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With just a few ingredients and about 5 minutes of prep, this crispy, sticky, glazed apricot chicken is an easy dinner for stress-free evenings! Use a combination of chicken breasts, thighs, wings, or drumsticks — whatever your family loves.
Table of Contents
Let’s face it: most of us just don’t have the time, energy, or desire to spend more than a few minutes pulling together dinner every night — so that’s where this glazed apricot chicken comes into play!
Since the meal only requires about 5 minutes of hands-on prep time, it’s one of those easy, go-to dinners for busy nights. Plus, the crispy baked chicken is basted in the dreamiest sweet-and-savory 3-ingredient apricot glaze that gives the meat a sticky, crispy exterior. Mom, dad, and the kids will love it!
Origin
A version of this traditional apricot chicken recipe originated at the Lipton company. The dish was created as another way for customers to use Lipton’s dry onion soup and dip mix, which was introduced in American grocery stores in 1952. It’s one of those nostalgic, vintage recipes that has stood the test of time!
Ingredients
I should clarify that this apricot chicken recipe actually includes FOUR ingredients (if you count the chicken)! Math never was my strongest subject, but even I can count that high. Hah! The apricot chicken glaze is made with just 3 simple-yet-flavorful pantry staples, which you can keep on hand for last-minute meals.
As always, I’ve included specific measurements and step-by-step cooking instructions in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Chicken: I like bone-in, skin-on chicken parts because the skin and bones add flavor and keep the meat nice and moist in the oven. You can obviously pull the skin off after roasting if you prefer, but I highly recommend enjoying the crispy, sticky, charred exterior! Use whichever parts you like — chicken wings, drumsticks, thighs, or breasts.
- Catalina dressing: this sweet and tangy salad dressing includes tomato puree, vinegar, dried onions, and garlic.
- Apricot jam or apricot preserves: gives the glaze a bright, fruity, sweet flavor and thick, sticky texture. The sugars in the jam also caramelize in the oven, helping the chicken skin become crispy, charred, and flavorful.
- Dry onion soup mix: adds a savory onion flavor to the glaze.
How to Make Apricot Chicken
This easy apricot chicken recipe comes together with about 5 minutes of prep, and then the oven does the work! I’ve included the detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick version:
- Arrange the chicken pieces on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
- Whisk together the apricot chicken sauce.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken.
- Bake for about 1 hour.
What to Serve with Apricot Glazed Chicken
Apricot chicken thighs, apricot chicken breasts, and glazed drumsticks go well with any of these easy sides:
- Hush Puppies
- Coleslaw or Vinegar Coleslaw
- Wedge Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, House Salad with Candied Pecans, Mixed Greens with Dijon Vinaigrette, or Classic Caesar Salad
- Hoe Cakes
- Baked Potato Wedges, Twice Baked Potatoes, 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream and Chives, Skin On Mashed Red Potatoes, Baked Potatoes, or Easy Potato Salad
- Cast Iron Cornbread, Southern Cornbread, Pumpkin Cornbread, Cake Mix Cornbread, Skillet Cornbread, Sweet Cornbread, Jiffy Cornbread with Creamed Corn, Corn Sticks, Honey Cornbread, Broccoli Cornbread, or Cornbread Muffins
- Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese, Duke’s Homemade Mac and Cheese, Pumpkin Mac and Cheese, Crock Pot Mac and Cheese, No-Boil Overnight Mac and Cheese, Shells and Cheese, or Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Southern Buttermilk Biscuits, Flaky Biscuits, Aunt Bee’s 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, Easy Drop Biscuits, or Cheddar Biscuits with Chives and Bacon
- Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Muffins
- Corn Salad, Jiffy Corn Casserole, or Fried Corn
- 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins
- Refrigerator Dill Pickles, Cucumber Salad with Vinegar, Tomato Cucumber Onion Salad, or Cucumber Dill Salad
- Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon or Southern-Style Green Beans
- Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
- Fried Apples or Baked Apple Slices
- Southern Succotash
- Southern Collard Greens
- Fried Okra
- Broccoli and Cheese
- Easy Pasta Salad
- Homemade Baked Beans with Bacon
- Charleston Red Rice
- Okra and Tomatoes
- Southern Squash Casserole
- Cheese Grits
- Fried Cabbage with Apples and Onion, Braised Red Cabbage, or Roasted Cabbage
Preparation and Storage
- Prep Ahead: There’s not much prep work necessary, but if you want to get a head start you can whisk together the glaze in advance. Keep it covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week before using.
