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    You are here: Home » Uncategorized

    Apricot Glazed Grilled Chicken Recipe

    May 21, 2019 By Mary 12 Comments

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    Grilled Chicken with Apricot Glaze pin for Pinterest

    Apricot Glazed Grilled Chicken is quick, easy, and oh so delicious. Add lime for a citrus pop and fresh diced jalapeño and you have a lip smacking dish for your next grill night.

    Grilled Apricot Lime Chicken on a sheet pan

    We can’t get enough grilled chicken recipes around here. It’s a weekly staple, and our kids love this healthy protein!

    This version spends a couple hours in a buttermilk marinade to tenderize and flavor, then grilled hot and fast and finished with a sweet and spicy apricot lime glaze.

    This is a fantastic way to do grilled chicken that’s likely to become your summer favorite.

    Buttermilk Bath

    How to make a buttermilk bath

    Simply add buttermilk and your chicken pieces into a large gallon size bag and mix together and place in the fridge for 2-3 hours. After the bath remove the chicken and allow it to dry on a baking rack (in the fridge) for 1 hour. This will help get the skin ready for the grill (and ensure the skin gets nice and crispy instead of soggy from retaining that moisture).

    Why is buttermilk a good marinade?

    Buttermilk is an acid, and soaking chicken in a buttermilk bath will help to tenderize the meat. It also adds a nice tang to the flavor of the meat. This is a common practice when making fried chicken, but also works great for grilled chicken too.

    Is the buttermilk bath necessary?

    No. If you don’t have time you can skip this step. BUT if you do have time, we highly recommend it as it will help to create tender and juicy chicken once cooked over the grill!

    Apricot Glaze

    Next up prepare your apricot glaze. This comes together very quickly. Soften up some shallots and jalapeños, in olive oil, then add garlic, apricot jam, and fresh squeezed lime and mix together to incorporate. Set aside.

    Don’t have apricot jam? This works great with mango jam too! Mix and match and try it out with your favorite jam flavor.

    To Grill the Chicken

    Set your grill up for direct/indirect (or two zone) cooking. If you’re using a gas grill, set it to medium heat.

    Place your chicken pieces over direct heat for 4-5 minutes per side, and once they’ve developed a nice crust, move them to the indirect side and continue cooking until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 155 degrees.

    Once the meat is close to finish (when it reaches 155 degrees) it’s time to glaze the chicken.

    How to Glaze Chicken on the Grill

    You don’t want to glaze too soon, otherwise you run the risk of burning the chicken since the sauce contains sugar (sugar and flames create burn).

    Once the meat reaches 160 – 162 degrees pull the chicken and apply one more layer of glaze on the meat and let it rest 10 – 15 minutes. This allows carry over cooking to bring the internal temperature to 165.

    Apricot Chicken on grill

    Next is the fun part… time to eat!

    Grilled Apricot Lime Chicken on a sheet pan

    Apricot Glazed Grilled Chicken

    Easy recipe for Apricot Glazed Grilled Chicken. Chicken pieces, soaked in a buttermilk bath, grilled to perfection, and finished with a sweet and spicy apricot glaze. 
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Rate Save Saved!
    Prep Time: 2 hours
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Resting Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Author: Mary Cressler | Vindulge

    Ingredients

    • 1 whole 4-5 lb chicken, cut into individual pieces
    • 1 quart buttermilk
    • ¾ cup dry rub
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper

    For the Apricot Glaze:

    • ½ tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons shallots, diced
    • ½ jalapeño diced, seeds and ribs removed
    • 1 clove garlic, chopped
    • ½ cup apricot jam
    • 1 tablespoon honey
    • 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    For the Buttermilk Bath:

    • Pat dry chicken.
    • In a large bowl or wide deep dish combine buttermilk, dry rub, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine. Place chicken into buttermilk bath, cover with plastic wrap, and place in fridge to marinate for 2-3 hours.
    • Remove chicken from the marinade. Place on a drying rack (we used a drying rack on top of a foil lined cookie sheet pan). Place back in fridge, uncovered, for one hour.

    For the Apricot Glaze:

    • In a small saucepan over medium heat sauté shallots and jalapeños in olive oil for 8 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and let cook 1-2 minutes. Add jam and honey, stir, and bring to a slight simmer. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 additional minutes.
    • Remove from heat, stir in the lime, and let cool at least 15 minutes to set and thicken.

