Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken
35 Comments Mar 03, 2023
Updated May 08, 2025
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Give your shredded chicken a completely new taste with this Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken recipe. Apricot preserves are mixed with classic Catalina dressing for a sweet and savory sauce mix that is absolutely delicious. Take the guesswork out of what to cook for dinner tonight and give this easy recipe a try.
Putting a delicious meal on the dinner table shouldn’t be stressful. Whether you’re looking for something quick for busy weeknights or something to bring to a potluck, this crockpot apricot chicken recipe has you covered. With a quick prep time and cook time, you can start this meal in the morning and have it ready by dinner.
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken Thighs (or breasts)
- Apricot Jam: Use any brand you prefer. Some of the most popular are Bonne Maman or Smucker’s.
- Catalina Dressing: This dressing is similar to a sweet tomato flavor, which is why it’s ideal to use in salads, pasta salads, burgers, and chicken.
- Seasonings: Onion soup mix, red pepper flakes, and black pepper add great flavor to the chicken and marry perfectly with the dressing and jam.
How to make Apricot chicken in Crockpot:
Step One – Place the chicken into the bottom of the slow cooker.
Step Two – Add the apricot preserves, Catalina dressing, onion soup mix, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
Step Three – Stir the sauce ingredients together over the chicken. Cover and cook chicken on LOW for 6 hours.
Step Four – Shred the chicken with two forks or leave the chicken breasts or thighs whole. Serve and enjoy!
Variations
Even though this recipe has only four ingredients, you can definitely change it up. Here are my favorite ideas:
- Although this recipe is “apricot” chicken, you can play around with different jam flavors such as pineapple jam, peach jam, or strawberry jam.
- You can add fresh apricots, add onions that have been sliced or diced, and green bell peppers.
- Same as the jam substitutions, you can play around with using French dressing, Russian dressing, or barbecue sauce.
My Serving Ideas
This meal needs a side to be enjoyed the best, here are some great ideas on how to serve this tangy chicken.
- One of the most common ways to serve this shredded chicken is over a bed of cooked white rice or brown rice. Or serve over cooked egg noodles.
- Turn this meal into a tasty fun meal by serving it as sandwiches on white bread, Italian bread, or hoagie buns.
- This chicken also pairs well with baked beans, a green salad, coleslaw, mashed potatoes, and/or a fruit salad. Pair this apricot chicken with my Slow Cooker Honey Butter Rolls and a side of Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese.
Recipe FAQs
I do this by taking a paper towel and laying it flat over the sauce. I pull up the paper towel after a few seconds and all the grease sticks to the paper towel. Easy peasy.
Store any leftover apricot chicken in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat over medium heat on the stovetop until warmed throughout.
Featured Comment
“So pleased! Talk about easy! As a working Mom, I am so thankful for easy ingredients, delicious eats and easy prep!!”
– Natalie
Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken
How to Video
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, or boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 cup apricot preserves
- 1 cup Catalina salad dressing
- 1 oz. packet Lipton onion soup mix
- 1/8 tsp. black pepper
- 2 pinches red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- Place the chicken in to the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the apricot preserves, Catalina dressing, onion soup mix, pepper and pepper flakes. Stir the sauce ingredients together over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
- I like to de-grease the sauce before serving. I do this by taking a paper towel and laying it flat over the sauce. I pull up the paper towel after a few seconds and all the grease sticks to the paper towel. Easy peasy.
- Shred the chicken with two forks or leave the chicken breasts or thighs whole.
- Serve with rice.
- Enjoy!
Sarah’s Notes
- Although this recipe is “apricot” chicken, you can play around with different jam flavors such as pineapple jam, peach jam, or strawberry jam.
- You can add fresh apricots, add onions that have been sliced or diced, and green bell peppers.
- Same as the jam substitutions, you can play around with using French dressing, Russian dressing, or barbecue sauce.
- One of the most common ways to serve this shredded chicken is over a bed of cooked white rice or brown rice. Or serve over cooked egg noodles.
- Turn this meal into a tasty fun meal by serving it as sandwiches on white bread, Italian bread, or hoagie buns.
- This chicken also pairs well with baked beans, a green salad, coleslaw, mashed potatoes, and/or a fruit salad.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
More chicken recipes for your slow cooker:
Crockpot Chicken Adobo and Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken both offer a sweet and savory balance—one bold and tangy, the other fruity and festive.
Crockpot Cashew Chicken brings classic takeout flavor to your slow cooker, with tender chicken and a rich, savory sauce.
My version of Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken is a winner, take a look to see why!
I’m turning this into a freezer meal. Just tossed the ingredients to make two recipes into freezer bags, labeled them, and there we go. Two freezer meals ready for sometime in the future when I don’t feel like cooking or the budget is tight. Thank you!
I used orange marmalade and half cup of soy sauce.
Used to call this “Not the Same Old Chicken.” Same recipe ingredients except pineapple preserves instead of apricot. So good.
I have not tried this recipe yet. But I will soon. I have a recipe that I have been making in the oven. The only thing that I changed in my recipe and will do to this. I added pineapple tidbits.
So pleased! Talk about easy! As a working Mom, I am so thankful for easy ingredients, delicious eats and easy prep!!
I prefer to use boneless, skinless chicken tenders. I cook on low for 2.5 to 3 hours and they come out great. I also pour liquid into a pot to thicken sauce with corn starch. So, so good with white rice & broccoli. This is my dinner tonight!! Nom, nom for me!!!
Could this be made with orange marmalade and all rest of ingredients
Yes. That will work fine.
It is so easy and yummy! I use Russian dressing and apricot or peach preserves whatever we have that week. I also when its done take the chicken out and add a little cornstarch to thicken the gravy. I like white meat others like dark meat so we add a little of both and it always turns out fabulous!!!!!!
Apricot chicken has enough sodium for a month. I would never make it for that reason.
Did you try sugar free ? Low sodium ?
WOW!! I made this last night and it is spectacular! I substituted Smucker’s sugar free apricot jam and fat-free catalina dressing. It was great on brown rice!
Oh awesome Nancy! I love this on brown rice