Apricot Chicken

by Sabrina Snyder

Published on Last updated

43 Comments

5 from 6 votes
6 Servings
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
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One Pan Apricot Chicken is a super easy recipe to make with just five main ingredients. Plus, it’s ready in under an hour! Try it today!

I’m a huge fan of One Pot Dishes, especially if it has just a few ingredients. These chicken thighs are crispy, sticky, sweet and savory all at once. Your whole family will love them.

Apricot Chicken in skillet

Sabrina’s Apricot Chicken Recipe

Apricot Chicken can be as quick and easy or as homemade a recipe as you’d like. When it comes to keeping the delicious glaze on top of the Apricot Chicken I actually like to pour on the glaze in two batches. This allows some of it to cook into the chicken and brown. The sticky topping then allows the second half of the glaze a way to adhere. One of my favorite hacks for this recipe though (if you want to call an extra ingredient a hack!) is orange! A bit of orange juice and orange zest takes the sauce to the next level.

When my husband sees the dish in the kitchen he always acts helpful and starts slicing an orange into wedges because his favorite way to enjoy it is with fresh orange squeezed over it once served. What would I do without him? haha.

How to Make Onion Soup Mix

Mix together the following to replace one packet of dried Onion Soup Mix:

  • ¼ cup dried onion flakes
  • 2 tablespoons low-sodium beef bouillon granules
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon parsley flakes
  • ⅛ teaspoon celery seed
  • ⅛ teaspoon paprika
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

How to Make French Dressing

Whisk together the following ingredients in a bowl or combine in a small food processor or blender:

  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 2/3 cup ketchup
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ cup white vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons grated chopped onion, with juices squeezed out with paper towel
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

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Dinner, then Dessert

One Pot Apricot Chicken Recipe

One Pan Apricot Chicken is a super easy recipe to make with just five main ingredients. Plus, it's ready in under an hour! Try it today!
Yield 6 Servings
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder
baked chicken on bed of rice
PrintRate

Ingredients
 

  • 6 chicken thighs bone in and skin on
  • 1 packet dry onion soup mix
  • 1 cup French dressing
  • 1 cup apricot preserves
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and set a cast iron skillet to heat on medium high heat.
  • Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add it to the cast iron skillet, skin side down.
  • Brown both sides of the chicken for 3-5 minutes.
  • In a bowl or large measuring cup add the rest of the ingredients and whisk them together.
  • Pour half over the chicken, put the pan in the oven, and cook for 25 minutes.
  • Pour the rest over the chicken and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 351kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 1179mg | Potassium: 360mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 275IU | Vitamin C: 3.8mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1.5mg

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Photos used in previous versions of this post.

baked chicken in skillet

Apricot Chicken with Rice

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. I made this but use Russian dressing instead of French. A very popular Sunday meal when our children and grandchildren come for dinner

    Reply

  5. Absolutely delicious. I used chicken casserole pieces as thats all I had. Apricot chicken is not a meal we ever cook as we traditionally preoare middle eastern meals – but I recall making this in home economics class and really wanted my kids to enjoy it as I did. I didnt want the really soupy version so this was perfect.

    Reply

  6. I have been making this recipe for over 50 years and it’s always good.
    Has anyone ever made this using chicken wings for an appetizer?
    I have a New Years eve SMALL group, and we are just doing different
    appetizers all evening and setting up a table with the food and then sitting as far apart as possible. Any suggestions on best way to cook them?

    Reply

    1. So sorry this comment was caught in my spam folder. This should work for wings but I would toss them in the sauce once cooked.

      Reply

  7. I’ve been making this delicious chicken recipe for 50- yes- 50 years without a printed recipe! My college roommate made it for me and my husband right after she was married in 1970! Her “ recipe” called for Russian dressing ( Wishbone still makes this! It’s the dark deep orange Russian) I think it is much tastier than using the French- I’ve used Catalina dressing too- Wishbone red Russian is the best! Over the years I’ve often increased the onion soup mix to two envelopes and I agree with another reviewer who suggests reserving sauce to pour over the roasting thighs half way through really helps get that sticky- almost- done – on -the- grill coating. Having made this using all cuts of chicken, thighs really “ stand up” to this sauce! It’s a Crowd Pleaser and a “ go to” for casual dinner with friends! Delicious! I was so tickled to have “ bumped” into this recipe after all these years!

    Reply

    2. Joyce- so glad you ran into your recipe and have offered ways to make it even better. Tomorrow is my first attempt at it, and I’m forty years and out of college. I think we would have gotten along well, as you seem like my kind of gal. Take Care!

      Reply

  9. I love this. I’ve made it three times since first discovering the recipe and it’s been a hit both with my kids and with company. My brother in law actually requested the recipe. I made the french dressing and onion mix from scratch so I can’t comment on how it is with store bought ingredients.

    Reply

    1. Wonderful! Thanks for coming back to let me know how much of a hit this recipe is to you and your family, Jennifer.

      Reply

  10. I haven’t made this yet, but I’m wondering if you have a suggested way to do this recipe in a slow cooker for busy days so it can be ready when I get home? Thanks in advance!

    Reply

    1. Yes, I have a slow cooker version of this recipe. Simply type Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken into the search bar in the top right-hand corner of the site and it’ll pop right up for you. Slow cooker are such a lifesaver, aren’t they?

      Reply

  11. Don’t have an iron skillet big enough to cook this recipe since I have to double it. Will the cook times be the same in a glass or ceramic pan? I want to sear the chicken pieces in iron skillet and then put half in a glass pan and the other half in ceramic pan.

    Reply

    1. Those will certainly work, and exactly how I would suggest if not using a skillet: Sear first, bake separate. Let me know how you like it!

      Reply

  12. I look forward to editing this recipe just a tiny bit. I’m going to use boneless/skinless chicken breast. It should be just as yummy.

    Reply

  13. Another way is you can buy apricot nector or apricots in a can and then puree them. It is a lot less sweet than the apricot jam.

    Reply

  14. I remember eating this dish so many years ago and it was delicious – I’ve thought of it so many times. Can’t wait to make it.

    Reply

  15. Sounds amazing!  Going camping, (in the RV) making tonight and can’t wait!  Thank you for sharing this delightful recipe. I am sure I will be back to try more if your recipes. 

    Cheers!

    Reply

  16. Hi Sabrina! This recipe sounds delicious. My question is: where does the oven come in? It says to preheat the oven to 375 degrees…

    Reply

  17. The pic looked so good I just had to make it asap. It was raining sideways so I didn’t want to go to the store, so I made lemon chicken. I substituted lemon curd preserves and used Italian dressing for the French. This recipe can go in so many directions. I just love the flexibility. Next week I will use as written. It was the first time using lemon curd for anything else but cheesecake or on English Muffins. Outstanding.

    Reply

  23. I love that you listed the recipes for the onion soup mix and the dressing. This meal sounds delish!

    Reply