- Store leftover baked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. The skin will not be quite as crispy once the meat cools, so you might want to pull it off and use the leftovers without the skin. It’s great on salad greens, tucked into wraps, or even used in a chicken salad.
- Reheat the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet at 350°F just until warmed through, about 15 minutes. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Recipe Variations
- Cooking Just for Two? This meal can easily be prepared in smaller quantities by cutting all of the ingredients in half. You can use only chicken breasts, only thighs, or only drumsticks if that’s an easier way to purchase 1 ½ -2 lbs. of meat. You will also want to cut the glaze ingredients in half. Cooking time should remain the same.
- Try peach preserves or peach jam, raspberry jam, or other fruit preserves in lieu of the apricot jam.
- Make the chicken spicy by garnishing the pieces with crushed red pepper flakes, or by adding a dash of hot sauce (like sriracha) or cayenne pepper to the apricot glaze.
Tips for the Best Apricot Chicken Recipe
- Use a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. A lot of fat, juices, and sauce will drip off of the chicken as it bakes. The foil-lined sheet catches those drips and makes cleanup easy.
- The total cooking time will vary depending on a number of factors, including the size and type of chicken pieces that you use. The good news is that bone-in, skin-on chicken stays moist and tender, even if it’s slightly overdone!
- Using an instant-read thermometer is the best way to know when your chicken is ready to come out of the oven. It’s perfectly cooked when the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Baste the chicken with the apricot sauce and pan drippings just before serving. You likely won’t need to add extra salt to the meat, since the Lipton seasoning mix includes plenty of salt on its own.
- Garnish with fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme, chives, or basil for a bright and colorful finishing touch.
More Baked Chicken Recipes to Try
Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs
30 minutes mins
Sticky Honey Garlic Chicken {5 Ingredients}
1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Glazed Apricot Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken parts (breasts, thighs, drumsticks, or a combination)
- 8 ounces Catalina salad dressing (slightly less than 1 cup)
- 5 ounces apricot jam or apricot preserves (a little bit more than ½ cup)
- 1 (1 ounce) envelope onion soup and dip mix (I use Lipton brand)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- For easy clean-up, line a roasting pan or a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place chicken, skin-side up, on prepared pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the 3 glaze ingredients (Catalina dressing, apricot jam, and dry onion soup mix).
- Pour glaze over chicken; spread liberally on each piece.
- Bake, uncovered, for about 1 hour, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Notes
- Use a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. A lot of fat, juices, and sauce will drip off of the chicken as it bakes. The foil-lined sheet catches those drips and makes cleanup easy.
- The total cooking time will vary depending on a number of factors, including the size and type of chicken pieces that you use. The good news is that bone-in, skin-on chicken stays moist and tender, even if it’s slightly overdone!
- Using an instant-read thermometer is the best way to know when your chicken is ready to come out of the oven. It’s perfectly cooked when the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Baste the chicken with the apricot sauce and pan drippings just before serving. You likely won’t need to add extra salt to the meat, since the Lipton seasoning mix includes plenty of salt on its own.
- Garnish with fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme, chives, or basil for a bright and colorful finishing touch.
- Nutrition information is just an automatically-calculated estimate, and includes skin-on chicken and the entire sauce recipe. While cooking, a lot of the sauce drips off, so nutritional stats will vary depending on how much is actually consumed.
This recipe was originally published in August, 2014. The photos were updated in April, 2023.
THAT looks delicious. My husband loves grilled chicken! I cannot wait to try this.
Definitely give it a try, Michele! It was a big hit in our house. 🙂
The original recipe 1969 Arthur Godfrey Radio Show used Russian Dressing. You can add bell peppers and pineapple chunks. Delicious.
Thanks for the tip, Helen!!! 🙂
I believe it was Red Russian Dressing, which, like the Catalina is NOT a cream based dressing. And that’s VERY hard to find where I live now. I’ve substituted the Catalina dressing for a number of years and the taste seems the same, or very close to the original.
FYI – this is a GREAT recipe for a crowd! You can easily double it and make it in a large roasting pan.
OH universe, WHY?! Haha, I have a bag of drumsticks in the freezer, but none of the other ingredients, and I’ve finished my grocery shopping for the month. Next month I guess, because this looks amazing!
Quick prepare dinners are my favorite and this recipe sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I just love Apricot and this glaze looks fabulous. Hope you are having a great Labor Day Weekend and thanks so much for sharing your awesome recipe with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
My husband has an adversion to chicken “on the bone.” Any tips on doing this with boneless/skinless???
