Name: Baked Apricot Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 6 to 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs; 1 cup apricot preserves; 3/4 cup Catalina dressing; 1 packet dry onion soup mix; 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Short Prep Time

It only takes 10 minutes max to prep this recipe. Just mix together the sauce ingredients and pour over the chicken.

How Long To Bake

50 minutes is plenty of time to get the chicken fully cooked and allow the saucy glaze to thicken.

Ingredients Needed

6 to 8 Boneless, skinless chicken thighs– You can use bone-in chicken thighs if you wish.
1 cup Apricot Preserves– Peach Preserves can be used instead.
Catalina Dressing– Adds sweetness and additional flavor. French dressing can be substituted.
Dry Onion Soup Mix– adds seasoning and lots of onion flavor. Because it has lots of sodium, there is no need to salt the chicken.
Dijon Mustard– yellow mustard or spicy mustard can be used instead.
Cayenne Pepper– Adds some heat to balance the sweetness.

Reader Comment

George says- “We made this last week, just as the recipe called for, and really liked it a lot. Makes a lot of sauce, and it added flavor to the Cauliflower we had with this marvelous chicken dish. Winner, it went into my keeper file, and it will fall into the regular rotation. BTW we did 2 very large sized chicken breasts, halved, and quartered. Cook time was exactly 40 minutes, to make it 166 degrees. Thanks for that heads up Christin. I sometimes forget to factor that in.”

How To Make

(More detailed instructions in recipe card below.)

Place chicken in a greased baking dish.
Mix together glaze ingredients.
Pour over chicken.
Bake uncovered for 50 minutes. Halfway through the baking time, spoon glaze over chicken.

Can Chicken Breasts Be Used?

You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts but they will cook in less time and risk drying out if you overcook them. Check them after about 35 minutes. Chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. An instant read thermometer is helpful.