Punkin Chicken

Time :4 20

Yield :8 servings

Recipe Background

Since this is the season of "put pumpkin into everything," it's the perfect time to bring pumpkin to the slow-cooked, welcome-home-after-a-long-day meal of your dreams! Punkin Chicken uses the autumnal flavor of pumpkin to accent a delicious, tender chicken dish bursting with floral-sweet apricot flavor and warming seasonal spices. Savory, vibrant, and easy to whip together, Punkin Chicken proves once and for all that pumpkin can improve anything! Have a bite and see for yourself!

Ingredients

3 pie pumpkins peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon canola oil
8 (4-ounce) chicken thighs boneless and skinless
1 medium red onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
3/4 cup dried Turkish apricots diced
1/2 cup apricot nectar
1/3 cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons fresh parsley minced
rice optional, cooked and hot
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds optional

Directions

Place the pumpkin in a 5-quart slow cooker coated with cooking spray.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken and brown on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side.
Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker.
In the same skillet, sauté the onion and the garlic until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
Transfer the onion mixture to the slow cooker.
Add the dried apricots, the apricot nectar, the apricot preserves, the lemon juice, the ginger, the cinnamon, the salt, and the pepper to the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low until the meat is tender, about 4-5 hours. About 1 hour before the end of cooking time, transfer the pumpkin from the slow cooker and keep it warm.
Return the pumpkin to the chicken and stir to combine.
Top with the parsley and serve with the rice and the pomegranate seeds.