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.
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.
I thought your Catalina/ apricot jam/ dry onion soup mix chic 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.
Hi, Susan! I’m so glad to hear that you liked it. Thank you!
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!