Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken is a wonderfully easy dinner with a delicious balance of sweet and savoury flavours. This easy dinner recipe makes tender, flavourful chicken with minimal effort, perfect for busy days.
Made with chicken, tinned apricots and onion soup mix, this recipe is ideal when you want a comforting meal that practically cooks itself. It’s a lovely option for family dinners or when you need something simple yet satisfying.
Originally published May 25, 2022. Updated March 22, 2026.
Why This Apricot Chicken Is So Special To Me
This Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken recipe first appeared on my other website – Just A Mum’s Kitchen.
This is one of my top ten dinners of all time! I find it so comforting and just love the combination of the savoury and sweet apricot and chicken.
In fact this is the exact meal my Mum made me when I came home with one of my brand new babies and I sat in the dark eating it with one hand, these lovely familiar flavours.
A Classic Recipe With Simple Homemade Tweaks
Slow cooker chicken is just lovely, so tender and falls apart, adding the savoury flavours with the sweetness of the apricot is so good. Are you a fan of fruit with savoury meals? I know some people definitely are not but give this a nudge!
There are many variations of this same recipe, it has been around forever. There is even a sachet of Apricot Chicken in the Maggi range for a meal, but I like to make it myself with a few extra ingredients to add more flavour.
Ingredients For This Recipe
The ingredients are lovely and simple, and there are not too many of them either.
You will need:
- Chicken Thighs or Chicken Breasts
- Apricot Nectar
- French Onion Soup Powder/Sachet Mix
- Curry Powder
- Soy Sauce
- Tinned Apricot Halves
- Cornflour (Optional)
What is Apricot Nectar? It is the juice of an apricot and it is thick and sweet. Usually premade in the juice aisle, and is a combination of juiced apricots, sugar and water. You can make your own if you like, but convenience is good! I brought mine in a1 litre box, but you may find it in smaller quantities at some stores.
What is French Onion Soup? A combination of powdered onions, dried beef stock, pepper and more, used as a base to make soup. Again this can be made from scratch if you prefer!
What is Curry Powder? Usually a combination of turmeric, cumin, ginger and black pepper. Curry Powder is common in some countries, but not in others. I like to add soy sauce to mine to add more savoury notes and some salt.
Helpful Slow Cooker Tips And Guides
Many slow cooker recipes start with raw chicken. If you’re unsure whether this is safe, you can read more about Can I Put Raw Chicken in A Slow Cooker? in my guide.
Slow cookers can sometimes produce extra liquid, so if your dish needs thickening you can follow the tips in How to Thicken Slow Cooker Sauce.
And if you’ve ever wondered why slow cooker chicken sometimes turns dry, I’ve written a helpful guide explaining the causes and how to prevent it.
Finally, if you’re new to slow cooking or have a question about how it works, you might find my Slow Cooker FAQ helpful.
Best Apricots And Chicken To Use
Canned halved apricots are the fruit of choice! They are just softer and nicer than fresh, don’t ask me why! You can absolutely use fresh if you prefer. They are slow cooked so will cook down beautifully.
I like to use trimmed skinless boneless chicken thighs as they are a lovely tender cut of meat, but you can absolutely use chicken breasts, halve them first if they are particularly large.
An Easy Set And Forget Winter Dinner
So to make this recipe it is very much a dump in the slow cooker and cook kind of recipe, so perfect for popping on in the morning and having ready for you after a long winters day.
Cooking Time And How To Thicken The Sauce
You can cook this on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours depending on the time you have available.
If once it has cooked you would like the sauce a little thicker then add a bit of cornflour to the mix to thicken. I like to serve it over rice and you can have vegetables on the side.
Can I Freeze Apricot Chicken?
Yes you can, you can freeze if for up to three months. Allow it to cool down, then place in an airtight container and freeze. When ready to use it thaw it in the refrigerator and then reheat until piping hot.
Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken recipe
The full ingredient list and step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken
Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken is a simple, flavourful dinner made with chicken, tinned apricots and onion soup mix, creating a tender and comforting family meal.
Ingredients
- 1 kg boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
- 1 x 400 g tin apricot halves, drained
- 1 cup apricot nectar (250 ml)
- 1 sachet French onion soup mix (29 g)
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1–2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon apricot jam
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
To finish
- 1½ tablespoons cornflour
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 1–2 teaspoons lemon juice or 1 tablespoon vinegar
- salt, to taste
To serve
- rice, pasta or mashed potato
- steamed vegetables
Instructions
- Lightly grease the slow cooker bowl if needed.
- Place the chicken in the base of the slow cooker, trimming any large pieces of visible fat.
- Scatter over the drained apricot halves.
- In a jug or bowl, combine the apricot nectar, French onion soup mix, curry powder, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, apricot jam and garlic powder. Whisk until smooth.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken and turn the pieces to coat evenly.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4–5 hours or HIGH for 2½–3 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- In a small bowl, mix the cornflour with the cold water until smooth. Stir the cornflour mixture into the slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for a further 10–15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and lightly coats the chicken.
- Stir through the lemon juice or vinegar to balance the sweetness. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt if needed.
- Serve hot over rice, pasta or mashed potato, with steamed vegetables on the side.
- Allow to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat gently until piping hot before serving.
Notes
What is Apricot Nectar?
It is the juice of Apricot, usually premade in the juice aisle, a combination of juiced apricots, sugar and water.
What is French Onion Soup?
A combination of powdered onions, dried beef stock, pepper and more, used as a base to make soup
What is Curry Powder?
Usually a combination of turmeric, cumin, ginger and black pepper
Can I freeze Apricot Chicken?
Yes you can, you can freeze if for up to three months. Allow it to cool down, then place in an airtight container and freeze. When ready to use it thaw it in the refrigerator and then reheat until piping hot.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 494Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 7gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 250mgSodium: 673mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 3gSugar: 10gProtein: 54g
This nutrition calculation for Just Slow Cooker Recipes has been automated, please use your discretion with the calculation and use your own if unsure.
Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes
Below you’ll find a small collection of slow cooker chicken recipes that are perfect for easy family dinners. Each one is simple to prepare and full of flavour, with the slow cooker doing most of the work for you.
These slow cooker chicken recipes are ideal for busy days when you want dinner ready with very little effort. Simply prepare the ingredients, let the slow cooker do its magic, and enjoy a warm and comforting meal at the end of the day.
Below you’ll find a selection of my favourite slow cooker chicken recipes. Click through to explore apricot chicken, satay chicken, lemon chicken, BBQ pulled chicken, and a slow cooker whole roasted chicken, all perfect for easy family dinners.
I Hope You Love This Recipe
This is so easy and delicious. I hope you love this Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken as much as we do. It’s such a lovely comforting dinner with a sweet and savoury flavour, and one I come back to again and again.
If you try it, I’d love to hear how it turned out for you in the comments below. Also, if you enjoy this recipe, please leave a ⭐ rating in the recipe card above. Your feedback helps other readers and really supports my recipes.
Thank you so much for stopping by to check out this recipe and the others here on my blog. I always love sharing these slow cooker favourites with you.
If you’re not already, be sure to follow me on Pinterest for more slow cooker inspiration and delicious recipes.
Happy cooking!
Anna xo
What could I use instead of apricots please?