    To Grill the Chicken

    • Prepare grill for direct/indirect cooking. (If using a gas grill preheat grill to medium heat.)
    • Place chicken pieces on grill over direct heat, but be careful of flare-ups. After 4-5 minutes (or when a nice crust starts to develop) turn chicken over and allow it to cook an additional 4-5 minutes per side. When the other side has developed a nice crust, move the pieces to indirect heat to avoid flare-ups.
    • As the chicken nears appropriate finish temperature (165 degrees for breast, 180 for thighs) begin to brush chicken pieces liberally with the glaze.
      Apply all of the glaze between the chicken pieces, top side only!
    • Allow the chicken to finish cooking to temperature (165 degrees), and then remove from the grill. Let the chicken pieces rest 10 minutes to allow juices to redistribute. Serve
    Find the perfect wine pairing at the Vindulge Wine Shop
    Tried this recipe? We would love to see!Mention @vindulge or use the hashtag #vindulge

    Wine Pairing for Grilled Apricot Chicken

    Grilled Apricot Lime Chicken

    Grilled chicken can generally go both ways when finding a wine to pair (red or white wine). But for this recipe, with the sweet and spicy apricot glaze, we’re sticking with white or rosé. My favorite pairing, and your safest bet, is a semi-sweet Riesling or even a Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio. The high fruit flavors of the wine, along with any residual sugar left in it, will compliment the glaze quite well!

    A fruity acidic rosé with good acidity will be able to cut through the tender and juicy meat without contrasting too much with the sauce.


    Want more Grilled Chicken Recipes

    • Perfect Grilled Chicken (your complete how to for great chicken on the grill every time)
    • Grilled Sriracha Sweet Chili Chicken
    • Grilled Chicken with a Cranberry Chipotle Citrus Glaze
    • Grilled Chicken with Cherry Chipotle BBQ Sauce
    • Grilled Chicken with Blackberry BBQ Sauce

     


    If you like this recipe we’d truly appreciate it if you would give this recipe a star review! And if you share any of your pics on Instagram use the hashtag #vindulge. We LOVE to see it when you cook our recipes. 

    Grilled Chicken with Apricot Glaze pin for Pinterest
    « How to Grill Perfect Chicken – Every Time
    Vinegar Based BBQ Sauce Recipe (Carolina Style) »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Noah Cheek says

      May 29, 2019 at 12:17 am

      5 stars
      This sounds so amazing…that glaze!!! Can’t wait to try it out!

      Reply
    2. Kelsey says

      May 25, 2019 at 12:19 pm

      This looks so good and sounds pretty easy! I am excited to grill this summer.

      Reply
      • Sean Martin says

        May 26, 2019 at 10:06 pm

        Thank you! Tag us in photos if you make it!!

        Reply
    3. Waz says

      May 22, 2019 at 5:14 pm

      5 stars
      Even though I’ll be passing on the protein, I’ve always admired your sauces and glazes. This apricot glaze sounds delicious, especially with the addition of jalapeno. Yum!

      Reply
      • Sean Martin says

        May 23, 2019 at 12:06 pm

        Thank you!!

        Reply
    4. Breona Graper says

      May 22, 2019 at 2:04 pm

      5 stars
      Wow, i had no idea that buttermilk would tenderize chicken. These looks so yummy, just in time for grilling during the summer. Thanks so much for sharing. Great photos also.

      Reply
      • Sean Martin says

        May 23, 2019 at 12:06 pm

        Thank you!!

        Reply
    5. Catherine @ To & Fro Fam says

      May 22, 2019 at 1:00 pm

      Yay, I’m so excited for apricot season! I love your idea to add some jalapeno for spice – I’d never have thought about that combination.

      Reply
    6. Jenni LeBaron says

      May 22, 2019 at 11:28 am

      Buttermilk is my favorite step when prepping a chicken. It imparts such delicious flavors that really makes the chicken spectacular! I also love the glaze you’ve used here. Jalapenos and apricot (or peaches) is also a favorite of mine in the summer!

      Reply
    7. Susie Weinrich says

      May 22, 2019 at 11:06 am

      5 stars
      I can’t wait to make this. We love grilled chicken at our house and the apricot lime glaze sounds delish, perfect for summer!

      Reply
    8. Erin @ Platings and Pairings says

      May 22, 2019 at 10:51 am

      5 stars
      A buttermilk bath AND an apricot glaze?! I can only imagine that these are stellar! So many delicious flavors going on!

      Reply
    9. Becca says

      May 21, 2019 at 2:14 pm

      5 stars
      This chicken recipe looks delicious, and I love that it’s grilled so I get my husband in on the cooking action. He loves the grill. Thank you for including the wine pairings, that’s so sweet! I’m a riesling girl so that’s perfect.

      Reply

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    Mary-Cressler-Sept-2015-smI'm Mary, a wine/food/travel writer, Certified Sommelier, mom of twins, former vegetarian turned BBQ fanatic, runner, and founder of Vindulge and author of Fire + Wine cookbook.  Thanks for stopping by!

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