Prep Time

    •    Prep time: 1 hour & 35 minutes
    •    Yield: Serves 8

Ingredients

For apricot BBQ sauce:

    •    canola oil
    •    2 tbsps honey
    •    1/2 cup ketchup
    •    2 tbsps Dijon mustard
    •    1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
    •    1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
    •    one 13 ounce jar apricot jam
    •    1 tbsp minced garlic (4 cloves)
    •    1/2 cup fresh orange juice (1 large orange)
    •    1 cup finely chopped yellow onion (1 small onion)
    •    1 tbsp minced Fresno chile, seeds removed (chile)

For chicken thighs:

    •    canola oil
    •    16 chicken thighs
    •    2 tsps smoked paprika
    •    chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
    •    kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. For the apricot BBQ sauce: Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chile and garlic; cook an additional 2 minutes. Stir in the apricot jam; cook until the jam melts, 3 to 4 minutes more. Pour in the orange juice and cider vinegar, bring to a simmer, and then add the ketchup, honey, Dijon and Worcestershire. Adjust the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
2. Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree until smooth. Add salt to taste. Remove 1 cup for basting the chicken; reserve the rest for serving.
3. For the chicken thighs: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, stir together the smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
4. Place the chicken thighs on two foil-lined baking sheets. Lightly coat the thighs with canola oil and sprinkle liberally with the spice mixture on both sides.
5. Bake until the chicken is cooked through, 35 minutes. Turn the oven to broil. Baste the chicken with BBQ sauce and broil until the sauce has caramelized and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the chicken reads 160 degrees F, about 2 minutes. Remove to a platter, let rest for 5 minutes.
6. Sprinkle the chicken with parsley, and serve with the reserved BBQ sauce.

This great family recipe is thanks to Food Network at https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/valerie-bertinelli/sweet-and-spicy-apricot-bbq-chicken-thighs-4720915