Apricot-Glazed Chicken Tenders

By jenmc102

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. chicken tenders
• Marinade
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 2 T. lemon juice
• 1 t. rosemary
• 1 t. thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 small bay leaf, crumbled
• Glaze
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 T. unsalted butter
• 2 T. cider vinegar
• 1 cup apricot preserves
• 1 T. soy sauce
• 2 t. Dijon mustard
• 1/4 t. ginger
• 1/4 t. cloves
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/8 t. pepper

Preparation

Step 1

Cooking day instructions
For marinade: In a large freezer bag, combine marinade ingredients. Add chicken, toss to coat and marinate at room temperature for one hour. (If preparing for that day, chill 6-8 hours or overnight. Prepare glaze below and refrigerate.) Meanwhile, prepare the apricot glaze following the directions below. After one hour of marinating time, freeze.

For apricot glaze: In saucepan, cook onion in butter over moderate heat, stirring until softened. Add vinegar and continue cooking until liquid has reduced by one-half. Add preserves, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, spices, salt and pepper. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until thick. Place mixture in a food processor or blender and puree. Freeze apricot glaze in a separate, smaller freezer bag. Store in freezer together with marinated chicken.

Serving day instructions
Thaw chicken and discard marinade. Place chicken on rack of broiler pan and broil 6 inches from heat, 5 minutes on each side. Baste chicken generously with glaze and broil 3 minutes on each side or until well glazed and brown. Adjust cooking time if using thicker cuts of chicken.

Hint
Chicken can also be prepared on a charcoal or gas grill. To bake chicken, place pieces in a large baking dish. Bake at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes, basting with glaze and turning every 10 minutes. Do not overcook. Shortly before chicken is done, put the chicken under the broiler and broil until golden brown and bubbly.