Venetian Apricot Chicken – Easy Olive Garden Copycat

This Olive Garden Venetian Apricot Chicken is a grilled chicken dish topped with a sweet apricot glaze, paired with crisp-tender broccoli, asparagus, and tomato-basil mix. It’s light, surprisingly filling, and comes together with mostly pantry stuff. Good for when you want something healthy-ish but still solid flavor-wise.

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Quick Summary

• Prep time: 10 mins
• Cook time: 35 mins
• Flavor: sweet, herby, fresh
• Great for: light dinners, meal prep, no-fuss grilling

Why I Like This Recipe

So I had chicken in the fridge and zero interest in anything heavy. Dug through the back of the pantry and found apricot preserves (don’t ask why I had two jars). This one was kind of an experiment, but the combo of sweet sauce + grilled chicken + just-cooked veggies… yeah, it’s stuck around. Feels restaurant-y without being fussy.

Ingredients

Apricot Sauce:

• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup apricot preserves
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Tomato Layer:

• 1 lb Roma tomatoes, diced
• 12 basil leaves, torn or chopped
• 2 tsp garlic pepper
• ½ tsp salt

Garlic Herb Seasoning:

• 3 tsp garlic pepper
• 1 tsp Italian seasonin

Everything else:

• 1½ lbs asparagus
• 1 lb broccoli florets
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 lbs skinless chicken breasts
• ¼ cup chopped parsley

How To Make Venetian Apricot Chicken

1. Mix the seasoning: Garlic pepper + Italian herbs in a little bowl. Done.
2. Make the apricot sauce: Simmer the chicken stock and preserves. Add a bit of salt and pepper. Let it bubble, then turn it off and let it sit.
3. Prep the tomato layer: In a bowl, toss together tomatoes, basil, garlic pepper, and salt. Let it hang out while everything else cooks.
4. Blanch the veggies: Boil water, add broccoli + asparagus. 1 minute. That’s it. Drain and dunk in ice water, then drain again.
5. Warm the veggies and tomatoes: Heat olive oil in a big pan. Add the asparagus, broccoli, and tomato mix — keep ’em separate if you can. Just warm them through, don’t overdo it.
6. Grill the chicken: Salt it if you want, then grill until cooked through (165°F / 74°C inside). Rest it a bit.
7. Assemble the whole thing: Plate the chicken. Arrange veggies around it. Spoon tomatoes on top, apricot sauce over the chicken. Parsley last. Done.

Tips for Success

• Use apricot preserves — not jam or jelly. Preserves melt better and have real fruit pieces.
• Don’t skip the ice water step for veggies — keeps ’em bright and crisp.
• Keep veggies and tomatoes separate when heating or they’ll get soggy.
• Apricot sauce goes on last. Not before grilling, not while resting. Right before you serve it.

Storage and Reheating

• Fridge: Cool everything first, then store in airtight containers. If possible, keep sauce + veggies + chicken separate. Good for 3 days.
• Freezer: Chicken freezes well. Sauce too. Veggies… meh. Use within 2 months.
• Reheat: Use a pan on low heat with a splash of broth or water. Microwave works, but the texture won’t be as nice.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I use jam instead of apricot preserves?
  You can, but it’ll be sweeter and thicker. Add a bit more stock to thin it if you go that route.
• What’s the point of blanching the veggies first?
  They keep their color and stay crisp-tender. Straight-up sautéing makes them mushy fast.
• Can I roast the veggies instead?
  Totally. Just skip the blanching, toss in olive oil and roast at 400°F for 15-20 mins.
• Is this meal good for leftovers?
  Yep. Chicken holds up great. Just store the sauce and veg separately if you can.
• Is this really like the Olive Garden version?
  Pretty close. It’s not exact (OG’s was a bit sweeter), but this version’s lighter and honestly… better?

Common Mistakes and How to Dodge Them

• Using jelly instead of preserves: Jelly has too much sugar and no fruit texture. Makes the sauce weird. Stick with preserves.
• Overcooking the broccoli and asparagus: They only need 1 minute in boiling water. Any longer and they turn sad and dull.
• Dumping everything in one pan: You’ll get veggie soup. Keep the tomato mix separate from the green stuff.
• Pouring sauce too early: If you pour it while the chicken’s still resting or hot from the grill, it soaks in too much and loses the glossy top. Wait till right before you serve.
• Not seasoning the veggies: They need a sprinkle of the garlic-herb mix too — not just the chicken. That’s where half the flavor comes from.

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

• Calories: 575 kcal
• Total Fat: 17g
• Saturated Fat: 3g
• Cholesterol: 219mg
• Sodium: 821mg
• Potassium: 2313mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 23g
• Dietary Fiber: 8g
• Sugars: 10g
• Protein: 81g

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