You simply must taste this dish. A straightforward chicken recipe that won’t require much effort but will please the whole family. It doesn’t matter what you serve on the side, this 4-ingredient dish will be a hit. Incredible in flavor and a great choice for a midweek meal. I can guarantee that once you sample this, you will constantly want more.
At my house, chicken is a mainstay. Chicken is a standard dinnertime request from my children. That’s why I always have something exciting and tasty to offer. This chicken recipe uses only four common pantry staples and is one of my newest creations. I immediately bought it after seeing it online. I had a feeling it would be great, and I was right. The youngsters think it’s great. In the blink of an eye, the plates were empty. This recipe deserves to be kept around because it’s so delicious.
The first time I tried this meal was at a dinner party thrown by a friend. I begged her for the recipe after devouring it. She did, and I was thrilled, but when I saw how quickly and easily the dish could be prepared, I was overjoyed; with four people to feed every night, I need dinner to be as efficient as possible. This recipe, which is also known as “Russian Chicken,” is ideal because it is both simple to prepare and absolutely delicious.
In fact, even my picky-eater offspring enjoy it. I haven’t told them yet, but if I say Russian dressing and Apricot Preserves, they’ll probably just stare at me in silence and change their mind because those things are different from what they’re used to seeing in a plate. They can’t deny how much they enjoy it, so I’m not going to tell them what goes into it.
This is the best sweet and sour sauce I’ve ever had because of the unique balance of sweet and sour flavors. Russian dressing is one of my favorite salad condiments, and making it at home is a pleasure due to its simplicity and wonderful flavor. When I make this chicken, even my children’s friends want to stay over for dinner. I know you’ll be adding it to your regular rotation of recipes after trying this one.
The only things you need to make Russian Chicken are chicken, butter, and sour cream. It’s ideal for weeknights when you don’t have a lot of time to spend cooking but yet want a filling and nourishing supper. The chicken, Russian dressing, apricot preserves, and onion soup mix make up the four components of this dish. These ingredients, when mixed and baked, produce a sauce that is both savory and slightly sweet, and it goes wonderfully with the soft chicken. For a full supper, pair this recipe with rice, mashed potatoes, or your preferred vegetables.
Ingredients
8 chicken thighs without the skin and bones.
Red Russian Dressing, Half to One Cup
1/4 to 1/2 a cup of apricot preserves
Mixture for Onion Soup, Dried, 1 pkt (Lipton Onion Recipe Soup Mix is 1.8 oz.)
Turn the oven temperature up to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
Strip the fat from the chicken. Get it clean and dry, then put it in the baking dish. Grind some black pepper into it (no salt).
Mix the soup mix, jam, or preserves, and salad dressing in a bowl. Blend together (You can adjust the dressing and jam/preservative amounts to your liking, and you can always use the extra sauce to drizzle over the chicken at the table).
Add to chicken and serve.
Cover and bake for 20 minutes at 350°F.
Cover and bake for a further hour and fifteen minutes; the interior temperature should reach 165 degrees F.
Pour the sauce over the chicken and jasmine rice and serve.
*Jasmine rice is perfect with the sauce and is how I recommend serving it. You don’t have to rush out and buy jasmine rice; regular rice tastes great, too.
Notes
You can use either peach or orange marmalade in place of apricot if you can’t locate apricot jam or preserves. Several folks who have been making this meal for decades say that pineapple jam or preserves is the best jam to use. Finding this has proven difficult for me, but perhaps you will have more success.
Russian Dressing
Red Russian and Creamy Russian are two varieties of Russian Dressing. This recipe calls for Red Russian, as Creamy Russian contains mayonnaise. Bolder, more distinctive, and spicier than similar dressings, Russian dressing is made with chili sauce, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and smoked hot paprika. Red Russian dressing is hard to get by, so I usually end up making my own. The process is simple, and you probably already have all the necessary components at home, but if not, they can be found in any supermarket.
There are plenty of different dressings that can be used in place of Russian dressing if you can’t find any. The mayonnaise in Creamy Russian dressing will ruin this dish. Catalina Dressing is sometimes used as a stand-in, although it’s sweeter and lacks the dressing’s depth and variety of flavors. Alternately, Western Dressing and French Dressing can be used in place of Catalina; both are heartier than Catalina but still sugarier than Russian dressing. The key ingredients and flavor characteristics of Russian Dressing, such as Chili Sauce and horseradish, don’t appear to be available as substitutes.
• Chicken
Though boneless, skinless chicken breasts are fine in this recipe, I find that thighs work better. To me, the thighs are the most flavorful part of the bird, and my husband agrees.
• Add a touch of cayenne or red pepper flakes for heat, and a pinch of dried mustard for depth of flavor.
In order to make Russian Chicken, you’ll need the following four things.
Chicken breasts, Russian dressing, apricot preserves, and dry onion soup mix are the four components need to make Russian Chicken.
How do you make Russian dressing?
Mayonnaise, ketchup, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and spices are common ingredients in traditional Russian dressing recipes.
If I want to use a different kind of dressing, will it still work in this recipe?
While Russian dressing is commonly used, other types of dressing, including French or Thousand Island, can be used to great effect.
Can you recommend some side dishes to go along with Russian Chicken?
A: Roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, and crisp salads are just some of the great complements to Russian Chicken.
Can I use a slow cooker for this recipe?
In a slow cooker, combine all the ingredients and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours, to complete the dish.
To what extent may I substitute chicken thighs for chicken breasts?
Instead of chicken breasts, you can use chicken thighs in this dish. You may need to increase the cooking time a bit if you use chicken thighs.
Can this dish be made in advance?
It can be made up to two days in advance and stored in the fridge. To serve, simply reheat in a microwave or oven.
Is there gluten in this recipe?
Dry onion soup mix, which is commonly used in this recipe, is not gluten-free. On the other hand, you may either purchase gluten-free onion soup mix or easily prepare your own.
My question is whether or not I can substitute another type of meat.
You can substitute pig or beef in this dish without changing the flavor. In that case, you should only modify the cooking time and serve the meat after it is fully done.