Chicken with Apricot Dijon Sauce and Toasted Almonds
This elegant meal, adapted from a recipe in Gourmet magazine (R.I.P), is just the right combination of sweet and savory, and it takes almost no time to make!
Ingredients
- 1 - 1 1/2 lb. thin chicken cutlets, or pound chicken breasts with a mallet until they are an even thickness
- 1/4 tsp. salt or to taste
- 1/8 tsp. black pepper or to taste
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup apricot preserves or jam
- 1 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce (or use any variety) (use wheat/gluten-free, if needed)
- 1 Tbsp. grainy Dijon mustard (use wheat/gluten-free, if needed)
- 2 tsp. butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and lay the chicken flat in the dish. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and bake it for about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, put the almonds in a small baking pan in the oven and bake them for 5 - 8 minutes until they are golden brown, stirring them once or twice.
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk together the apricot preserves, soy sauce, mustard, and butter until they are just melted together. Remove them from the heat and pour the sauce over the chicken.
- Continue to bake the chicken for 5 – 8 more minutes until it is just cooked through. Sprinkle the almonds over the chicken and serve it immediately.
Slow Cooker Directions:
- Turn the slow cooker to high, then combine the apricot preserves, soy sauce, mustard, and butter in the slow cooker, allowing them to melt together. Add the chicken, salt, and pepper and turn to coat it with the sauce. Cook on low for 5 - 7 hours or on high for 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Toast the almonds the oven as described above or in the toaster oven. Sprinkle with toasted almonds and serve. (Slow cooker cooking times may vary—Get to know your slow cooker and, if necessary, adjust cooking times accordingly.)
Notes
Do Ahead or Delegate: If necessary, pound the chicken breasts into cutlets and refrigerate, toast the almonds, combine and refrigerate the preserves, soy sauce, mustard, and butter.
Scramble Flavor Booster: Season the chicken with freshly ground pepper before serving.
Tip: If you’d like to make this dish a little lower in sugar, you can use sugar-free apricot preserves or jam.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (% based upon daily values): Calories 300, Total Fat: 8g, 12%; Saturated Fat: 1g, 5%; Cholesterol: 65mg, 22%; Sodium: 500mg, 21%; Total Carbohydrate: 28g, 9%; Dietary Fiber: 1g, 4%; Sugar: 26g; Protein: 29g
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