Roast Chicken With Apricot Glaze
- Total Time
- About 2 hours
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 1(4-pound) chicken, at room temperature
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 1lemon, halved
- 1small onion, chopped
- 8sprigs fresh thyme
- 4tablespoons olive oil
- 3 to 5cups chicken broth
- 5garlic cloves (4 of them crushed, 1 of them minced)
- 4tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 4tablespoons apricot preserves
- 1shallot, finely chopped
- ⅓cup red wine vinegar
- 1cup dried apricots, sliced
- 1cup roasted salted pistachios, whole or coarsely chopped (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
1315 calories; 89 grams fat; 25 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 41 grams monounsaturated fat; 17 grams polyunsaturated fat; 61 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 35 grams sugars; 73 grams protein; 2070 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 450 degrees with a rack set in the middle position.
- Step 2
Place the chicken on a cutting board and pat it dry with paper towels. Cut off and discard any extra fat hanging around the cavity, and season the cavity generously with salt and pepper. Squeeze the lemon all over the outside of the chicken and stuff the cavity with the chopped onion, 4 sprigs of thyme and at least one of the juiced lemon halves (both, if they’ll fit). Tie the legs together with twine. Rub 1 tablespoon oil all over the chicken and season with salt and pepper.
- Step 3
Carefully pour 3 cups chicken broth into a rimmed baking sheet and scatter over the crushed garlic cloves and remaining 4 thyme sprigs. Place the chicken, breast-side up, on a rack set over the baking sheet. Roast the chicken for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 375 degrees and continue roasting for 1 hour more. Add additional chicken stock to the pan, as needed, to keep it from becoming dry.
- Step 4
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mash together the butter, 3 tablespoons apricot preserves and the minced garlic clove until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer 2 heaping tablespoons of the apricot butter to a small container and refrigerate. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil to the apricot butter in the bowl and whisk to thin the mixture into a glaze.
- Step 5
Baste the chicken with the glaze and continue roasting for another 30 minutes or so, basting again after 15 minutes. Continue roasting until the chicken is browned and the juices run clear when you insert a knife down to the bone between the leg and thigh. Loosely tent with foil if the skin is getting too brown before chicken is cooked through.
- Step 6
Remove the pan from the oven and tilt the chicken to release the juices from the cavity into the pan, then transfer the chicken to a carving board and let rest for 15 minutes. Strain the pan drippings, remove the fat and set aside.
- Step 7
While the chicken rests, in a small pan over medium heat, cook the shallot and vinegar until the vinegar is nearly all cooked away but the pan is not yet dry. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon apricot preserves and the reserved pan drippings, whisk together and bring to a simmer. Add the remaining cold apricot butter little by little, whisking constantly, and remove from the heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Carve chicken and serve with the seasoned jus, sliced apricots and pistachios if desired.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
rprp2
These look like wonderful dishes; the family story is great to read. BUT The Times did it again! For the umpteenth time, it publishes recipes for a Jewish holiday meal that are- blatantly not kosher. Yes, I know. I miniscule number of Jews keep kosher. But it is clueless, at best, to not even note that the dishes aren't kosher. Quintessential Jewish cooking, born of different cultures but all Jewish, must recognize and RESPECT the foundations of that food.
Rich
Haven't made this yet but I already know I will make enough glaze to massage some under the skin before I pop the chicken in the oven. One of my favorite methods for getting good flavor on the meat. And with the rest of the glaze, baste as instructed.
Sharon
butter? not if you keep kosher
Daniel Beck
I don't understand the pan/rack set up. How high above the liquid should the rack be? A few inches? I have a rack that is made to fit right inside the sheet pan. Should the rack be placed sideways so it rests on the sheet pan rim above the liquid? I wish NYT would provide pictures like so many other "free" cooking websites to give directions on unfamiliar set ups.
Jean
I haven't received such rave reviews for a chicken dish in a long time, and I cook a LOT of chicken for my family. I used bone in chicken thighs and breasts, and I followed the other note here to also rub the apricot/butter mixture under the skin before cooking. The sauce was incredible. This is a company worthy chicken dish!
Mels
Nowhere does it claim to be kosher. I'm sure you could replace w/ a vegetable oil of your choice and it would work just as well. I imagine avocado oil would be lovely.
