This Baked Apricot Onion Chicken is a much better and homemade version of that old recipe with onion soup, jam and Catalina dressing. Sticky, sweet, oniony deliciousness!

Many of you might be familiar with that old popular chicken recipe. It’s impossible to find the origin as the recipe has been posted so many times on the internet by various authors. I do confess that it’s pretty darn tasty and very simple to make.

I thought I’d try a homemade version (well, except for the jam) to cut back on the fat, sugar and salt. This version only has a few more ingredients and uses fresh onions.

So is the result still that sweet, tangy, fruity, onion-y taste? Definitely!

The recipe makes some extra sauce to soak into rice, noodles or mashed potatoes. One little trick I found is to add some cornstarch to the sauce before cooking to keep the sauce on the chicken instead of sliding off around it. The recipe is still very easy to make. Just throw all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add the chicken and coat well. Bake. If you want to brown the top of the chicken a bit, broil it for a few minutes before serving. Then dig in. Perfect for that next holiday or just a simple family meal.

Shortcut

Chop the onions in a processor for a few seconds instead of by hand.

Baked Apricot Onion Chicken Recipe

Created by Cheryl on May 3, 2017

This Baked Apricot Onion Chicken is a much better homemade version of that old recipe with onion soup, jam and Catalina dressing. Delicious and so easy!

Prep Time: 10m
Cook Time: 45m
Total Time: 55m

Serves: 4
Category: main, make ahead

Ingredients

1 chicken, cut in 8ths, trimmed of extra fat

Apricot Onion Glaze Sauce

3/4 cup ketchup
3/4 cup apricot jam (peach or marmalade ok too)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic, minced (1 clove) or 1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon each, salt and pepper (or to taste)
2/3 cup finely chopped onions, about 1/2 spanish onion (I chop in food processor)
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch (this will help sauce stay on chicken)
1/2 tablespoon sugar (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375F.
MAKE THE SAUCE/GLAZE: In a large mixing bowl, add all sauce ingredients and mix to combine well. Taste and adjust if needed e.g. more salt, sugar, vinegar, etc. Add chicken and toss to coat evenly. You can let the chicken marinate in the sauce for a few hours or proceed to bake immediately.
BAKE CHICKEN: Use a pan that will fit the chicken comfortably, but that is not too big. Line it with foil and spray with cooking oil. Place chicken and sauce in the pan in a single layer, skin side up. Bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on size of chicken. Instant thermometer should read about 160F. Remove chicken and spoon sauce on top if some has slipped off. If desired, broil the chicken 8-10 inches from heat source for about 4 minutes to brown it on top. Watch that it doesn't burn. Transfer to a serving platter, spooning extra sauce on top (or in a separate small bowl to pass around). Serve with rice, noodles or mashed potatoes.