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Sheet Pan Baked Apricot Chicken and Broccoli is an easy dinner that's always a crowd pleaser. It’s just right over a bed of white rice and you can pretty much make it in about 30 minutes!
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Skip takeout and make dinner at home, the mess is minimal and it tastes better! I think that cooking tends to seem like one of those tasks that isn’t worth the effort, but when you end up with food that's healthier for you and tastes just as delicious–it’s worth investing a little time into (IMO). But don’t worry, this recipe won’t take all night or anything crazy like that!
Let’s talk about it–this recipe is loosely based on fast-casual-style orange chicken (which is notoriously popular with kids). This is an apricot version of the orange chicken that you can get at fast-casual asian restaurants.
Ingredients + substitutions
Let’s discuss the ingredients. Aside from the apricot preserves, you probably have everything that you need in your refrigerator or pantry.
- Chicken breasts - I used chicken breasts for this recipe. Feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. They’re a great choice and they’re a bit more forgiving if you overcook them!
- Soy sauce - I used low sodium soy sauce, but regular soy sauce, coconut aminos, or tamarind would be good choices as well!
- Apricot preserves - apricot preserves have chunks of apricot in them, which doesn’t bother me, but if it bothers you be sure to use apricot jam (which won’t have any chunks and has a smoother texture.
- Brown sugar - dark or light brown sugar works. Regular white sugar also works if you don’t have brown sugar.
- Lime juice - fresh is best.
- Cornstarch - for thickening the sauce.
- Oregano
- Pepper
- Broccoli florets - you can swap the broccoli florets for brussels sprouts, or cauliflower florets.
- Olive oil - for greasing the pan and drizzling, as needed. I always use olive oil, but you can also use refined coconut oil, or vegetable oil.
How to make sheet pan baked apricot chicken
- STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
- STEP 2: Cut two chicken breasts into bite-sized cubes (1-inch cubes). Place them into a bowl and set aside.
- STEP 3: Put together your apricot sauce by combining the soy sauce, apricot preserves, brown sugar, lime juice, cornstarch, oregano, and pepper in a mason jar. Screw the lid on and give it a shake.
- STEP 4: Toss the chicken in a tablespoon of the sauce. Then toss the chicken into the scrambled egg.
- STEP 5: Tap any excess liquid off of the chicken. Dredge each piece of chicken in flour and then place it onto a greased, lipped baking sheet (or line it with parchment paper). Make sure the chicken isn’t touching, it won’t cook properly if there isn’t some space between each piece of chicken. Continue this process until all of the chicken is dredged.
- STEP 6: Add the broccoli florets to the baking sheet, and drizzle olive oil over the chicken and broccoli. Bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
STEP 7: Then toss the chicken and broccoli with the remainder of the apricot sauce and bake for another 5-10 minutes.
Variations
- Grilled: skip the egg and flour coating and just marinate and grill the chicken, brushing on the apricot sauce as you cook.
- Gluten-Free: completely skip the egg and flour coating, and swap the soy sauce for coconut aminos. Then just follow along with the recipe. It’ll turn out fantastic.
- Vegetarian: You can make this with tofu and get fantastic results.
What to serve with apricot chicken?
I recommend serving it with a nice salad, such as this Apple Arugula Salad. Or this Pear and Arugula Salad.
More chicken + sheet pan recipes to try:
Baked Apricot Chicken and Broccoli
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts cut into bite-sized cubes
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp apricot preserves
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp pepper
- 2 eggs scrambled
- ½ cup flour
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- Olive oil as needed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450℉.
- Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized cubes (1-inch cubes). Place them into a bowl and set aside.
- Put together your apricot sauce by combining the soy sauce, apricot preserves, brown sugar, lime juice, cornstarch, oregano, and pepper in a mason jar. Screw the lid on and give it a shake.
- Toss the chicken in a tablespoon of the sauce. Then toss the chicken in the scrambled eggs.
- Tap off any excess liquid and dredge each piece of chicken in flour. Place the chicken onto a greased, lipped baking sheet (or line it with parchment paper). Make sure the chicken isn’t touching, it won’t cook properly if there isn’t some space between each piece of chicken. Continue this process until all of the chicken is dredged and placed onto the pan.
- Add the broccoli florets to the baking sheet, and drizzle olive oil over the chicken and broccoli. Bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Then toss the chicken and broccoli with the remainder of the apricot sauce and bake for another 5-10 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
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