Kathy
I am not sure what others did to get confused about this recipe and directions and why it got low ratings by some. I thought it was fabulous. The glaze carmelizes with the garlic in pan and makes a delicious sauce and a chicken with crispy skin. I cook lots and love it, so maybe prep for me is easy. I used homemade broth, Maybe that made a difference. KEEPER!
Karen
For extra flavor, put some sliced onion pieces and sliced dried apricots into the cavity of the chicken when it starts to bake. Scrape these out when the chicken is done and add to the rice or whatever you're serving on the side.
Stephanie Klassen
As I read it, the first step of roasting takes 1 hr 15 minutes. Then the glaze is added and the chicken is roasted another 30 minutes, to a total of 1 hour 45 min. The chicken should be basted halfway through the final 30 minutes—that’s where the “baste again after 15 minutes” direction comes in.
Betty Schwartz
This was a real 'patchke' to prepare . But it was the best roast chicken I ever made.
Susie
Without the usual big family feast to prepare this year, this was the perfect dish for a small festive holiday dinner. I was a bit worried that the cooking time was too long, but the chicken was beautifully browned, very moist and tasty. Agree that the instructions seem more complicated than they need to be, but the sauce was delicious and the end result justified the work. This can definitely be made kosher using certified parve unsalted margarine (e.g. Fleischmanns).
Curtiss
This recipe has taught me a very important life lesson. At 74 years old, I have no business in the kitchen and deserve to be out in a fine restaurant.
JRussell
Delicious and easy. I didn't add the dried apricots or pistachios, because I didn't have them. I also just melted the apricot butter, then poured over the chicken at the end. It was great.
Coni
I followed the recipe and served it tonight. Everyone loved it. No complaints and we look forward to delicious leftovers.
LPV
I made this according to the recipe, using my own apricot preserves. The chicken was succulent and the sauce was delicious. The recipe was complicated, but well worth it.
Jason
Solid dish, added butter under the skin, and the dish paired well with rice to soak up that great sauce. The second half of the recipe could more clear and should be re-written. Also, the sliced apricots and chopped nuts don’t add value; they are afterthoughts.
Jrd
The best part of this is the glaze. I used home canned peach jam and dried apricots. Then, I used any leftover glaze on mashed potatoes. It's so good.
Julie
The chicken came out so moist and crisp, though it took a bit longer to cook than expected. I will say that the prep for this meal is no joke and is quite time consuming, so be prepared to get an early jump on it.
Amy K
I followed the recipe to a T with ingredients. The only thing I changed: I placed the chicken in with the broth etc on the sided pan. It was DELICIOUS. But, next time, I’m going to buy that roasting rack to rest on the sided pan. I got squeamish with putting the chicken straight onto the rack. (I read this correctly??) I need an easier clean up… but wow, that sauce!! Five stars, can’t wait to make it for the kids for a Sunday dinner.
Richard
"Rack set over the baking sheet" refers to a purpose-made baking rack which you could purchase from Amazon.
Curtiss
This recipe has taught me a very important life lesson. At 74 years old, I have no business in the kitchen and deserve to be out in a fine restaurant.
KT
Plenty of good vegan "butters" that can be used if you are keeping kosher
Alan C Brown
A lot of work and a little disappointed in the result. It tasted fine but for all the work involved I would have hoped for something a little more special.
Alexis
Sorry, 450 makes a smoky mess
Alexis
500 degrees makes a smoky mess. Personally 425 for a bit longer is a much better option
ben
This was delicious. I ended up making a gravy, rather than an au jus and it was lovely. Followed the suggestion to toss apricots and pistachios into the cavity. Served with a pilaf(ish) of apricots, toasted pistachio and onion - yum.
Ceal
Pretty much made as noted. Substituted peach balsamic vinegar for red wine vinegar and SmartBalance for butter, plus no salt. Otherwise, as noted. Tender, moist, nice sauce. Easy to do, more or less.
Hilary
The glaze was by far and away the best part of this dish! To me its taste didn’t translate to the chicken and it was too much of a complicated, time-consuming recipe to make again. However I’d definitely make the glaze again and drizzle it on baked chicken breasts / thighs.
Susan Jimenez
If you can use olive oil will that help All the Jewish cooks?
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