added carrots, broccoli and cauliflower to this recipe!

INGREDIENTS

• Chicken Thighs  –  I use bone in, skin on thighs for the most flavor and they come out so tender.
• Garlic Salt or Powder – I like to use garlic salt but you can use garlic powder or even some fresh if you prefer.
• Onion Powder –  This adds a little flavor to the chicken while searing. 
• Pepper –  This also gives a nice flavor to the chicken. 
• Paprika – Paprika gives the chicken a nice color and slightly smoky flavor. 
• Apricot Preserves –  This is where the flavor comes from, so sweet and thick, it really gives this dish a fabulous flavor. 
• French Dressing –  You can use the creamy or tangy variety. You can also use Russian dressing. 
• Onion Soup mix –  This gives a nice oniony, savory flavor to the dish. 

How to make Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken

1. FULL RECIPE BELOW 
2. Mix the garlic salt, onion powder, pepper and paprika together.
3. Sprinkle over the chicken thighs.
4. In a large skillet over medium high heat place the thighs skin side down.
5. Heat from about 5 minutes just until the skin starts to brown. 
6. In a mixing bowl combine the apricot preserves, french dressing and dry onion soup mix.
7. Place the chicken thighs in the slow cooker and pour the sauce over the top. 
8. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. 
9. Serve over rice!

Want more Chicken Dinners? Check these out!

• Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken & Rice
• Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili

• Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu

• Slow Cooker Chicken & Noodles
• Chicken Fajita Quesadillas
• Garlic Herd roasted Chicken

Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 hours

Total Time: 5 hours 10 minutes

This Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken is a staple in my house.  Bursting with flavor this chicken has 4 ingredients and a few seasonings making it a budget friendly crowd pleasing dinner!  Chicken thighs cook up in a flavorful sauce of apricot preserves, french dressing and onion soup mix.  This gives a sweet and sour taste to this chicken that makes a delicious sauce that goes fabulous over rice.

Print

Ingredients

• 6 bone in chicken thighs
• ½ teaspoon garlic salt or powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 cups apricot preserves
• 1 cup french dressing
• 1 envelope dry onion soup mix

Instructions

1. Mix the garlic salt, onion powder, pepper and paprika together.
2. Sprinkle over the chicken thighs.
3. In a large skillet over medium high heat place the thighs skin side down.
4. Heat from about 5 minutes just until the skin starts to brown. 
5. In a mixing bowl combine the apricot preserves, french dressing and dry onion soup mix.
6. Place the chicken thighs in the slow cooker and pour the sauce over the top. 
7. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. 
8. Serve over rice!

Notes

• Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

• You can skip the browning part if you like but I would remove the skin from the thighs. 
• You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts in this as well.
• Russian dressing can be substituted for the french dressing.
• You can also garnish this with scallions.
• If you prefer a thicker sauce, remove the chicken from the slow cooker and stir 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into 2 tablespoons of cold water. Whisk this into the slow cooker to thicken the sauce.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1002Total Fat: 55gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 37gCholesterol: 250mgSodium: 1259mgCarbohydrates: 89gFiber: 1gSugar: 62gProtein: 47g