Apricot Chicken Skewers
These quick and easy chicken skewers are glazed with an irresistibly delicious sweet and sour apricot sauce.
Servings: 4
Calories: 461kcal
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 100 g dried apricots 1/2 cup packed
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons NAKANO Natural Rice Vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1-2 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger root 1" piece, sliced
- 3 scallions white ends separated from green tops
Instructions
- Preheat oven or grill to 425˚F/220˚C. Soak wood/bamboo skewers in water or use metal ones.
- Pat chicken thighs dry and slice into long strips about 1 1/2 - 2 inches wide. Place them into a shallow dish or bag and season them with kosher salt.
- Add the remaining ingredients, except for the green tops of scallions, to a blender and blend into a smooth sauce. If the sauce is too thick add a little more water to thin it out.
- Pour half of the sauce over the chicken and rub it into the chicken. Cover and marinate in the fridge for up to 30 minutes or until the oven/grill is preheated.
- Skewer the chicken strips and, if baking them, place them on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan or baking dish. If grilling them place them directly on the grill.
- Bake or grill them until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165˚F/74˚C, about 15 minutes, turning them halfway through. They may cook faster on the grill depending on the temperature.
- Meanwhile, cook the rest of the sauce in a small pan over med-low heat at a simmer for about 5-10 minutes.
- Spoon the sauce over the cooked skewers and garnish with sliced green tops of the scallions. Serve with sticky rice and vegetables for a complete meal.
Video
Notes
NAKANO Organic Natural Rice Vinegar can be swapped for their Natural Rice Vinegar in this recipe.
Chicken thighs can be substituted with chicken breast or tenders. Reduce the cooking time as chicken breasts will cook faster and dry out if overcooked.
Dried apricots and maple syrup can be replaced with 1/2 cup of apricot jam, in which case the sauce does not need to be pureed in a blender. Instead, grate the ginger and garlic and mince the white parts of the scallions then simply whisk everything together.
Leftovers will keep for up to 3 days covered and refrigerated. Reheat to serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 461kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 215mg | Sodium: 1280mg | Potassium: 956mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 1047IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 3mg