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Make this easy, flavorful apricot chicken in the oven, slow cooker, pressure cooker, or even on the grill. You just can’t go wrong with this recipe!
Featured With This Recipe
- How to Make Apricot Chicken
- More Cooking Methods
- Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken
- Instant Pot Apricot Chicken
- Grilled Apricot Chicken
- Try it Bite-Sized
- Getting a Thicker Sauce
- What to Serve with Apricot Chicken
- Additional Tips and Tricks
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Easy Chicken Recipes
- Easy Apricot Chicken Recipe
Whenever our mom is asked to bring a “main dish” to a potluck, she almost always brings this apricot chicken. It is SO EASY to whip up and easy to scale for a crowd. She has made it for church Christmas parties, Relief Society dinners, and even wedding receptions! It is also a great weeknight meal that the whole family loves. It is a sweet and savory dish that looks beautiful but requires few ingredients and very little effort. There’s no reason NOT to love this chicken!
How to Make Apricot Chicken
Ok seriously you won’t believe how easy this is to make. This is the cooking method I use the most because the prep-work literally only takes a couple minutes.
- Combine the sauce ingredients. Stir the apricot, dressing, dijon, and soup mix together in a bowl.
- Place the chicken in a greased baking dish. For even easier clean up, line the baking dish with foil and then spray with cooking spray. Make sure to not overcrowd the chicken so it can cook evenly.
- Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes and serve!
More Cooking Methods
I have made this Apricot Chicken recipe FOUR different ways, all with great success. That’s really what I love most about this recipe. You can prepare it pretty much any way you’d like depending on how much time you have or how you are wanting to serve it! You can have your chicken in about 25 minutes in the Instant Pot, or you can have it be cooking for hours in a CrockPot. Want to make it more summer-y? Use the sauce as a glaze and cook it on the grill! I will go into each cooking method in a little more detail so you can decide which method works best for you. No matter how you make this recipe, it is going to be delicious!
Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken
I like this method when I want to shred the chicken and put it over rice. The chicken comes out of the Crock Pot nice and tender and shreds easily. I also like this method for when I want to get dinner prepped earlier in the day. I love coming home and having dinner DONE.
Instant Pot Apricot Chicken
This method is great when you are in a pinch and need dinner done, like now. I have gotten the burn notice before when I haven’t put the water at the bottom of the Instant Pot first. Adding water to the bottom seems to fix this problem. You can serve the chicken shredded or as whole pieces.
Grilled Apricot Chicken
This one of my favorite ways of preparing the chicken in the summertime. The apricot mixture makes for an excellent glaze. Just combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer until it thickens. Then brush it onto the chicken ask it is being grilled. We have also tried it over kabobs and it really brings out the flavor of the vegetables. Try it with peppers, onions, pineapple, and, of course, apricots! You won’t regret it.
Try it Bite-Sized
Since my kids are still pretty little and like to have their chicken cut into pieces, sometimes I will cut up the chicken into bite-sized pieces before baking. This will also cut down on the cooking time if you are in a hurry. Prepare it in the baking dish the exact same way as in the recipe. Just place the chicken pieces in a greased baking dish and pour the sauce over the top. Check the chicken at around 20 minutes for doneness. Serve it over rice as you would your favorite Asian-inspired chicken recipes, like sweet and sour chicken. My kids are more willing to eat it this way because they feel like they are eating Chinese take-out.
Getting a Thicker Sauce
If you want a thicker glaze/sauce to serve with your chicken, there are a couple ways this can be accomplished. You can remove the chicken from the sauce, cover, and set aside. Take the leftover sauce and put it in a saucepan and simmer until it is reduced to your liking. My favorite way (and the faster way) is to combine a couple tablespoons of cornstarch with about ¼ cup water to create a slurry. Bring the sauce to a simmer on the stovetop and add the cornstarch mixture a little at a time, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens to your liking.
