Well, That Was Unexpected.
If you described this meal to me, I’d raise my eyebrows at you. Chicken on a sheet pan, with a few basic sauce elements poured right over the top? Like, really?
But every time I’ve made this apricot chicken, both Bjork and I and our friends have literally said outloud – Wow. Why is this so good? It’s humble, it’s low-key, but it has absolutely incredible flavor.
Sesame oil, soy sauce, with a bit of sweetness (our buddy apricot jam! 😍) are an excellent flavor base – but the thing that deserves most of the flavor credit here is that tangle of charred scallions. They give a nice oniony flavor, but also a roasty depth feels like you spent a few hours on this instead of just 15 minutes.
The chicken stays tender and juicy thanks to a short bake time, the scallions are fun and pretty, and if you can scrape up any browned bits or juices from the pan to spoon over your rice bowl, you’re in for a treat. It’s so good.
Of all our SOS recipes this season, I think this might be the easiest.
I hope you love it! And for more of our most popular easy dinner recipes, click here!
Watch How To Make This Apricot Chicken
Sesame Apricot Chicken with Charred Scallions
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This apricot chicken, made on a sheet pan, is so easy and SO GOOD! Just a few simple ingredients, minimal cleanup, and a major flavor boost from the roasty charred scallions on top.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Sesame Apricot Chicken with Charred Scallions
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt + 10 cracks of freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 10 scallions, sliced in half lengthwise
- 1/4 cup apricot preserves
- a few tablespoons of chili crisp
For serving:
- Rice
- Any other vegetables – I like cucumbers
Instructions
- Preheat: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place a oven rack near the top.
- Prep Scallions: Cut the scallions in half lengthwise.
- Prep Chicken: Cut the chicken into thinner pieces horizontally. Place chicken on a sheet pan; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle sesame oil and soy sauce directly over the chicken.
- Add Scallions: Toss the scallions in some of the oil.
- Bake: Place the scallions on top of the chicken. Bake for 6 minutes near the top of the oven.
- Broil: Turn the broiler on; broil for 1-2 minutes – the goal is to get the chicken cooked through (165 degrees) a small amount of charring on the scallions. There is tons of yummy flavor in those charred bits! Immediately spoon apricot jam and chili crisp over the top of each piece so it kind of melts in.
- Serve: Serve chicken and a tangle of the charred scallions with rice, spooning extra pan juices over the top (or just drizzling with extra sesame oil and soy sauce). Humble method, max flavor!
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: apricot chicken, sheet pan chicken, chicken dinner recipe
Frequently Asked Questions For This Recipe
I didn’t try it with thighs, but I think it would work – I would just leave them whole, and you’d just need to bake it a bit longer since they are thicker.
Yes, and maybe just use sesame oil and soy sauce to marinate the chicken or brush it as it’s grilling.
Orange would work great, or a drizzle of honey could be used in a pinch too!
I love this with the fresh cucumber pictured, but you could also add some air-fried broccoli or green beans.
Thinly sliced shallots would be delicious here!
Yes! Use this sesame apricot tofu recipe. Same flavors and also very very delicious!