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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 mins
Sticky Honey Garlic Chicken {5 Ingredients}
1 hr 5 mins
Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
1 hr 5 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.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in August, 2014. The photos were updated in March, 2023.
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!
Delicious! Easy and quick meal.
Thanks, Josh!