Easy Weeknight Meal: Tangy Baked Citrus Chicken

So what do I do with a near empty jar of apricot pineapple preserves? There isn't enough to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I could probably spread it on a cracker and call it a snack. But it was close to dinnertime and I was hungry and had a couple of chicken breasts staring me in the face, challenging me to create something tasty. I looked at that jar of preserves and thought "that's what I'm going to do……" And citrus chicken was born. 

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, cut in half and pounded thin
1 Tablespoon apricot pineapple preserves
1/2 cup orange juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon dry parsley
salt and pepper to taste

For nutrition information, click the magic button
 

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350. 

After pounding the chicken into a thin patty, salt and pepper both sides to taste.  On a quick side note, when I'm tenderizing meat, I place it on a large cutting board and cover it with plastic wrap before starting. This keeps any juices from flying out and getting all over the kitchen. 

In a small bowl, mix the preserves, orange juice and garlic. 

Arrange the chicken in a shallow baking dish. Spoon the citrus mix over the chicken and sprinkle the parsley on top. Pour any remaining juice into the dish around the chicken. If you want to add additional salt and pepper, by all means do so. 

Bake the chicken 20 minutes or until juices no longer run pink. I'm a huge fan of a meat thermometer so I always check to make sure my chicken is fully cooked. The orange juice kept the chicken very moist and gave it almost a tropical taste. Perfect for summer and this recipe can be easily transferred to a foil pack and cooked on the grill. 

Featured on JamHands.net Recipe Sharing Monday August 12, 2013