Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Apricot Glazed Chicken

This has to be one of the very first recipes I learned how to cook. Back in the day, I made this with chicken wings (and I still think this is better with wings), but Ole Sweetie-Pi doesn't like meat on the bone, so I used boneless, skinless chicken breast here. It's quick, easy, inexpensive, made with pantry items I typically have on hand, and delicious. It's good for a workday meal as the preparation work can be done in the morning and then the chicken marinates in the sweet, tangy apricot sauce, waiting for you to bake it in the oven. I'd even hazard a guess to say it would be pretty tasty on the grill if you occasionally basted it with the marinade.

Apricot Glazed Chicken

6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts halves
1 package dried onion soup mix (like Lipton's)
1 bottle Russian salad dressing (like Wishbone or Kraft)
1 medium jar apricot preserves

Place chicken in a foiled lined (for easier clean up because the sauce will caramelize) 9" x 13" baking dish.

In a medium bowl, combine the dried onion soup mix, the entire bottle of Russian salad dressing and the apricot preserves; mix well to combine. Pour over chicken. Allow chicken to marinate for at least an hour in the fridge (giving the onion soup time to hydrate and the sauce to ripen) or all day if you're preparing it in the morning for that evening's dinner.

Bake in a preheated 350F oven for an hour or until chicken is done.

If I were doing chicken wings, I'd spread the wings out on a cookie sheet and bake and at the end might run it under the broiler to give it some added color and crispness.

The recipe is pretty flexible; you can add more dried onion soup, you can add a little garlic powder. I've even seen recipes where you can swap out the Russian dressing for Catalina (also good!).

30 comments:

  1. Hey....pantry items on hand...easy one dish meals? I am all for it! Good recipe there....yum....that Russian dressing probably gives it a delicious flavour indeed.

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  2. This reminds me so much of something my grandmother used to make...it may even be the same recipe! I look forward to trying it--I think it's something my two little ones would really enjoy, too!

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  3. Lovely recipe Katy...this sounds wonderful. I'd love to try the glaze on salmon!

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  4. Katy this looks delicious! I bet this was wonderful with the apricot in it!

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  5. How easy! I'll bet it would be even better on the grill :)

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  6. Thanks for sharing this easy, delicious chicken recipe!

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  7. What a delicious glaze this is! I bet it would work just as well on the grill. And I love that their all things we have in our pantry.

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  8. Katy,

    I used to make this when the kids were coming up. Thanks for the reminder. You are the sweetie pie for sharing! FWIW I am with your sweetie; I like the boneless chicken also.

    Vanessa

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  9. I can relate to your sweetie pie, as my husband and I don't like meat on the bone either :)
    Looks very tasty, as always, Katy!

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  10. I can imagine just how tangy and yummy this chicken turned out! :P

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  11. OMG! OMG! My husband used to make this in college and forgot how to make it! Oh, how I've missed it! Thank you for posting the recipe!

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  12. I keep looking at this jar of apricot preserves I have in the cupboard and know that there's got to be something good I can make with it. This looks like just the ticket!

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  13. Katy, this looks really good, and I do believe I have everything need to make it. Thanks for sharing

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  14. I've heard of this recipe and now that I know that a 'trusted' cook has shown it to be good, I just might have to give it a try. So pretty too.

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  15. this looks so tasty! i love the onion soup mix in there, beautiful!

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  16. I love easy simple and so so tasty dinners like this. Perfect.

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  17. Great recipe! I can see how all of the ingredients make for a delicious finished product. It sounds wonderful....on or off the bone. : )

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  18. My first visit to ur blog..lovely blog..glazed chicken looks superb,nice combo with rice..

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  19. This is a great quick and easy recipe. Versions of it reappear every few years which is a testament to how tasty it is. Does your husbands dislike of meat on the bone apply only to chicken?

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  20. I am planning to make something like this tonight I found on Mccormick's website using taco seasoning and tomatoes instead of onion mix and salad dressing. I think I might just try yours instead..it looks sooooo good and I think I do have those ingredients on hand! Thanks for this great recipe and photo!

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  21. The dish looks delicious Katy. I will have to try this.

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  22. I've got to try this sometime--seeing your photo really makes me want to make it!

    I think boneless chicken has spoiled all of us--we used to eat chicken legs for gosh sakes, and now we only want boneless breasts! :))

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  23. Mary, Ole Sweetie-Pi won't eat any kind of meat on the bone. He absolutely wilts in perceived grossness, no T-bone steak, no chops, no BBQ ribs (!!!), no whole baked chicken. Turkey is OK as long as he's not the one who has to carve it. I would so love to cook a crown roast of pork but he won't touch it. GRRRRRR

    Linda, you are absolutely right. I can remember LOVING my grandmother's fried chicken and it was ALWAYS the legs I went for. With all the talk of the added fat in the dark meat I think people turned to the white chicken breast. More flavor in the legs though, so I buy the BONELESS skinless thighs and doctor them up so "someone" doesn't know what he's eating. LOL!!!

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  24. What a different combination! I've never tried something like that.

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  25. Wow, look how the glaze is sticking to that chicken! It's mouth watering Katy!

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  26. Katy - this is so very pretty! And I love the ingredients. On top of all that - it's simple - yay. Simple in summer is key!

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  27. This is so beautifully glazed! Sounds delicious, Katy :D

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  28. Katy, this is a perfect, delicious and easy dish- looks good enough for any meal! The sauce sounds finger licking good!

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