Name: Get ready for winter with this six-ingredient French Onion Apricot Chicken
Cook time: 145 min
Total time: 145 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 6 (2.2kg) chicken marylands; 40g packet French onion simmer soup; 2 onions, halved, thinly sliced; 405ml can apricot nectar; 700g tub apricot halves in juice, drained; 2 tbsp cornflour

If slow and steady wins the race, then French Onion Apricot Chicken smashes the competition.

Apricot Chicken is an undeniable classic, and this recipe takes it to a new level.

The beauty of minimal ingredients is that it’s impossible to stuff up – no tricky quantities and no fancy knife skills. Humble home-cooking with a pinch of heart and soul.

I’m a sucker for hearty winter warmers, and it was easy breezy to cook up a batch of this sweet and sumptuous meal. What I love about using the slow cooker is that it creates a whole sensory experience – well before you’ve sat down to tuck in.

The sweet aromas that fill up the home while the timer ticks away, the inviting warmth that ensues, and the feeling of excitement and fulfilment when you’re dishing up that says ‘yes, I really made that!’

I replaced the Chicken Marylands with 12 chicken thigh fillets for an easier eating experience and refrigerated the leftovers for next day lunches.

It will also freeze really well if you wanted to future-proof your meal planning.

TIP: Chicken Marylands can be replaced with 8 chicken thigh cutlets, if preferred.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients

6 (2.2kg) chicken marylands

40g packet French onion simmer soup

2 onions, halved, thinly sliced

405ml can apricot nectar

700g tub apricot halves in juice, drained

2 tbsp cornflour

Method

Step 1

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large, oiled frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add chicken in two batches. Cook for about 5 mins on each side, or until golden. Remove.

Step 2

Place soup mix, onions, nectar, two-thirds of the apricots and 1 cup water in the removable bowl of a 5 to 6-litre capacity slow cooker. Stir to combine. Add chicken. Cover with lid.

Step 3

Cook on High for 2 hours (or Low 3-3½ hours) until chicken is cooked and skin starts to come away from drumsticks. Carefully transfer chicken to a dish. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm.

Step 4

Blend cornflour with 1/3 cup water in a small jug. Stir cornflour mixture and remaining apricots into the sauce in slow cooker. Cover with lid. Cook on High for 10 mins, or until sauce has thickened. Season.

Step 5

Serve chicken and sauce with steamed rice and green beans (optional).

Karen Buckley Managing Food Editor

Karen is a seasoned Food Editor across New Idea, New Idea Food, Woman’s Day, Take 5, and That’s Life, creating and shaping recipes for both print and digital audiences. Driven by a genuine passion for flavour, Karen is constantly inspired by the people, cultures, and ingredients around her. She believes great food doesn’t need to be complicated—just thoughtful, delicious, and made to be shared. When she’s not working, you’ll usually find her in the kitchen, spending time with family and friends, or squeezing in some exercise and a bit of downtime to reset.