This Persian-style apricot chicken roasts bone-in chicken legs in a homemade dried-apricot sauce with warming spices and lemon, finished with fresh mint and parsley.

Apricot Chicken with a Persian-Style Twist

I developed this apricot chicken to bring together the flavors of the Middle East without slow-cooking the meat for hours. Whole chicken legs roast in a sweet-tart apricot sauce until juicy, with golden skin and plenty of sauce to spoon over rice. Allow about 1 hour and 15 minutes from start to finish.

Dried apricots give the sauce its concentrated fruit flavor, so there’s no need to wait for summer’s short apricot season. I soak half until plump, then blend them with their soaking water to make the sauce. The remaining apricots go into the skillet in pieces.

Cinnamon, turmeric, coriander, and cumin bring warmth, while saffron—a spice made from the dried red threads of crocus flowers—adds floral, musky notes. A little honey rounds out the tartness, and lemon keeps the sweetness in balance.

The rich, sweet-and-sour sauce may remind you of Fesenjan, Persian pomegranate and walnut chicken stew, though the apricots give this chicken its own character. Serve it for a weekday or weekend dinner with rice, couscous, or potatoes to catch every spoonful of sauce.

Ingredients for Persian-Style Apricot Chicken

Dried apricots, fragrant spices, and fresh aromatics form the homemade sauce. You’ll use some of the apricots and spices to prepare the chicken and sauce separately, so keep the divided amounts handy as you cook.

• Whole chicken legs: Use bone-in, skin-on legs, meaning the thigh and drumstick together. The skin turns golden as the chicken roasts over the sauce. Separate thighs or drumsticks are options, too; see the substitutions below.
• Dried apricots: Half are soaked and blended with their soaking water to form the sauce’s base. The remaining half are sliced and added to the skillet, giving you pieces of fruit alongside the chicken. If you enjoy cooking with dried apricots, try Ozlem’s Turkish poached apricots with ricotta for dessert.
• Extra virgin olive oil: Use a good-quality extra virgin olive oil to sear the chicken and cook the onion in the same skillet.
• Onion, garlic, and ginger: These fresh aromatics give the fruit sauce a savory foundation. Finely dice the onion, mince the garlic, and finely grate the ginger so they distribute throughout the sauce.
• Fresh red chili: A fresh red chili, such as a Fresno, adds heat alongside the sweet apricots and warming spices. Finely dice it before adding it with the garlic and ginger.
• Turmeric, coriander, cumin, and cinnamon: This spice blend brings earthy, citrusy, and woody notes. Use half to season the chicken and the other half in the sauce. Ground coriander and cumin are available in our shop.
• Saffron: Adds floral aroma and golden color. Grind the threads, then soak them in water to “bloom,” releasing their flavor and color. Add both the saffron and its water to the sauce. My guide to saffron explains how to buy and use it, and you can find saffron threads in our shop.
• Honey: A little honey balances the apricots’ tartness. Start with 1 tablespoon, then taste the sauce before deciding whether it needs more.
• Fresh lemon juice: Balances the sweetness of the apricots and honey. Start with the juice of half a lemon, keeping more handy to adjust the sauce to taste.
• Kosher salt and black pepper: Season both the chicken and the sauce.
• Fresh mint and parsley: Scatter these over the finished chicken for freshness and color against the rich apricot sauce.

Swaps and Substitutions

Here are a few options if you’re working with what you have on hand:

• Chicken: Use thighs or drumsticks instead of whole legs. Boneless, skinless chicken also works, but cooks more quickly, so check it sooner rather than following the full roasting time.
• Lemon: Use lime juice for the tart element in the sauce.
• Fresh red chili: Replace it with a pinch of chili flakes, Aleppo pepper, or Urfa biber. Aleppo pepper and Urfa biber are dried chili seasonings that add heat and flavor to the sauce. Leave the chili out if you prefer the chicken without heat.
• Apricots: Canned apricots are another option. Use their canning liquid instead of water and reduce the honey, as the fruit and liquid may already be sweet enough.

How to Make Apricot Chicken

Start the sauce on the stovetop, then roast the chicken over it in the same skillet. You’ll need a blender and a large, oven-safe 12-inch nonstick skillet.

