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Sheet Pan 30 Minute Sticky Apricot Chicken and asparagus. It’s sweet, spicy, extra sticky, and so easy to make!
Back when my family would travel to Florida for spring break to soak up the sun and visit my grandparents, my Nonnie had a dish she called her “first night chicken”. It was the dinner she’d serve out-of-town guests on the first night they arrived. One, because it was delicious, and two, because it was beyond easy.
The thing about my Nonnie? She was an awesome cook, but her real secret was that she’d never make anything that was complicated or had too many ingredients. She was a woman of simplicity when it came to cooking and baking.
And you know something? It really worked for her. Every single one of her recipes was delicious. And her meatloaf is all my oldest brother, Creighton, ever talks about.
Her recipes were the “retro” kind that probably used far too many store-bought ingredients and one too many bottled and canned goods. But it was her style of cooking and it worked for her. And we loved the dishes she made.
Anyway, she’d serve this “first night chicken” often. It was always a hit every time she served it. Each and every guest they would welcome into their Florida home…which was a lot of guests…loved this dish! As you can imagine a south Florida home becomes very popular in the dead of winter and early spring. Family sure loved to visit them.
Nonnie would serve her roasted chicken with steamed asparagus and rice. I remember the dish being absolutely delicious. Nonnie shared the recipe with me about 5 years ago, and while I’m not revealing her secret just yet (though I will…very, very soon), this recipe today was inspired by hers. Just like my grandma’s chicken, the one I’m sharing today highlights a jar of apricot jam. The flavors in today’s recipe are not the same. But I just had to shout out to my Nonnie for inspiring this insanely easy and delicious sticky chicken.
Makes me miss her even more!
Making this sheet pan sticky ginger chicken is easy…
Here are all the details. My Nonnie always used chicken thighs with skin on, which helped her sauce stick. I used boneless skinless breasts. I didn’t want to bread the chicken, but I still wanted the sticky sauce to really stick.
So I toss the chicken with a beaten egg and dredge it through some flour. It’s a very, very light coating, but it’s just enough to help all that sticky sweet sauce actually stick to the chicken. Once you coat the chicken in flour, grease a baking sheet, and arrange the chicken to one side. Then drizzle with olive oil to help the chicken crisp up a bit.
Throw the pan into the oven and let the chicken get nice and crispy.
About halfway through cooking, pull the pan out, flip that chicken and add the asparagus.
First off, you can use broccoli if you hate asparagus, but since I have an abundance of asparagus this week…and since that’s the vegetable my Nonnie also used, that’s what I went for…and we found it delicious.
I kept the asparagus basic, just olive oil, salt, and pepper. But the real secret? Getting them tender and crisp in the oven. Since the chicken cooks at such a high temperature, the asparagus quickly softens, then crisps, and lightly chars. So very delicious. My favorite way to enjoy asparagus!
While everything is roasting, make the sticky sauce.
The truth? The sauce is truly why you should make this recipe. It’s honestly so addicting. Sweet, tangy, a touch spicy and once cooked down, super sticky. The secret ingredient is of course apricot jam. I know it might sound odd, but please, don’t doubt me here. The jam adds sweetness and gives the sauce that sticky texture we love so much. Soy sauce adds a touch of saltiness, and balsamic vinegar gives it a nice tang.
Once the chicken cooks, toss the sauce with the chicken, return to the oven for a few more minutes, and you’re done. I was shocked at how well the timing of everything ended up working out and how quickly this came together.
Nothing fancy here, just simple cooking, but very delicious.
Side dish suggestions?
My side dish suggestion…creamy coconut rice made with a pat of butter and lots of fresh basil. Trust me, this is a must, and adds so much to complete the dish. Then top the chicken with toasted sesame seeds and basil. Again, so simple, but really just so good too. It’s that sauce…it’s pretty hard to beat.
If you’re looking for something fresh and healthy…ish for dinner this week, make this sticky chicken!
Looking for other weeknight dinners? Here are a few to try:
Healthier 25 Minute Kung Pao Chicken
30 Minute Creamy Thai Turmeric Chicken and Noodles
30 Minute Spicy Indian Butter Chicken
Lastly, if you make this Sheet Pan 30 Minute Sticky Apricot Chicken be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Sheet Pan 30 Minute Sticky Apricot Chicken
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 320 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch cubes
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or gluten-free flour
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, or sesame oil
- 3/4 cup high quality apricot preserves
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 bunch asparagus, or broccoli - chopped (see note)
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
- sesame seeds and rice, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 475° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with oil.2. Add the chicken, egg, and a pinch of pepper to a bowl. Toss to combine. Add the flour to another bowl. Dredge the chicken in batches through the flour, tossing to coat. Place the chicken on one side of the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 12 minutes. Flip the chicken, then add the asparagus to the other side of the pan. Toss with 1 tablespoon oil, salt, and pepper. Return to the oven another 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Reduce the oven temp to 425° F.3. Meanwhile, mix the apricot preserves, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a glass jar or bowl. 4. Pour the sauce over the chicken, tossing to combine. Return everything to the oven for 3 minutes, until the sauce coats the chicken, watch close the sauce can burn.5. Serve the chicken, asparagus, and sauce over bowls of rice topped with basil and sesame seeds.
