This Apricot Chicken Casserole is an easy, one-dish recipe that’s perfect for busy weeknights! It’s made with just a few simple ingredients and can be on the table in less than an hour.
Next time use your crockpot to make Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy!
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Why you'll love this recipe
✔️ It's an easy, one-dish meal that's perfect for busy weeknights.
✔️ It only requires a few simple ingredients that are all easy to find at your local grocery store.
✔️ It's the perfect blend of sweet and savory flavors. It's always picky eater approved!
Ingredients
For the exact measurements, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- boneless skinless chicken breasts or skinless boneless chicken thighs would be delicious too!
- apricot preserves or store-bought apricot jam
- You can substitute Russian salad dressing with Catalina or French dressing if you'd prefer.
- Dijon mustard
- dried French onion soup mix
- salt and pepper
- fried onions
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. For the complete directions just scroll down to the bottom!
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray the baking dish with non stick cooking spray, and set aside.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place chicken pieces in the casserole dish.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the salad dressing, mustard, apricot jam, and onion soup mix. Whisk together until combined.
- Spoon the apricot sauce over the chicken, turning to coat. Top with crispy fried onions.
- Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Equipment
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FAQ's
Yes, you can! You could use chicken thighs or even chicken tenders for this delicious meal.
Yes, you can, but you will need to add additional cook time. However, you can always thaw the chicken first.
No, they are not the same. Russian dressing is made with mayo, ketchup, and relish. Catalina dressing is made with tomato puree, vinegar, sugar, and spices.
Things to know
- The sauce in this recipe can be very sticky, so make sure that you spray your casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray or grease it with butter or shortening.
- I prefer to use a ceramic or glass baking dish. Metal pans tend to get too hot and can dry out the chicken.
- The sauce for this recipe is pretty thick, so if you like a thinner sauce, you can add a little water or chicken stock to thin it out.
- You can easily turn this into a slow cooker apricot chicken recipe! To make it in the crockpot, spray the cooking vessel with nonstick cooking spray. Add the chicken and top with the mixed sauce ingredients. Seal and cook on low for 6 hours. Top with the fried onions at the end.
- Garnish with fresh thyme or fresh parsley for a pop of color.
Variations
- Add a pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to the sticky sauce for a little bit of spice.
- If you want to add some vegetables to this casserole, add a bag of frozen mixed vegetables or fresh green beans under the chicken.
- Add more flavor to this sauce by adding a dash of sweet chili sauce or soy sauce.
- Add chunks of fresh apricots or even diced dried apricots to the dish.
- You can cut up a whole chicken and cook it in this simple sauce to save a little money. Just add an additional five minutes to the cooking time to account for the bones in the chicken. Juicy chicken thighs are amazing. I recommend skinless chicken as the skin will not get crispy.
Storage
Refrigerate -This recipe is best served fresh, but the leftovers will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezing - You can freeze the chicken casserole, but it's best to do so before adding the crispy onions on top before you bake it so that they don't get soggy.
Reheat - Reheat this dish in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 - 15 minutes or single servings can be microwaved at 50% power for 1 to 2 minutes.
More weeknight dinners
Here are more of our favorite easy recipes!
- If you love comfort food meals made with chicken, then next time you are going to give to this Ritzy Chicken Casserole recipe a try.
- This Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole is a complete meal, it's cheesy, easy, a delicious dinner.
- If you're looking for a yummy meal, be sure to give the Chicken Spaghetti Recipe a try!
- Lemon Garlic Pasta is one of our favorite family dinners to make when we need a quick and simple weeknight meal.
Serve with
- I love to serve with a side of brown rice or Chiptole Cilantro Lime Rice. It's fluffy and flavorful. Rice pairs so well with this chicken dish.
- You can never go wrong with Roasted Broccoli with Lemon or Steamed Greens Beans.
- My family loves a little crunch with the meal so I love to add a piece of this Garlic Stuffed Cheesy Bread to our table.
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Apricot Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts boneless, skinless - split in half
- 1 cup apricot preserves
- 1 cup Russian salad dressing
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 ounces dried onion soup mix (that's one packet of the mix)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup fried onions
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray baking dish with non stick cooking spray, set aside.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place chicken in casserole dish.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the salad dressing, mustard, apricot jam and onion soup mix. Whisk together until combined.
- Spoon the sweet savory sauce over the chicken, turning to coat. Top with crispy fried onions.
- Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Serve basted with any leftover or extra sauce, YUM!
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