I’ve never fully appreciated the beauty of a perfectly ripe apricot until this weekend. We just got back from an awesome weekend running the river with our extended fam. Two days of 100+ degree temps, tents, sand, dirt, squirt guns, rafts, sunscreen and loads of laughs.
Mother Nature did not disappoint in the wildlife department. We saw mountain sheep, otters, a blue heron, all sorts of cool animals. Everything was fab fab fabulous. So fun! The food, let’s say, was not the main focus of this little jaunt. It was sustenance. All good! Just not much in the way of fresh fruits and veg.
Burgers, store-bought cookies, pancakes…that kinda jazz. So imagine my surprise when I opened a cooler to see a beautiful, unclaimed fresh apricot, that glorious little superfood packed with antioxidants, vitamins and all sorts of good stuff. Nobody wanted it, so of course, I snatched it right up. And oh, was that apricot delicious. Sweet, juicy, perfect. And the inspiration for this little gem, Apricot-Glazed Grilled Chicken.
Of course, you could just head to the store and buy your fav bbq sauce off the shelf. That would be acceptable. But in about the same time as to takes to run that little errand, why not whip up a batch of mind-blowing, slightly Asian-inspired apricot glaze and have it simmering on the stove. The fam will be salivating, forks in hand. Lucky for them, this comes together fast, and they’ll be gobbling up sweet and tangy Apricot-Glazed Grilled Chicken before they know it.
And now, it’s off to the after-party: brush the sand out of the tent, wash the swimsuits and hang them up to dry, put the half-used sunscreen back in the pantry and bask in the memories of a couple fun-filled, off-the-grid splashy days of red rocks, lizards and the best fam in the whole world. Thanks, guys!
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 shallots
- 6 apricots
- 1" square piece of fresh ginger
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. hot mustard or Dijon
- Pinch red pepper flakes (or more if desired)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 8-10 chicken pieces: breasts, thighs, drumsticks
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Chop shallots, and in a large skillet, sauté them with oil until soft.
- Take pits out of apricots.
- Put apricots, ginger, honey, vinegar, mustard, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper in a blender and combine until smooth. Add to the skillet.
- Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside half of glaze to serve with cooked chicken.
- Heat grill on high and then turn to medium low.
- Pat chicken pieces dry, toss with oil and salt and pepper. Brush chicken pieces with glaze.
- Grill until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees for breasts and thighs, and slightly higher for drumsticks, turning occasionally and brushing all sides with glaze.
- Serve with remaining glaze.
Notes
*Recipe makes 2 cups glaze.
*Glaze would also be good with veggies, pork or as a stir-fry sauce.
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