Apple and Apricot Chicken Curry for Full GAPS

This apple and apricot chicken curry has a savory fruit sauce made with homemade chicken meat stock and curry powder. The apple, apricots and raisins soften into the warm sauce while the cooked chicken heats through. A spoonful of coconut oil stirred in near the end gives the sauce a little more body.

Serve it over cauliflower rice with coconut oil so the small vegetable pieces catch the stock and fruit juices. Spoon the chicken and its fruit-curry sauce over the rice, dividing the meal among four servings.

Our go-to exhausted meal is chicken in meat stock with cilantro and lemon. Starting a pot of stock in the morning has been the routine that made GAPS doable in our house. This curry uses that same useful ingredient in a different way. The fruit and spices change the flavor, while the stock still gives the pan something homemade to cook in.

Chicken, Fruit and Curry Powder

One pound of boneless, skinless chicken: Use fresh thighs or breasts and weigh them before cooking. Cut into fairly even serving pieces so they cook consistently. The chicken is cooked first, lifted from the pan, and returned after the fruit-stock mixture has begun to reduce.

One apple: Peel, core and chop it into small pieces. A tart cooking apple gives a pleasant contrast to the dried apricots and raisins. Small pieces warm and soften during the short sauce cook more readily than large wedges.

Half a cup of dried apricots: Chop them before they go in. Choose plain, unsweetened fruit without sulfites, sorbates, added sugar or oils. You can use three large fresh apricots instead; remove their pits and chop them.

One-quarter cup of raisins: Plain raisins give small sweet bites through the sauce. The same measured amount of chopped dates is another option. Keep the dried-fruit measure at a quarter cup rather than adding both full portions.

Two minced shallots: They cook with the apple at the start of the sauce. One-quarter of an onion can replace the two shallots if that is what you have. Mince it so it cooks through the quick pan step.

One tablespoon of curry powder: Use a blend made from pure spices without sugar, starch, flour or other additives. Curry powders vary in heat and flavor, so choose a blend you already use and like. This recipe uses the full measured tablespoon.

Stock and the Divided Coconut Oil

Measure one cup of homemade chicken meat stock. Make the stock ahead. It is the sauce’s main liquid, bringing the shallots, apple, dried fruit and curry powder together as they simmer.

The chicken recipe uses two tablespoons of natural, non-hydrogenated coconut oil in two parts. Use the first tablespoon in the skillet for the fresh chicken, then cook the apple and shallots in that same pan. Stir in the second tablespoon when the cooked chicken returns to the fruit-stock sauce.

The cauliflower rice uses another half tablespoon of coconut oil in its own skillet. Measure that separately so each pan gets the amount it needs.

Season the raw chicken with sea salt and black pepper to taste. The sauce starts with one-quarter teaspoon salt, then you can adjust the finished dish after tasting. Homemade stock and different curry blends can change how much finishing salt you want.

How to Make Apple and Apricot Chicken Curry

Cook the Chicken First

Melt the first tablespoon of coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the evenly cut chicken, season with salt and pepper, and pan-fry until cooked through. Turn the pieces as needed so they cook on more than one side.

Use a food thermometer to check that the thickest piece reaches 165°F. The cooking time depends on the cut and size of the pieces. Lift the cooked chicken onto a plate while you begin the sauce.

Keep the measured oil and chicken juices in the skillet. The apple and shallots go into that same pan next. There is no need to add more oil before the apple and shallots go in.

Start the Fruit-Curry Sauce

Add the minced shallots and chopped apple to the skillet. Sauté for thirty to sixty seconds, stirring through the remaining pan fat. Adjust the heat if the small pieces are coloring too quickly.

Add the cup of chicken meat stock, raisins, chopped apricots, curry powder and one-quarter teaspoon salt. Stir until the spice is distributed through the liquid. Bring to a simmer and let it cook for one to two minutes.

The curry powder should no longer sit in dry patches. The dried fruit begins taking up some of the hot stock, and the liquid carries the apple and shallot flavor. This is the first sauce simmer, before the chicken returns.

