Description
Catalina Chicken is a flavorful and easy-to-make dish featuring tender chicken breasts cooked in a tangy, sweet, and savory sauce made from Catalina salad dressing, apricot preserves, and dry onion soup mix. This recipe involves a quick stovetop sear to lock in juices followed by baking to finish cooking and meld the flavors, resulting in a juicy, saucy chicken perfect for a comforting weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Cooking
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (3 to 4 pieces)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil, divided
Sauce
- 1 cup Kraft Catalina salad dressing
- ½ cup apricot preserves
- 1.25-ounce packet dry onion soup mix
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Garnish
- Minced fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Baking Dish and Oven: Spray a 13- x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set an oven rack to the center position and preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure it’s ready for baking the chicken later.
- Prepare the Chicken: If your chicken breasts are thick, pound them down to about ½-inch thickness for even cooking. If pieces are large, cut them in half for smaller servings.
- Sear the Chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add half of the chicken breasts and cook about 3 minutes per side until they turn light golden brown. Transfer these seared pieces to the prepared baking dish. Repeat this process with the remaining oil and chicken breasts.
- Make the Sauce: In a bowl, mix together the Catalina salad dressing, dry onion soup mix, apricot preserves, and, if using, crushed red pepper flakes until well combined.
- Combine and Bake: Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the seared chicken in the baking dish. Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken’s thickest part reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit using an instant-read thermometer. For a bubbly sauce finish, you may broil for a couple of minutes at the end, watching carefully to prevent burning.
- Rest and Serve: Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes; the sauce will thicken slightly during this time. Spoon the thickened sauce over the chicken pieces. Garnish with minced fresh parsley if desired and serve with extra sauce on the side.
Notes
- Make sure to not over-broil the chicken to prevent burning the sauce.
- Pounding chicken breasts to an even thickness ensures even cooking.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to check the chicken’s doneness at 165°F for safety.
- Optional crushed red pepper flakes add a little heat; omit if you prefer mild flavors.
- Leftover sauce can be saved and reheated to use as a topping for rice or vegetables.
Keywords: Catalina Chicken, chicken breasts recipe, baked chicken, easy chicken dinner, sweet and savory chicken, quick weeknight meal