Notes
If using Broccoli: add the broccoli to the sheet pan when you begin roasting the chicken as it will take longer to cook than the asparagus.
Coconut Rice: Combine 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk and 1/2 cup water in a medium pot. Bring to a low boil. Add 1 cup jasmine rice, 1 tablespoon butter, and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine, cover, then turn the heat down to the lowest setting possible. Allow the rice to cook 10 minutes on low, then turn the heat off completely and let the rice sit, covered, for another 15-20 minutes (don’t take any peeks inside!). Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
Best recipe ever !!¡ my kids enjoy every time I cook it..thanks
Hey Jenniffer,
Happy Saturday! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
This is seriously my favorite recipe – EVER! I make this at least once a week. The SAUCE!!! My husband and I were pretty silent the first time we had this for dinner – that’s when you know the meal is good! Super easy to make, comes right together, leftover sauce is great on grilled chicken. We make this with broccoli and I already know I’ll make this for dinner tonight!
Hey Taylor,
Happy Saturday! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
This was soo delicious, it’s my fiancé’s new favorite dish! I had a little trouble with the coconut rice because I only had long grain rice on hand but it still came out amazing, thanks for the recipe!
Hey Alexis,
Fantastic! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
This is one of the worst things I have ever cooked. It took almost 2 hours. Not even close to 30 minutes. I have a 4 kids and they always have friends over so I doubled the recipe. So, yes it should have taken longer than 30 minutes. The poor chicken had to cook sooooo long to it “sticky”. Horrible recipe. Poor chicken, it never had a chance
Hey Amanda,
So sorry you had issues with the recipe. Was there anything you adjusted? Since you doubled the recipe it was important to use a large enough sheet pan or use two pans so the chicken wasn’t overcrowded. Please let me know how I can help. xTieghan
This is clearly a YOU problem and not a Tieghan problem. Stop complaining because you messed up your dinner and either can’t cook or can’t follow a recipe.
This was absolutely perfect and delicious!
I used French green beans and they were amazing and crispy. Don’t skip the coconut rice basil or sesame seeds!!
Thank you for inspiring me.
Hey Cindy,
Happy Friday! I’m so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
I love this recipe! It’s packed full of flavor and super easy to make. Definitely a staple in my recipes.
Hey Brooke,
I am so so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and I appreciate you giving it a try!! xxTieghan
Delicious! One of my favourites from you.
Hey Sarah,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! Have a great Sunday:) xTieghan
I followed the directions but my chicken didn’t crisp up at all. It just had a weird egg/flower coating on it and did not brown. Not sure what went wrong but I was really disappointed.
Hey there,
So sorry to hear this. It’s really hard to say without being in the kitchen with you. What rack did you have your sheet pan on? Let me know how I can help. xTieghan
This was a hit and I’ll definitely be making it again!
Hey Kerry,
Happy Monday! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
This was very good. I found it to be just a bit too sweet but my husband thought it was perfect. My asparagus had unfortunately gone bad, so I only made the chicken and coconut rice with a green salad
Hey Bethany,
Awesome!! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Curious, do we need to adjust oven temps/times or anything if we are not cooking at altitude? Been loving what we have made so far! Thanks for all the yummy recipes!
Hey Ali,
No need to make any adjustments, you can follow the recipe as is:) xTieghan
Is this chicken something we can make ahead of time and add sauce before warming in oven?
I like to prep dinner in afternoon so I can heat after work
Hey Miri,
Sure, that would be just fine to do! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
It is ridiculous how good this chicken is. Can literally be paired with anything.
Hey Katherine,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Made this recipe tonight with the coconut rice and it was delicious! Will definitely be adding this to my regular rotation of meals.
Hey Daniella,
Happy Monday! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it! xTieghan
This was SO good! The ginger and the apricot together, with the bit spice and tanginess, was spot on. I served it without rice actually, and it was plenty delicious. I think I’ll try this with peach preserves next time, for fun. The basil was a welcome flavor and bit of freshness, so I don’t think I’d ever skip on that. This will definitely go into my rotation. One thing was that my asparagus took a little longer to cook, so I actually had to remove the chicken and put the asparagus back in for another 3ish minutes. I think maybe my asparagus stalks were extra thick ones. 🙂 Thanks for this delish recipe!
Hey Meg,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Have a great weekend:) xxTieghan
Making this tonight! What type of basil do you recommend?
Hey Marija,
I just used regular basil for this recipe. I hope you love this dish, let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
Made this for a second time tonight. It’s delicious and I wouldn’t change a thing. My picky eaters gobbled it up.
Hey Kristine,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan