Imagine tender, succulent apricot chicken thighs, enveloped in a rich, sweet, and spicy harissa and apricot glaze. This Harissa Chicken with Apricot Glaze is baked to perfection, creating a dish that's both effortless and elegant. Paired with fluffy currant-pistachio pearl couscous, which soaks up every drop of the bold, caramelized flavors, this is a meal that delivers maximum impact with minimal effort.
Say goodbye to complicated meal prep and hello to an easy yet impressive dinner. Our apricot glazed chicken combines the deep warmth of harissa with the natural sweetness of chicken with apricot preserves, creating the perfect balance of heat and honeyed depth. Served alongside currant-pistachio pearl couscous, this harissa chicken with apricot glaze is a flavor-packed meal that's as simple as it is stunning.
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Pam's Best Tips
According to my friend Pam, every Jewish household cook has their version of their Jewish Apricot Chicken.
I am still dreaming about the apricot glazed chicken she served at book club. She said this flavorful dish was easy to make - so I decided to put my own spin on traditional Jewish apricot chicken.
First, I used chicken thighs for the best flavor and moistest texture. Then I browned the chicken on the stove in a skillet to ensure crisp skin and improve the flavor.
The fond - browned bits of chicken that stuck to the skillet-added valuable flavor to the sauce. Most recipes rely solely on apricot preserves thinned with orange juice, but I found the flavor of this approach lacking. I set out to develop a richer tasting sauce by adding dried apricots and a kick of harissa spice.
After the chicken cook the pearl couscous, adding harissa spiked apricot glaze, currants, and pistachios - making the couscous fluffy and flavorful. This dish is effortless elegance you can make any day of the week.
What you'll need
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this harissa chicken with apricot glaze and pearl couscous recipe.
Apricot harissa glaze for chicken ingredients
- Apricot preserves - If jam is all you can find that is okay to use as we will be adding dried apricots. The difference is that Jam is made with mashed fruit while preserves have whole, or large pieces of, fruit.
- Brown sugar
- Water
- Brandy or orange liqueur, like Grand Marnier, or lemon juice
- Rose harissa - Rose harissa contains rose water and/ or rose petals so it has extra floral fragrance rather than just the heat of regular harissa. They can be used interchangeably, although like any chili paste you do get variation in heat level from brand to brand so best to start with less and increase the quantities as needed. I like Belazu brand that I purchase online.
- Dried apricots
Chicken and pearl couscous ingredients
- Split bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs - for the best flavor and moistest texture. The bone helps keep these thighs moist and tender because they help distribute heat evenly through the meat. The skin also seals in moisture and juiciness.
- Currants
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- Vegetable oil
- Couscous - I opt to use pearl couscous. The main difference between pearl couscous and Moroccan couscous is the size. Moroccan are much smaller in size, compared to the, pea-size granules in the pearl variety. Either will work in this recipe. The Moroccan will cook slightly faster.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make harissa chicken with apricot glaze
Now that we've covered the ingredients you need to make this chicken and pearl couscous recipe, let's first start by making the apricot glaze. The glaze can be made a day ahead of time, although you may need to rewarm and thin with water to reach the desired consistency.
Apricot glaze with harissa
First, combine apricot preserves, sugar, water and brandy in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking to dissolve sugar. Reduce to low heat and simmer until the glaze reaches the desired consistency, adjusting with a teaspoon of water as needed.
Stir in dried apricots and harissa.
Transfer 3 tablespoons harissa mixture to a second bowl and stir in dried apricots and currants.
Now that the glaze has been made. Let's start cooking the chicken and couscous.
Grab an oven proof 10-inch skillet that has a lid. Now, season both sides of chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
Baking glazed apricot chicken with harissa
Heat oil in the skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place chicken, skin side down, in skillet, and cook until well browned.
Transfer chicken to baking dish. Brush apricot glaze with harissa over chicken, skin side up, using a pastry brush and then turn chicken skin side down.
Bake in a 425 degree F pre-heated oven. After about 6 minutes turn the chicken, skin side up. Continue cooking until thickest part of chicken thigh registers 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer.
Transfer chicken to a platter and let rest 5 minutes. It is super important to let the chicken rest so it can reabsorb the juices and flavor of the glaze you've worked so hard to put into the meat.
Time to make the couscous! Bring water to boil in sauce pan (it's okay to have the glaze left in the pan) over high heat. This will add lots of great flavor to the couscous. Stir in couscous, cover, and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the reserved pistachios and harissa-currant mixture.
Serve chicken breast over couscous and enjoy!
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Related
Looking for other chicken recipes for two? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with One Pot Glazed Apricot Harissa Chicken Breast and Pearl Couscous Recipe:
Harissa Chicken with Apricot Glaze and Pearl Couscous Recipe
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Equipment
- 1 12 inch skillet optional
Ingredients
For the Apricot Harissa Glaze:
- ¾ cup apricot preserves
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon brandy or orange liqueur like Grand Marnier, or lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons rose harissa
- ¼ cup dried apricots , quartered
- 2 tablespoons currants
For the chicken:
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt , divided
- ¼ teaspoon pepper , divided
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 6- to 8-ounce split bone in, skin on chicken thighs, trimmed
- 1 ¼ cup pearl couscous like Near East
- ¼ cup pistachios shelled, toasted and chopped
Instructions
- Adjust rack to middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Whisk apricot preserves, sugar, brand and harissa together in a small bowl.
Bake the Chicken
- Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place chicken, skin side down, in skillet, and cook until well browned and most fat has rendered, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Transfer chicken to 8 x 8 inch baking dish and set aside. Discard fat in skillet and add apricot-harissa mixture. Simmer vigorously over high heat, stirring contatly, until thick and syrupy, about 3 minutes. Transfer 3 tablespoons harissa mixture to a second bowl and stir in dried apricots and currents; set aside. Brush remaining glaze over chicken skin side up and then turn chicken skin side down.
- Bake, turning chicken skin side up halfway through cooking, until thickest part of breast registers 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 12 to 16 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter, and let rest 5 minutes. Transfer any remaining glaze in baking dish to a small serving bowl.
Make the Couscous
- Bring water to boil in now-empty skillet (it's okay to have the glaze left in the pan) over high heat. Stir in couscous, cover, and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in pistachios and harissa-currant mixture. Serve chicken breast over couscous along with extra glaze.
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Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Wendy Barth says
The glazed apricot Harissa Chicken dish is totally amazing. The blend of flavors and textures add wonderful complexity to the taste. We made it for 6 people and everyone loved it. Winner, winner!!
Tammy says
This was simple to pull together yet is an elegant presentation. Love the complex flavors—so delicious.