Chicken Roulade with Apricot Whiskey Glaze

Succulent and juicy, this chicken roulade with apricot whiskey glaze offers a delicious sweet-savory flavor, roasted until deeply golden-brown. Prepared with skin-on chicken breasts, butterflied and filled with an apricot and pecan-studded herb stuffing, then rolled up and brushed with an apricot whiskey glaze, this recipe makes for a cozy chicken dinner with a twist!

Chicken roulade with a sweet and spirited glaze

If you're anything like me, you typically have chicken stashed in your fridge or freezer, and turn to it as a main protein at least once a week, if not more.

Chicken is just so versatile, and can be seasoned, marinated and flavored in any number of ways, not to mention prepared using a myriad of methods, yielding really scrumptious and cozy results.

Often I'll make a juicy braise out of chicken such as my braised chicken thighs with tomatoes and olives, or my Cajun-inspired braised chicken with andouille sausage.

And if I'm craving roasted chicken, I'll whip up my simple roasted chicken breasts, my sheet pan chicken thighs with root vegetables, or even my chicken pot roast as ultra warming comfort food.

But sometimes I like to prepare my chicken with a “twist”, making a sweet-savory, juicy and succulent chicken roulade with herb stuffing, brushed with an apricot whiskey glaze, which makes for deeply bronzed and glossy skin.

This chicken roulade recipe is a deliciously earthy dish, and we love it over rice pilaf or even mashed potatoes. It's a little sweet and a little savory, with the delightful apricot and just a slight flavor kick of whisky in the glaze.

It's a unique and cozy way to prepare a couple of simple skin-on chicken breasts, with truly mouthwatering results!

My recipe for chicken roulade with apricot whiskey glaze

For this chicken roulade recipe, I use skin-on chicken breasts that are boneless. Typically, you can find the boneless, skin-on breasts at the butcher department of the market, or you can ask the butcher to cut away the bones from the skin-on and bone-in split chicken breasts.

Basically, you want the skin on because you'll gently remove it from the breasts to begin with, and then use it to wrap the roulade in, to create lots of flavor and color from the glaze. But you'll want the breasts to be boneless, because you'll be butterflying them to create thinner, larger chicken breasts that you can fill and roll.

For the filling, I stay with the apricot theme here, and make an herby, apricot and pecan-studded stuffing, which takes just minutes and makes this recipe extra comforting.

Once the chicken is butterflied and spread with the stuffing, it's then rolled up into a roulade shape, and the skin is wrapped around the roulade. It gets secured with kitchen string and then glazed with a portion of the apricot whiskey glaze, and roasted until succulent and perfectly browned.

What I love about this chicken roulade recipe is that it reminds me a little of a chicken dish you might enjoy during the holidays, or any time you want a little extra comfy-coziness, perhaps something a little festive and special!

Here's a sneak peek at my chicken roulade with apricot whiskey glaze recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I prepare my apricot whiskey glaze to have ready and on hand.
2. Next, I prep my stuffing mixture to have ready to fill my chicken breasts with.
3. Then, I gently remove the skin from my chicken breasts, and set that aside to wrap the roulade in once filled.
4. I then butterfly the breasts and pound them out just a little to create larger, thinner breasts that I can add the stuffing to.
5. Next, I spread the stuffing over the the butterflied chicken breasts, roll each into a roulade, then wrap them in their reserved skin, and secure with kitchen string to help keep shape during roasting.
6. Then, I brush some of the apricot whiskey glaze over each roulade, then roast for roughly 35 minutes until the internal temp reads 160°.
7. The chicken roulades rest for a few minutes before I slice each into 6 thick pieces, serving 3 slices per person over rice pilaf, mashed potatoes, or our favorite side.

Recipe

Chicken Roulade with Apricot Whiskey Glaze

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This succulent chicken roulade with apricot whiskey glaze is filled with a delicious stuffing studded with apricots, pecans and herbs!

Category: Entree
Cuisine: American

Yield: Serves 4

Nutrition Info: 670 calories per serving

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Chicken Roulade Ingredients:

• 2 large, split chicken breasts, skin on but bones removed (about 2 pounds total)
• 1 large French roll, torn into small pieces (about 4 ounces)
• 10 dried apricots, finely chopped
• ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon toasted, chopped pecans
• 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• ½ teaspoon dry thyme, plus a little extra to sprinkle as garnish
• ½ cup chicken stock
• 2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• Salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• Toothpicks
• 6 pieces of kitchen string (to hold roulade together)

Apricot Whisky Glaze Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cup all-natural apricot preserves
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• Pinch salt
• Pinch black pepper
• 2 tablespoons whiskey, divided use
• ½ tablespoon butter