Prepare the Apricots and Spices

1. Soak the apricots. Place 1/2 cup dried apricots in a bowl with 2 cups warm, but not boiling, water. Let them soak until plump, 10 to 15 minutes. Keep the remaining 1/2 cup apricots separate for the sauce.
2. Bloom the saffron. In a small bowl, mix 1/8 teaspoon ground saffron with 3 tablespoons water. Set aside so the saffron can infuse the water with its flavor and color.
3. Mix the spices. In another small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon with 1/2 teaspoon each ground turmeric, coriander, and cumin.
4. Blend the apricots. Blend the soaked apricots with all their soaking water until smooth. Set aside.

Sear the Chicken and Make the Sauce

1. Season and sear the chicken. Season 4 bone-in, skin-on whole chicken legs all over with kosher salt and black pepper, then dust with half the spice blend. Heat 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil glistens, add the chicken and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate while you make the sauce.
2. Cook the onion and aromatics. Add 1 finely diced yellow or white onion to the same skillet. Cook until golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 finely grated thumb-size piece of ginger, and 1 finely diced fresh red chili.
3. Add the apricots and spices. Stir in the remaining spice blend. Slice the remaining 1/2 cup dried apricots and add them to the skillet, followed by the blended apricot mixture.
4. Finish the sauce. Add the juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 tablespoon honey, and the bloomed saffron with its water. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce over medium heat for about 10 minutes, lowering the heat if needed to prevent the sauce from burning. While it reduces, heat the oven to 400°F.
5. Taste and adjust. Before returning the chicken to the skillet, taste the sauce. Add more salt, honey, or lemon juice as needed to balance the savory, sweet, and tart flavors.

Bake, Finish, and Serve

1. Roast the chicken. Set the chicken on top of the apricot sauce, skin side up, and spoon a little sauce over it. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is crisp. Check that the thickest part of each leg reaches at least 165°F, without touching the bone with the thermometer.
2. Finish and serve. Sprinkle with freshly chopped mint and parsley. Serve the chicken with plenty of apricot sauce spooned alongside, including the softened pieces of fruit.

Tips for Making Apricot Chicken

• into the blender; the rest add pieces of fruit to the sauce. Likewise, half the spice blend seasons the chicken and half flavors the sauce. Setting the reserved amounts aside before cooking makes it easier to add each at the right stage.
• Keep both soaking liquids. Blend the apricots with their full 2 cups of soaking water, rather than draining them or adding another 2 cups. The saffron water goes into the sauce, too—it carries the spice’s flavor and color.
• Give the onion time to turn golden. The onion cooks for about 10 minutes before the garlic, ginger, chili, and spices go in. Look for the golden color as well as watching the clock; this savory base helps balance the fruit and honey.
• Watch the heat as the sauce reduces. The sauce continues cooking in the oven after its 10 minutes on the stovetop. Lower the heat if it begins to catch on the bottom of the skillet rather than keeping it over high heat to hurry it along.
• Taste before adding the chicken back. Start with the measured honey and lemon, then adjust the sauce. More lemon brings tartness, more honey softens it, and salt helps the savory flavors come through. Make small adjustments and taste again.
• Check the meat as well as the skin. The brief sear starts the browning, while the oven finishes cooking the chicken. Crisp skin is a useful visual cue, but use a thermometer to confirm the meat has reached at least 165°F.

What to Serve with Apricot Chicken

Give the apricot sauce something to soak into. Serve the chicken over fluffy couscous or alongside saffron rice, spooning the sauce and pieces of fruit over each serving.

For a Persian-style meal, try Persian rice with potato tahdig, with its crisp potato crust. Roasted garlic mashed potatoes also make a good home for the sweet-tart sauce, while Batata Harra, Middle Eastern spicy potatoes, adds a little heat.

Round out the meal with Shirazi salad. Its chopped cucumber, tomato, and citrus dressing bring freshness alongside the rich chicken.

How to Store and Reheat Apricot Chicken

• To reheat: Warm in the microwave or a moderate oven until the chicken reaches 165°F throughout. If using the oven, cover the dish with foil to keep the chicken from drying out.
• To store: Refrigerate the chicken and sauce promptly, within 2 hours of cooking, in an airtight container. Use within 3 days.

More Persian Chicken Recipes

Soupe Jo (Persian Chicken Barley Soup)

Joojeh Kabob (Persian Saffron and Yogurt Chicken Kabobs)

Fesenjan (Persian Pomegranate and Walnut Chicken Stew)

Easy Persian-Style Barbecue Chicken Thighs