Lazy Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken Recipe

Slow cooker apricot chicken is the perfect balance of sweet, savory, creamy, and delicious. This easy 5 ingredient, dump-and-go dish will quickly become a dinner time favorite.

Apricot chicken on a round gray plate with a bowl of mini potatoes and a bowl of broccoli in the background

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If there is such a thing as a perfect 5-ingredient dish, this may be it. As easy chicken recipes go, this is on the top of the heap! Mix together 5 simple ingredients, smother some uncooked chicken with it, and you have dinner!

Jump to:

📃Shopping list
🍳Assembly
🍗A note about chicken
🍽Serving suggestions
Storing leftovers
❓❔FAQ
😉Hints & hacks
📖 Recipe

📃Shopping list

ingredients for sauce in a bowl with labels prior to mixing

In addition to skinless boneless chicken thighs (or breasts), here is what you need for the easy apricot sauce:

Apricot preserves (apricot jam will work as well)
Mayonnaise
Ketchup
Dry onion soup mix
Garlic salt
Non-stick cooking spray

🚀Jump to recipe card for exact quantities and detailed instructions

🍳Assembly

Start this (and all other) chicken recipes by spraying your slow cooker with a non-stick spray. Next, place boneless skinless chicken pieces into the bottom of the slow cooker pot.

In a medium bowl, add all the above-listed sauce ingredients and stir well to combine. Smother chicken with sauce and cook. Yep, that's pretty much it!

If you love this recipe, please let me know in the comment section below!

🍗A note about chicken

This crock pot apricot chicken recipe works perfectly with boneless skinless chicken breasts or juicy chicken thighs. I haven't made it with bone-in pieces, but I believe it would be delicious on legs, thighs, and drumsticks. If you try it on any bone-in pieces, I would love to hear how it goes in the comments below!

Chicken breast is always drier, especially when slow-cooked. Thighs are more forgiving and can be cooked longer without drying out. However, thighs are smaller and tend to have more connective tissue.

If you don’t have a preference taste-wise, thighs are the way to go. For a divided family (like mine), you can use some of each. If you use breasts and feel they are dry, slicing or shredding them will help them to absorb more sauce.

close up of cooked chicken breast with sauce beling sliced by a large knife

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🍽Serving suggestions

This dish intentionally makes lots of extra sauce. This makes it one of our favorite slow cooker meals. We love dipping veggies and crusty bread into the extra.

Serving with sides that can absorb the deep flavor of the sauce will make this a marvelous meal. Rice, baked potato, mashed potato, mashed cauliflower, riced cauliflower, and broccoli are all great options. Pasta and some crusty bread for dipping are also great choices.

I love serving it besides French onion soup or split pea soup.

Add a side of rice pilaf and green beans and the easiest of slow cooker recipes turns into a full meal. This easy dinner doesn't take a ton of time and will become a part of your regular rotation. You will earn rave reviews from the whole family - even on a busy night!

Close up of chicken thighs with creamy apricot sauce. Broccoi and potatoes are on different plates in the background

Storing leftovers

Dishes made with mayonnaise are generally not great in the freezer. Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container or bag in the refrigerator and will last for 3-4 days.

Apricot Chicken is delicious dish cold making leftovers a great lunch option. Cold leftovers make an especially delicious addition to a garden salad.

close up view of sliced chicken breast and a whole thigh covered in apricot sauce with green scallion for garnish

❓❔FAQ

Q: Can this dish be prepared in advance?

A: This is a great dish to mix together in advance and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can then just pop it right into the slow cooker when you are ready.

Although slow cooker liners are not for everyone, this is one instance where they can serve double duty. You can mix cold ingredients in a liner and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook.

Q: If we can't eat right away, can I leave my chicken on the warm setting?

A: Chicken (particularly breast meat) does not do well when left in the slow cooker on warm for hours. It will get rubbery. Here are some recipes that work better If you need to be out all day, but still want to come home to a warm slow cooker dinner.

😉Hints & hacks

This Russian chicken crockpot recipe works really well with both thighs and breasts. If you choose breasts, you may want to shred or slice your chicken after it is cooked to allow it to absorb more of the sauce.
To confirm when chicken is finished cooking, I suggest a meat thermometer. Chicken that is overcooked can be dry and rubbery. According to the FDA , chicken is safe to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F
If you don't have mayo or ketchup on hand, no need to panic. You can replace them with 2.5 cups of prepared Russian dressing, French dressing or Catalina dressing.
It is fun to experiment with different types of rice. Brown rice and jasmine rice are both delicious options to try.
Slow cooker liners are an optional but helpful hack whenever using a crockpot. They allow you to cook with little to no cleanup. I like to buy mine in bulk for a better per-piece price.
In the market for a new slow cooker? I love mine!