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your apricot whiskey glaze ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. To make the glaze, add the apricot preserves, the apple cider vinegar, the pinch of salt/pepper and 1 tablespoon of the whiskey into a small sauce pan, and whisk the ingredients together. Place the sauce pan over medium-low heat, and allow the preserves to gently melt, whisking every now and then, for about 5 minutes or so until the preserves are a glaze-like consistency and are warm.
3. Next, turn off the heat and add in the remaining tablespoon of whiskey and the butter, and whisk to blend. (Set aside about ¼ cup of the glaze to use to baste the chicken roulades before they go in the oven, and use the remainder of the glaze at the table to glaze the roasted roulades as needed.) Keep the glaze warm.
4. Then, gather and prep all of your chicken roulade ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
5. Preheat the oven to 400°, and line a small baking sheet with foil.
6. Prepare the stuffing for the chicken by adding the torn French roll into a bowl, and add in the chopped apricots and pecans, the chopped parsley, thyme, chicken stock, melted butter, a couple of pinches of salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Using your hands, gently mix the ingredients together until well incorporated, and set aside for a moment.
7. To prepare your chicken breasts, begin by very gently removing the skin from each breast, taking care not to rip the skin by running your fingers between the skin and the meat and gently pulling it away, and reserve it to wrap the roulade in. (Try to take the skin off in one piece, then set both pieces of skin from each breast aside for a moment.)
8. Next, take your chicken breasts and butterfly them both by slicing through the thickest part of the meat, being careful not to go all the way through to the other side (you want to create a larger, thinner breast of chicken).
9. Place the butterflied chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap, and using a mallet, gently pound out the breast until fairly thin, about ¼ inch or so. Then, season each chicken breast with some salt and pepper, plus a pinch or two of the dry thyme.
10. To create the roulade, place one of the chicken breasts vertically in front of you, and add about half of the stuffing mixture to cover the whole breast, pressing a bit to allow for even rolling. Beginning at the bottom, roll the chicken breast upward, and using 2 to 3 toothpicks, seal the seam of the roulade and allow it to rest seam-side down.
11. Next, take one of the the skins that you removed earlier and gently fit it around the roulade in such a way as to cover as much of the roulade as possible (you're basically wrapping the roulade in its own skin). If there are extra “flaps” of skin, just tuck those underneath where the seam/toothpicks are, and place the chicken seam-side down on the baking sheet. Repeat the process with the remaining chicken breast.
12. Next, tie three pieces of kitchen string around each roulade, spacing them evenly, to secure the skin in place during roasting, and to help the roulade keep its shape.
13. Before roasting, brush some of the reserved ¼ cup of apricot whiskey glaze evenly over both of the roulades. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper, plus another sprinkle of the dry thyme and a drizzle of olive oil over the roulades, and place them into the oven to roast for about 35 minutes, or until the internal temp registers at 160°.
14. Remove the chicken roulades from the oven and allow the chicken to rest for about 10 minutes loosely covered with foil.
15. To finish and plate, remove the kitchen strings and the toothpicks from the roulades, and slice each roulade carefully with a serrated knife (or even an electric knife, if you have one) into about 6 slices. Serve 3 pieces per person on a bed of wild rice pilaf or fluffy, mashed potatoes, along with a little of the reserved, warm apricot whisky glaze to spoon over, if desired.

Tips & Tidbits for my chicken roulade with apricot whiskey glaze recipe:

• Skin on but boneless chicken breasts: Our market's butcher department typically carries skin-on boneless chicken breasts; but if you're unable to find those, simply ask the butcher to remove the bones from a couple of split chicken breasts for you, keeping the skin on. You'll need the skin because you will remove it at first, then wrap each roulade in it before roasting.
• Good quality apricot preserves: A good organic and fruit-based apricot preserve is terrific here—either low sugar, or naturally sweetened with the fruit. You want a really deep apricot flavor, because you'll taste it in the glaze, and it will compliment that little splash of whiskey added to the glaze when it's prepared, without being overly sweet.
• Leave the whiskey out, if you prefer: If you prefer to make this glaze without any alcohol, simply leave it out and add about another tablespoon or so of the preserves instead.
• Pecans in the stuffing, or your favorite nut: Pecans make for a really tasty addition to the herby and apricot-studded stuffing mixture, so I'm opting for those. But feel free to use walnuts or hazelnuts, even pistachios, if you prefer—you could even leave the nuts out all together.

Craving more comforting chicken recipes? Check out my recipe for Braised Chicken with Andouille Sausage, Braised Chicken Thighs, Pineapple Chicken, Lemongrass Chicken, Chicken Cacciatore, Chicken Cassoulet, or my recipe for Chicken Dijon!

Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2013, and has been updated with even more love!