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Oven-Baked 3-Ingredient Chicken Country Club

Bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks baked in a rich, caramelized glaze made from just French dressing, apricot preserves, and dry onion soup mix -- a simple, crowd-pleasing weeknight dinner.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2.5 lb bone-in chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks, skin-on) 2 to 2.5 pounds total
  • 1 cup bottled French dressing thick, orange, creamy-style such as Kraft Creamy French
  • 1 cup apricot preserves or apricot jam; warm briefly if very chunky
  • 1 oz packet dry onion soup mix one standard 1-ounce packet

Equipment

  • 9x13-inch baking dish (ceramic or enamel preferred)
  • medium mixing bowl
  • Instant-read meat thermometer

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. An enamel or ceramic dish works especially well for even browning.
  2. Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels. This helps the sauce cling and encourages browning rather than steaming. Arrange the chicken skin-side up in a single layer in the prepared dish, leaving a little space between pieces so heat can circulate.
  3. In a medium bowl, combine the French dressing, apricot preserves, and dry onion soup mix. Stir until the preserves are mostly dissolved and the mixture is smooth and evenly speckled with onion bits. If preserves are chunky, mash them with a fork or warm briefly in the microwave before mixing.
  4. Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken, lifting pieces slightly with a fork or tongs so some sauce can run underneath. Spoon a bit of sauce over the tops so each piece is well coated, but leave the skin exposed enough to brown.
  5. Place the dish in the preheated oven, uncovered, and bake for 25 minutes. Do not cover the dish -- the open oven heat is what allows the skin to brown and the sauce to caramelize.
  6. At the 25-minute mark, carefully spoon some of the bubbling sauce from the pan back over the chicken pieces to baste them. Tilt the dish slightly to pool the sauce on one side for easier spooning.
  7. Continue baking for another 20 to 30 minutes, basting once more if you like, until the chicken is deeply bronzed, the sauce is thick and glossy, and the internal temperature of the thickest pieces reaches at least 165°F (74°C). Total cook time will be about 45 to 55 minutes depending on the size of the pieces.
  8. For slightly crisper skin and more color, move the oven rack up one level and broil the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes at the end of cooking. Watch closely -- the sugar in the sauce can go from caramelized to burned quickly.
  9. Remove the dish from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes. The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools. Serve straight from the baking dish, spooning extra pan sauce over each portion.

Notes

Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat at 325°F with a splash of water, covered loosely with foil, until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Substitutions: Russian dressing can replace French dressing for a slightly spicier glaze. For a less sweet version, use 3/4 cup apricot preserves and 1 1/4 cups French dressing with the same soup packet. Bone-in chicken breasts can be used but cook faster -- start checking at 35 to 40 minutes. Make-ahead: Mix the sauce up to one day ahead and refrigerate separately. Serving suggestion: Best served over buttered egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or white rice to soak up the extra pan sauce.