What to Serve with Apricot Chicken
Apricot chicken can be served with all kinds of side dishes. We usually serve it with white or brown rice (we love spooning the extra apricot sauce over it). You can also serve it with quinoa, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, or even just serve with with some steamed or grilled vegetables. Here’s some more great ideas to serve with apricot chicken:
Additional Tips and Tricks
- Brown the Chicken: For extra flavor, sear the chicken in a hot skillet with a bit of oil until it’s nicely browned on both sides. This extra step adds depth to the final dish.
- Use Fresh or Quality Apricot Preserves: Opt for good quality apricot preserves or jam for a rich apricot flavor. You can also use fresh ripe apricots if they are in season.
- Garnish Creatively: Garnish the dish with chopped fresh herbs or toasted nuts, like almonds or pistachios, for added texture and visual appeal. I love the added crunch and it just takes the dish to the next level.
- Let It Rest: Allow the cooked chicken to rest for a few minutes before serving. This helps the juices redistribute throughout the meat.
Read Next: 25+ Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas
Frequently Asked Questions
It easily can be! Onion soup mix and Catalina dressing are the only ingredients in this recipe that can contain gluten. Both of these ingredients are available gluten free. Check the labels at the store.
Absolutely! Place the raw chicken in a freezer bag with the apricot mixture. Carefully press the air out of the bag so it will lie flat. Seal the bag. Using your hands on the outside of the sealed bag, shake or squeeze the contents of the bag to distribute the sauce evenly. Freeze for up to six months. When you are ready to use it, place the bag in the refrigerator for 24 hours, or until chicken is thawed. Prepare according to recipe.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
Easy Apricot Chicken
Video
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
- 1 cup apricot preserves
- 1 cup Catalina salad dressing (or Russian dressing)
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 ounces dried onion soup mix
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine apricot preserves, Catalina dressing, onion soup mix, and Dijon mustard. Mix well.
Baked Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375℉. Place chicken in a greased 9×13 baking dish. Pour apricot mixture evenly over chicken and bake 40-45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Place chicken in slow cooker. Pour apricot mixture over chicken and cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low heat for 4-6 hours. Serve as whole pieces or shred.
Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot) Instructions:
- Put ⅓ cup water in the Instant Pot. Place chicken in the water and then pour the apricot mixture over the top. Place lid (make sure release tab is set to "sealing") and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes and allow to natural release for additional 5 minutes.
Grilled Instructions:
- Place chicken in a large sealing freezer bag. Place half of the apricot mixture in a bowl and set aside. Pour the rest of the apricot mixture in the bag with the chicken and place in refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade.Grill chicken over medium-high heat for about 5-6 minutes on each side or until chicken is completely cooked through (internal temp of 165℉), brushing with remaining apricot mixture while grilling.
Does searing the chicken before baking it change the oven cook time?
I would imagine so – you probably wouldn’t have to cook it as long if you sear it first.
I have made variations of this for years. This is now my go to recipe with one minor suggestion. I have a grill pan with ridges and I get grill marks on the chicken before I bake it.
Oh I bet that is delicious!
absolutely delicious!
I have made this recipe for years now. I lost it when my last computer crashed. I’m excited to have it again.
This is simple and easy to make top-of-the-line gourmet dish in my opinion!! my new favorite dish!! It’s delicious!! I would give it more stars if I could!! The whole family loves it!!
Made this with bone-in chicken breasts cut in half and thighs. My family loved it but thought the mustard was too pungent and overwhelmed other flavors. I will try it with 1/2 the amount next time.
I have been making this for years. I use creamy french dressing. It’s also delish on wings
I bake in a aluminum throw away pan as it gets very stick and it’s difficult to clean.
What is the sauce? I’m in Australia & have no idea what Catalan dressing is. Recipe sounds delicious. Thank you
Kay ⚘
It is similar to a French or Russian dressing!
