These juicy Apricot and Bacon Stuffed Chicken Thighs are easy enough for a weeknight family dinner and yet special enough to make when you have company over. Apricots add sweetness without overpowering this savory dish and bacon adds a touch of smokiness.
Apricot and Bacon Stuffed Chicken Thighs
©Eazy Peazy Mealz by EazyPeazyMealz.com
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Hi everyone, it’s Mira from Food Smart Mom again! I am back this month with an Apricot and Bacon Stuffed Chicken Thigh recipe. Chicken thighs have never been my favorite cut of meat but I found a way to love them by rolling them! Stuffing and rolling chicken thighs may sound like a daunting task but it’s actually really easy, especially if you purchase boneless thighs!
You could even do the prep work ahead of time and throw them in the oven when you come home from work. Actually, you can even bake them a day ahead and simply reheat when you’re ready to eat. This recipe reheats nicely.
Personally, I prefer having my dinner freshly made so what I do ahead of time is either pound the chicken to make it ready for stuffing or go ahead and stuff the thighs and store them for a day in the refrigerator so their just ready to pop in the oven. This is a great approach if you’re making this dish for company!
I don’t know if it’s just my grocery store or if it’s some sort of a standard, but chicken thighs seem to come in a pack of six no matter what the total weight may be. So you could have a 1.2 pound-pack of six thighs or a 2.2 pound-pack of six thighs sitting on the shelf.
I prefer smaller thighs when I make them for company, but bigger ones roll and look much nicer. So, it’s really up to you. If you go with smaller thighs you will have more leftover stuffing to sprinkle on top, and if you get larger ones, you may have less stuffing to sprinkle on top. Don’t worry, regardless of the size of your thighs, you should still have about 2 tbsp of stuffing for each of the six thighs.
If you enjoyed this apricot and bacon stuffed chicken thighs recipe, you should check out my completely free e-book with my five favorite chicken recipes!
- 1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
- 2 tbsp smoked bacon, chopped
- 1/3 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/3 cup panko crumbs (or plain breadcrumbs)
- ½ tsp fresh sage, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp parsley flakes
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ – 1tsp coarse kosher salt
- 6 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Soak dried apricots in a cup of warm water for 10-15 minutes, and then chop them.
- To create stuffing, combine apricots, bacon, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, sage, and parsley flakes in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Mix black pepper and salt in a small bowl and set side.
- Place a chicken thigh, skin side down (where the skin would be), on a cutting board and cover with a piece of wax or parchment paper; pound with a meat mallet or a heavy skillet to flatten the thigh. Place the flatten thigh on a clean plate and set aside. Repeat with each thigh.
- Lay a flattened thigh on a cutting board skin side down, and sprinkle with salt and black pepper mixture. Spread about 2 tbsp of stuffing on the thigh and press down with your fingers. Carefully roll the thigh and secure the roll with a toothpick. Place on a baking sheet. Repeat with all thighs. Use the leftover stuffing to sprinkle on the top of the stuffed thighs.
- Bake at 375°F for 40-45 minutes or until a thermometer inserted sideways registers 175°F.
- Remove the toothpicks and serve hot or cold.
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