Apricot Jam Chicken with Lemon and Mustard

Name: Apricot Jam Chicken
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 cup apricot-pineapple preserves (or use apricot jam); 1/3 cup dijon mustard; 2 teaspoon grated lemon rind; 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice; 1 lemon sliced (or 2 if they are small); 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt ((optional - mustard may be enough salt)); 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme; 8 - 10 boneless skinless chicken breasts halves or an equivalent amt. of thighs (or use bone-in chicken)

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Apricot jam chicken with lemon and Dijon mustard is a wonderful blend of sweet, tart and savory flavors. And it’s so easy to prepare for a simple weeknight meal or a special holiday dinner.

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I discovered this sweet, savory, tangy, and easy Jewish apricot chicken recipe years ago in a cookbook called: The Great Hadassah Wizo Cookbook, which my mother gave me almost 35 years ago. The original recipe, called Lemon Glazed Chicken, uses bone-in chicken pieces. We eat this chicken on an ordinary weeknight but it has also become a favorite for Hanukkah. Be sure to check out all of my Chanukah recipes for other main course, side dish and dessert ideas.

Picture of the original recipe and cookbook

Why you’ll love this recipe

Quite simply — flexibility and flavor.

You can make this apricot jam chicken with boneless or bone-in pieces. I adapted it to boneless cuts to reduce the cooking time and make it easy to serve in a buffet, especially for family and holiday gatherings.

You can also prepare the sauce ahead of time or get the whole pan of chicken ready to go and cook it later or the next day. Or you can cook it ahead and reheat.

No matter how you time it, the flavors will always wow your eaters. I promise.

Ingredients for this recipe

baking tray with chicken recipe ingredients on it

If, like me, you always have some Dijon mustard in the house and you keep various jams in your pantry, you will likely always have what you need to make this apricot lemon chicken.

Chicken: Use boneless breasts or thighs – whichever you prefer. Prefer bone-in? No problem, I give alternate baking instructions for that and it comes out fantastic.
Apricot jam: The original recipe calls for apricot-pineapple jam. If you have that, use it. But I’ve gravitated over the years to just apricot jam. I love the flavor and usually can find a lower sugar version of it, which I prefer.
Dijon mustard: Any brand of dijon mustard is fine or in a pinch, use a coarse grain mustard or spicy brown mustard.
Lemons: You’ll need the zest, the juice and then enough to slice and lay on top of the chicken. Since you will be using the lemon and not just the juice, best to start with unwaxed or organic lemons. I am lucky that I have a meyer lemon tree in my backyard that produces year round. But any kind of lemon will work.
Dried or fresh thyme: Adds a little extra layer of flavor but if you don’t have any, it will still be great!

How to prepare this recipe

1. Combine preserves, mustard, lemon rind, lemon juice, thyme, kosher salt and pepper in a medium size bowl.

apricot jam sauce for chicken in white bowl with red spoon

2. Arrange your boneless skinless breasts or thighs (or bone-in) in the baking dish. If you are baking the chicken right away, pour the sauce over the chicken in the baking dish. Then lay a lemon slice on each piece of chicken.

uncooked chicken in blue pan with sauce and lemons on top, ready to bake

3. Cook at 375 degrees for 30 minutes uncovered.

baked apricot jam chicken in blue pan with white hanukkah runner

Expert Tips and FAQs

You can prepare the sauce mixture for the apricot jam chicken ahead of time.
You can prepare the pans of chicken and refrigerate until you are ready to cook them, even a day ahead of time.
Or bake the chicken ahead and refrigerate and reheat for serving.

Can you use bone-in chicken instead of boneless?

Yes, it works quite nicely. Bone-in allows the flavors to develop more as it cooks longer. You also get the color of the crispy skin. If you are serving bone-in breasts, ask your butcher to cut each one in two pieces for better portion sizes.

When you prepare this with bone-in chicken pieces, double the cooking time and add the lemon slices halfway through the cooking process. If you like your lemons slices really toasty (like me) add them at the beginning of the cooking process.

What makes this dish a Jewish chicken recipe?

While this apricot chicken comes from a Jewish-based community cookbook, it really is not “Jewish” chicken, other than that it is non-dairy which makes it ideal for those keeping kosher. And it makes a lovely main course for a Rosh Hashanah meal or Hanukkah meal, marrying with the latkes or kugel very nicely. It could even work for Passover!

baked apricot jam chicken in blue pan and wood background

P.S. If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating and/or a review in the comment section below. I so appreciate your feedback! AND find more inspiration on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Signup for my email list, too!