Recipes Spiced Chicken Breasts with Dried Apricots 3.0 (4,449) Add your rating & review A paste made of ground sesame seeds, almonds, cumin, coriander, and oregano gives both the chicken and the apricots delicious flavor.Plus: More Chicken Recipes and Tips By Food & Wine Updated on December 2, 2015 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Melanie Acevedo Active Time: 10 mins Total Time: 40 mins Yield: 4 Ingredients 3/4 cup dried apricots 1 1/2 cups water 1/2 cup sliced almonds 1/3 cup sesame seeds 2 tablespoons ground cumin 2 tablespoons ground coriander 2 tablespoons paprika 2 tablespoons dried oregano Salt 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons lemon juice 4 bone-in chicken breasts (about 2 1/4 pounds in all) Directions Heat the oven to 425°. In a small saucepan, combine the apricots and water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and then simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes. Set aside. Toast the almonds and sesame seeds in the oven until just beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer 1/3 cup of the almonds and 1/4 cup of the sesame seeds to a blender; pulverize with the cumin, coriander, paprika, oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Put the mixture in a small bowl; stir in the oil and lemon juice to make a paste. Stir half of the paste into the apricots and water. Put the chicken breasts in a small roasting pan, skin-side up, and coat with the remaining paste. Pour the apricot mixture around the chicken. Cook in the lower third of the oven until done, 20 to 25 minutes. If the chicken seems to be browning too quickly, cover the pan with aluminum foil the last 10 minutes of cooking. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Spoon the fat from the pan. Serve the chicken topped with the apricots and any pan juices. Sprinkle the remaining almonds and sesame seeds over all. Serve With Steamed rice is an ideal accompaniment. So are roasted potatoes cooked alongside the chicken in a separate pan. Suggested Pairing A red or white wine with low tannin and plenty of fruit flavor will match the sweet, tangy apricots. For a red, a Pinot Noir from Oregon would be a good choice; for a white, a Pinot Blanc from Alsace in France. Rate it Print