Catalina dressing is made by Kraft. It is a tomato based sweet non spicy salad dressing. If you google copycat Catalina recipe you will get something similar if you cannot get it in Australia.
Has anyone made this omitting the mustard?
Make it all the time. I have another recipe like this one minus the mustard. It is awesome. Will try this with the mustard next time.
When I try to watch the video, a commercial comes on, I skip the commercial when prompted, and the video I was watching skips to another recipe. I can’t get past cutting the chicken into pieces. Can you fix?
In the beginning of the video there is an option to stay on the current video or skip to the next video. If you click “stay” it should keep you on the current video!
This recipe is amazing!! I have made it numerous times- with and without minor modifications. Shared recipe with friends and family and all have raved about it! Try it- you will love it!
I’m afraid I don’t know what apricot preserves are. I have apricot jam, will that work as well?
That should work!
Gave this a try for dinner tonight and it did not disappoint! Easily, a new favorite recipe; the whole family loved it!
This looks so delicious and full of flavor! My family is going to love this recipe! I can’t wait to make this soon!
This recipe is just too perfect! SO simple and just DELICIOUS! We have it all the time and just can’t get enough!
Im gonna make Tommorow for my elderly dad. I’m gonna use skinless chicken thighs…he loves dark meat..i guess ill serve with a rice dish and vegetable
I have made your chicken recipe 3 times and it is awesome. My finicky husband also raves about it. Thank you so much for a flavorful recipe that is easy to make and throughly enjoyed by my husband and myself. Yummy!!!!
I made this last night for my large family. I did it following the oven directions and used twice as much chicken but the same amount of sauce as in the recipe and it still worked wonderfully! Everyone liked it! In my family that is a miracle.
Great easy recipe. I double the sauce mixture, add peppers Broccoli mushrooms and pineapple to the recipe. Sometimes a little ginger . Layer those first, chicken on top, Boneless thighs are best .Pour sauce. Bake . Jasmine rice. Voila!
I cooked this all the time but never with the mustard. I”m going to try next time i make this.
when baking in the oven do you cover the pan?
We don’t!
Sounds silly, but we all know that one wrong direction is the difference between dinner and the compost pile – you mention adding preserves twice. I assume you mean that you add the preserves, the Catalan dressing, the Dijon mustard and the onion soup mix? I wanted to make sure that I have it correct before cooking.
Like I said, silly issue and I’m probably right, but goodness knows I’ve screwed up recipes by assuming before.
Looking forward to trying this. Found you through your Parmesan Potato Halves and have bookmarked a BUNCH of other recipes too! We need new flavors and my oldest just moved home after 6 years in the army. I feel like I can cook again since it isn’t just for myself or myself plus one very picky eater.
WHOOPS! I didn’t even notice I had it on there twice! I fixed the recipe. Thanks for catching that and letting us know!
This recipe is still not fixed. I almost messed up because the catalina dressing is ommitted from the instructions #2.
Yikes! It should be fixed now, thank you for letting us know!
The OG name is Catalina Chicken. I have Been using this recipe for years. It’s so good. Chicken thighs taste the best in my opinion for this. We add in 1/2 tsp of apple cider vinegar instead of the mustard. I love that you can sub in any preserve you want in this dish. We’ve done peach, pineapple, and orange marmalade. All work well 🙂
What about cherry jam?
What can I substitute for onion dip? I’ve got one who can’t eat onion.
Taking the onions out will definitely change the flavor profile of the dish. However, I know that the other ingredients in Onion Soup Mix are beef bouillon, parsley, celery seed, paprika and ground black pepper. So if you add those spices you’ll get pretty close!
This recipe was absolutely delicious, I ended up using peach preserves because that’s what I had in the fridge. I served it with jasmine rice & steamed broccoli, the entire family loved. Will definitely make this one again!! Thanks!!
Oh yum! I will have to try it with peach preserves sometime, that sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing!