my comfort recipes
♥ Log in Sign up
  • en
  • fr
  • es
  • pt
  • de
  • it
  • nl
    • 🌍 World Kitchen
    🌍 World Kitchen
    Log in Sign up
    Home / Dinner / Apricot Chicken (Kiwi)

    Apricot Chicken (Kiwi)

    Kiwi apricot chicken recipe: golden chicken baked in a glossy, sweet-tangy apricot sauce. The retro 1980s dinner-party classic that still comforts today.

    ⏱ 15 minPrep time
    🔥 30 minCook time
    🍽 4Servings
    🏷 DinnerCategory
    ☆☆☆☆☆No ratings yet
    Apricot Chicken (Kiwi)

    Apricot chicken appeared in New Zealand kitchens in the 1980s, when a bottle of apricot nectar and a packet of French onion soup mix made dinner seem effortless. It became a dinner-party and family favourite that has never quite gone away.

    The sauce is what people remember: apricot nectar reduced to a silky, golden glaze with a savoury onion edge. Baked until the chicken is sticky and tender and served over rice, it’s sweet, nostalgic, and hard to resist.

    New Zealand recipes →

    Step by stepInstructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brown the chicken in the oil and place in a baking dish.
    2. Whisk together the apricot nectar, French onion soup mix, brown sugar, and tomato sauce.
    3. Pour over the chicken and bake for 40–45 minutes, basting once, until cooked through.
    4. Transfer the chicken to a plate; simmer the sauce with the cornstarch mixture until glossy and thickened.
    5. Serve over steamed rice with the sauce spooned over.

    💡 Chef tips & storage

    Chicken thighs stay juicier than breasts — use them if you can. Taste the sauce before adding the brown sugar; some nectar is sweeter than others.

    Rate this recipe

    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
    ☆☆☆☆☆No ratings yet
    Sign in to rate this recipe.

    Recipe details

    Prep15 min
    Cook30 min
    Servings4
    CategoryDinner
    PublishedAugust 17, 2026
    Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

    Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

    Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

    Keep browsingYou might also like

    View all recipes →