Hi, Lora! Yes, you can definitely make this with boneless chicken! You will just need to adjust the baking time because boneless chicken will cook much faster. The cooking time will vary depending on the size/thickness of your meat, but I would start with 4-6 chicken breasts (about 6-8 ounces each) and bake them with the glaze in a 400-degree oven for about 30-40 minutes. Chicken with the skin ON will get much crispier in the oven, but you can also stick the chicken under the broiler for the final few minutes to get the glaze to caramelize and crisp up a little bit if you like. Enjoy!
We eat this with boneless chicken and it just takes less time. It’s still delicious just don’t overload the chicken with the sauce. We also like it when we pre season the chicken with salt. Pepper and garlic powder before putting sauce on. This is the first time I’m trying with boneless and skinless chicken to try to cut calories and fat. It’s great with rice pilaf or brown rice and mixed Asian veggies that you will find with the rest of frozen veggies. I’m sure it won’t be quite as good without skin but I will let you know!
Sounds great! Thank you!
Love the new photos! Makes me want to dive in. APricot glaze is amazing, right? and on chicken –> DIVINE!
Thanks, Lindsay! YES! Apricot glaze on chicken is the best! 🙂
Hello,
sorry, I’m going to be the annoying person who wants to change the recipe… what’s in the onion soup mix?
I suppose caramelised onions would substitute?
Hi, Paola! The onion soup mix is a combination of a lot of dry seasonings. So caramelized onions wouldn’t be a good substitute — you’re looking more for something like dried minced onions and/or onion powder. But there are also many other flavors in the seasoning mix that you might want to include, such as soy sauce, garlic, salt, sugar, etc. Hope that helps!
Google Lipton Onion Soup Mix Recipe it will give ingredients. Very easy to come up with all ingredients in kitchen. Do not use caramelized onions
Hi could u maybe use thousand island dressing instead of the catalina?
Hi, Brandi! I think you could probably use the Thousand Island, but it’s a creamy dressing whereas the Catalina is a sweet oil-and-vinegar based dressing. The Thousand Island will just change the taste and texture of the finished dish. 🙂
Brandi, I accidentally thought the recipe was asking to use creamy Russian dressing for my first time making it years ago and haven’t stop making it that way since. I don’t think you would be disappointed if that wasn’t all you had to use. Go for it!
Thanks, Amy! 🙂
Can I omit the soup mix because of the high sodium, and replace with a lower one, any suggestions????
Hi, Annie! I’ve never tried the dish with a different type of seasoning, so you’re welcome to experiment — it just won’t taste the same. 🙂
This is the first meal I prepared for my husband … he refers to it as “chicken catch a husband!” It worked! We have been married a long time!!!
I love that!!! Maybe I should re-name the recipe! 🙂
This recipe is fantastic! Being a busy college student and on a budget, this recipe is absolutely perfect for weekend get-togethers. I can’t wait to make this dish more as fall sets in. Thanks so much for posting, Blair!
Thanks, Olivia! So glad that you enjoyed it! 🙂
we love this! made it the first time with egg noodles. but what do you suggest to put this with?
That’s great, Gina! This chicken is so versatile, you could pair it with almost anything that you prefer. The egg noodles are perfect, but rice or just a good loaf of crusty bread or some homemade biscuits would also work. Mashed potatoes would be tasty, and so would a green salad, roasted broccoli, or cooked asparagus. Basically…anything goes!
I always use skinless chicken, no need for all the extra fat. Also french or Catalina dressing work great, I’ve also subbed the apricot jam with a can of cranberry sauce for a similar dish with great flavour too! So versatile .
Sounds great, Dee!
I like serving this over white rice.
Yes, that’s a great option! Thanks, Rosemary!
I believe it was Red Russian Dressing, which, like the Catalina is NOT a cream based dressing. And that’s VERY hard to find where I live now. I’ve substituted the Catalina dressing for a number of years and the taste seems the same, or very close to the original.
FYI – this is a GREAT recipe for a crowd! You can easily double it and make it in a large roasting pan.
My mom had two versions of this recipe: one was onion soup mix, cranberry sauce and Russian dressing, the other was the soup mix with Catalina dressing and apricot jam. Both are delicious and the ingredients interchangeable.
I saw this recipe on a talk show many years ago. It was a celebrity demonstrating it and she was a hoot. She called it her dump recipe. The thing that convinced me to try it was when she said her kids just gobbled it right up. I had a bit of a picky eater back then so I was all in when she said that. She was right! I have never made this that it did not get gobbled right up.
