With just 5 minutes of prep, this crispy, sticky, apricot glazed chicken is an easy dinner for stress-free evenings! Use a combination of chicken breasts, thighs, wings, or drumsticks — whatever your family loves.
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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!
– Olivia
A version of this traditional apricot chicken recipe originated at the Lipton company as a way to encourage customers to use Lipton’s dry onion soup and dip mix in other ways. It’s one of those nostalgic, vintage recipes that we’ve enjoyed since the 1950s!
A Few Notes Before You Get Started
- We prefer 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 desired, but I highly recommend enjoying the crispy, sticky, charred exterior! Use whichever parts you like — chicken wings, drumsticks, thighs, or breasts.
- The apricot chicken glaze is made with just 3 simple-yet-flavorful pantry staples, which you can keep on hand for last-minute meals. It might sound like an odd combination, but it truly works!
- Catalina dressing is a sweet and tangy salad dressing that includes tomato puree, vinegar, dried onions, and garlic. You can sub with Russian dressing or French dressing if you like.
- Apricot preserves (or apricot jam) 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.
Serving Suggestions
Pair the apricot chicken with rice, egg noodles, mashed potatoes with sour cream and chives, cast iron cornbread, or creamy baked mac and cheese. For veggies, try Southern-style green beans, cucumber salad with vinegar, fried cabbage with apples and onion, broccoli and cheese, coleslaw, a green bean casserole with frozen green beans, or a house salad with candied pecans.
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.
I thought your Catalina/ apricot jam/ dry onion soup mix chicken was delicious. The leftovers were even better after a day. I served this over rice. So simple & delicious. I’ll be doing this one again. Thank you.
– Susan
More Baked Chicken Recipes to Try
Oven 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
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Apricot Glazed 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) (or sub with Russian dressing or French dressing)
- 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)
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh herbs or sliced green onions
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. A lot of fat, juices, and sauce will drip off of the chicken as it bakes, so the foil-lined sheet pan catches those drips and makes cleanup easy. Place the chicken skin-side up on the prepared pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the 3 glaze ingredients (Catalina dressing, apricot jam, and dry onion soup mix).
- Pour the glaze over the chicken; spread liberally on each piece.
- Bake, uncovered, for about 1 hour, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. The total cooking time will vary depending on a number of factors, including the size and type of chicken pieces that you use. As a result, an instant-read thermometer is the best way to know when your chicken is ready to come out of the oven. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Baste the chicken with the apricot sauce and pan drippings just before serving, and garnish with chopped fresh herbs (such as parsley, thyme, basil, or chives) or sliced green onions.
Notes
Nutrition
Apricot Chicken Recipe Variations
- Cooking Just for Two? Cut all of the ingredients in half. Use about 1 ½ -2 lbs. of chicken breasts, thighs, or drumsticks. 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. Garnish individual pieces with crushed red pepper flakes. Alternatively, add a dash of hot sauce (like sriracha) or cayenne pepper to the apricot glaze.
This recipe was originally published in August, 2014. It was updated in October, 2024.
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!
Beautiful recipe just love it thanks Lester
Thank you, Lester! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.