An easy family meal.

I changed my plans on what to make for dinner on Saturday night and decided to make Moroccan Apricot Chicken instead. I think my niece staying with us had something to do with it as she’s coeliac so can’t consume even the tiniest amount of gluten without it making her sick. Even herbs and spices had to be checked on the labeling to ensure there were no traces of gluten when manufactured. You’ll be surprised how many herbs and spices are contaminated with gluten! Even chocolate. For my niece being coeliac wasn’t a lifestyle choice. She had no say in the matter. Gluten just made her incredibly sick which means a strict 0% gluten diet for her.

I originally had stir-fried noodles planned but of course, the noodles I bought from the local Asian supermarket weren’t gluten-free. So after a quick look at what I had available, I decided to make Moroccan Apricot Chicken. It’s so incredibly simple to put together and once prepared, you can leave it to cook on the stove or slow cooker. This is great since I wanted to spend a little less time in the kitchen on Saturday night.

I’ve turned this recipe into gluten-free by using potato flour. however, you can substitute this for plain flour. The results are the same but using potato flour meant my niece could enjoy the same meal as us. If you are interested in other gluten-free recipes, I have a collection of them available.

Make your own Moroccan Seasoning

I also cheated and used a store-bought Moroccan seasoning blend. It is however very easy to make and I’ve made this in the past myself. While most Moroccan seasonings include cinnamon, this one doesn’t which I’ve found more preferable in flavour. This makes 2 tablespoons (as required for the recipe).

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon chicken stock powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon tumeric

Moroccan Apricot Chicken

Such a simple meal to make - perfect for the family. So many apricot chicken recipes call for a packet of dehydrated onion soup mix however if you are more conscious about what goes into your meal you'll appreciate this recipe. The Moroccan flavour really does add a wonderful flavour in this meal.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings 4 serves

Ingredients

 

• 1/2 cup potato flour, (or plain flour)
• 10 skinless chicken thigh cutlets or drumsticks, trimmed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large brown onion, cut into thin wedges
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tablespoons Moroccan seasoning blend
• 800 ml can apricot nectar
• 1/2 cup dried apricots, (optional)

Instructions

 

Stove Top

• Place flour in a shallow dish. Season with salt and pepper. Toss chicken pieces in flour, shaking off excess.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large, deep heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Cook chicken, in batches, for 2 to 3 minutes each side or until golden, adding extra oil if needed. Transfer to a plate. Set aside.
• Heat remaining oil in pan. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle seasoning over onion and stir well to combine. Stir in nectar. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Return chicken to pan. Cover. Cook for 20 minutes.
• Add apricots to pan, pushing into the sauce (optional). Cook, uncovered, for a further 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and sauce has thickened.

Slow Cooker

• Place onion and garlic onto the bottom of the slow cooker.
• Place flour in a shallow dish. Season with salt and pepper. Toss chicken pieces in flour, shaking off excess.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large, deep heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Cook chicken, in batches, for 2 to 3 minutes each side or until golden, adding extra oil if needed. Transfer into the slow cooker.
• Add the apricot nectar, chopped dried apricots (optional) and Moroccan seasoning.
• Cover and cook for 5 hours on high, 8 hours on low.

Notes

• If you want more texture in this meal, add 1/2 cup of raisins in addition to the dried apricots.
• If you don't have apricot nectar available, blend up one or two tins of tinned apricots in natural juice.
• Serve with couscous or brown rice.