This is the second time I am making this recipe. It is so delicious and easy to make. My husband and I just love it. Thank you for this awesome recipe.
Wonderful! Thanks for the reminder, Sharon — I need to make it again soon! 🙂
Going to make this tonight, Blair. Only have skinless thighs but will giv ita go!
Enjoy, Carolyn! 🙂
Hi Blair, made it tonight and it was so easy and quick AND delicious! Because I had only 6 small thighs I halved the sauce recipe, turned out great. Thanks for sharing..
Wonderful! Thanks for letting me know, Carolyn!
Made these tonight. They were awesome! And really really easy!
Will become a favourite for me.
Thank you.
That’s great to hear, Dory. Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
I boneless skinless chicken thighs and love to make it with extra glaze and put it over rice pilaf or just plain white rice! It’s delicious.
Perfect! Thank you, Kathy!
A recipe I’ll definitely make again. I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs and loved it! Served with steamed rice and veggies. Thank you!
Yay! That’s great to hear, Raquel. Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
I have a very picky husband and two picky tween boys and we all love this recipe! I love how quickly it comes together after a long day of work. Thanks so much!
I’m so happy to hear that, Karen! Thank you!
This looks so delicious and easy to do! I shared a link to this recipe on my blog post about unexpected ways to cook with jam! I can’t wait to try it myself! I am at http://www.3winksdesign.com if you want to see it.
Thanks so much for sharing, Helen!
Hi, Blair. I’m reviewing your 3 and 4 ingredient recipes to practice on to see if I get the swing of cooking enough to try more complicated recipes. This chicken sounds good. I’m going to see if I can track down bone in, skin on, chicken breasts. I see you put the glaze on at the beginning of the cooking time. Do I need to be at all cautious about the glaze burning? I’m still figuring out my oven. How would I know if the glaze is getting too done? Should I play safe and wait til half done and then put it on? Am I worrying too much? Just nod your head;)
Seriously, this would be great if it works out. I could eat the chicken all week!
Hi, Marion! Yes, since the chicken breast usually needs to cook longer than the smaller pieces, you can definitely wait to add the glaze halfway through. The other option is to just tent the chicken loosely with foil if it starts to get too dark before the meat is done. 🙂
Oh, yes! What a good idea!
Hi, Blair. I just mixed the ingredients and I’m going to let the sauce sit in the refrigerator overnight to give it time to blend. It makes a lot, it seems. Tomorrow, I was going to pour out a little, since I only have two chicken breasts at the moment, and store the rest. How long would you say I can keep the unused part in the refrigerator? A week, two weeks, even longer? Thanks!
Hi, Marion! I would say 1-2 weeks at least, but in reality it would probably be fine for longer…I just don’t know how long. 🙂
Thanks! I did manage to find the Russian dressing. When I had just mixed it last night, the soup mix was kind of strong so I thought it might mellow somewhat overnight. If it’s still strong for me, I may use just part of the package next time.
HI< Blair! The sauce did taste a lot better after sitting over night. I was wondering how I could use the remaining sauce as a marinade. I cooked two chicken breasts and the sauce was good with chicken but most of it slid off the chicken and was wasted because it just burned black. So, naturally the chicken was not as flavorful as I wished. i did forget to dry the pieces but it makes sense that the jam would melt and slide. Also, I think I will buy boneless, skinless, pieces to finish the sauce. So how would I turn the sauce into a marinade, how long should I marinade the boneless pieces, and how long should I bake the chicken and at what temperature? Thanks!
Hi, Marion! I would just put the chicken in the sauce in a dish or bag and let it sit and marinate. You can thin it a bit with water or broth if it seems too thick, but it might be fine as is. Maybe let it marinate for at least 1-2 hours? Then follow these directions for baking: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/oven-baked-chicken-breast/
Hope that helps!
Oh, thanks so much Blair!
I tried this recipe today for the first time since I hosted a dinner for 6. I used both drumsticks and thighs and followed the recipe exactly. I cooked it a little longer and broiled it for a minute or so until the glaze was thick. The color was beautiful. Everyone loved it! My husband said it was so good and had seconds. I was proud of my accomplishment to cook something different, making me feel like a true chef. Thanks for sharing.
You’re a true chef in our eyes, Rhonda! We’re so happy to hear you had success and the recipe was a hit!
Delicious! Easy and quick meal.
Thanks, Josh!
can I
substitute french dressing?
Hi Debby!
We haven’t tested this recipe with French dressing, but it should work! The flavor will just be a little different as French dressing is sweeter and bolder than Catalina. We hope this helps!