Return the Chicken and Finish the Sauce

Add the second tablespoon of coconut oil and the cooked chicken. Simmer uncovered for a few more minutes, until the sauce cooks down and thickens slightly.

Look for a warm, glossy sauce that can be spooned over the chicken. It should still have enough liquid to drizzle over the cauliflower rice. You are not trying to reduce it to a dry paste or a thick fruit jam.

The apple and apricot pieces can remain recognizable. Keep the chicken moving gently through the sauce so it warms evenly without being mashed among the fruit. Taste near the end and adjust salt and pepper if needed.

Serve With the Right Side

Prepare the linked cauliflower rice while the chicken sauce finishes, if your stove and attention allow both pans. It uses one large head and its own half tablespoon of coconut oil. Its short skillet cook is separate from the chicken’s cooking time.

Put a portion of cauliflower rice on each plate, then add the chicken, fruit and a spoonful of sauce. Divide the complete chicken batch among four servings. The fruit belongs in the cooked sauce rather than as an extra raw topping.

Chopped prepared nuts are an optional garnish. Crispy almonds or crispy pecans can add a little crunch after their full preparation. Chop them and add only when serving. Leave them off if you are making the dish without nuts.

For a creamy curry with a different ingredient balance, Thai-inspired chicken curry with coconut milk uses coconut milk, vegetables and its own seasonings. Follow its separate recipe for that meal rather than pouring extra coconut milk into this stock-based sauce.

GAPS Placement and Preparation Ahead

This is a Full GAPS meal after its fruit and spices have been introduced. The GAPS book separates raw-fruit eating guidance from its cooked-fruit uses. Here, the apple, apricots and raisins cook in the stock sauce with the curry powder before serving with the chicken.

Use dried fruit with nothing added. The optional nuts need to be properly prepared and fully dry before they become garnish. They are not required to make the chicken and fruit sauce.

The coconut-oil version contains no dairy or eggs. With the nut garnish omitted, the base recipe has no nut ingredient. It does not fit No-Plant GAPS, and it is not an early Intro stock-and-soft-vegetable soup.

Have the meat stock and optional prepared nuts finished ahead. Chop the fruit and mince the shallots before heating the pan. Cooking the raw chicken is part of this recipe; the brief fruit simmer is not the full meal’s cooking time.

Equipment and Keeping Leftovers

Use a large stainless-steel or enameled cast-iron skillet with enough room to stir the chicken through the sauce. Have a knife, cutting board, measuring cups and spoons, food thermometer, stirring spoon and a plate for the cooked chicken ready.

The cauliflower side uses my Ninja BN801 food-processor attachment and a separate skillet. Its equipment and method stay with its own recipe. You can prepare the cauliflower before starting the chicken so you are not trying to wash and trim a head during the short fruit-sauce step.

Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow, covered containers and use within three to four days. Keep the cauliflower rice and optional chopped nuts separate when possible. Rewarm the chicken and fruit sauce gently, stirring so the stock and coconut oil mix back together.

At 2×, use two pounds of raw chicken and double the sauce ingredients. Cook the chicken in batches if the skillet is crowded. Keep the same cooked-chicken and slightly thickened-sauce endpoints instead of assuming that a larger batch has the same total clock time.

My upcoming Dinner Cookbook brings more Full GAPS family meals together with the stocks and other preparations they need. Find the collection through the WFLI shop as it becomes available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Use Chicken Thighs or Breasts?

Either boneless, skinless cut works here. Weigh one pound before cooking and cut it fairly evenly. Use the thermometer endpoint, since pieces of different thickness do not finish together.

Can I Use Fresh Apricots?

Use three large fresh apricots in place of the half cup dried. Remove the pits and chop them. Fresh fruit carries more water, so watch the sauce’s slightly thickened endpoint as it reduces.

Can Dates Replace the Raisins?

Use one-quarter cup of chopped dates instead of the quarter cup raisins. Do not add both full amounts; the sweet dried-fruit portion stays the same.

Is the Two-Minute Simmer the Full Cooking Time?

No. That is the first fruit-stock simmer. Cook the fresh chicken beforehand, then simmer it again with the fruit sauce until the sauce thickens slightly. Preparing the cauliflower rice is separate too.