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I make no joke when I say THREE ingredients.
This chicken, this magic chicken, is everything. Itโs the perfect, go-to meal for a busy weeknight, or maybe even better for a night whenย friends are coming over, but as of yet, nothing is planned for dinner. Yep, this would be your meal!
Simple as that.
In full disclosure, I did not include the cauliflower rice in the 3 ingredients with the chicken. You can make the rice if you pleaseโฆ and you really should because itโs delicious, AND it completes the meal in a healthy way, but the chicken is what this post is all about.
The recipe comes from my grandma who got the recipe from her sweet neighbor (hi Mrs. Gonzalez). My grandma is the queen of making simple yet delicious meals that everyone loves. I first had this chicken around this time last year when my family traveled to Florida for Spring Break and Easter. Nonnie served it the first night we arrived, and well, between my dad, my mom, Kai, Asher, my Nonnie and Grandpa, and me, the entire meal was devoured. Even my picky-eating, no chicken thighs please, mother loved this recipe. Itโs all about the sauce, itโs a combo I would have never thought up, but man it is so good.
So you ready? The magic three ingredients? Fair warning they are kind of weird, but like I said, SO GOOD.
โฆ.skin on chicken thighs (you can use chicken breasts as well)
โฆ.apricot preserves (try really hard to find a high quality brand without any corn syrup or other weird ingredients)
โฆRussian dressing (I made a healthier homemade version, but store-bought is what my grandma uses!)
I know, kind of oddโฆtotally DELISH though.
When Nonnie served this, she had steamed white rice, corn on the cob and bread. I am going the slightly healthier route with my cauliflower rice, but um guys, I promise I will SO not be offended if you just make a pot of rice and call it a day. Nothing beats real deal steamed rice.
However, if youโre willing to branch out a bit, I highly recommend the Cauliflower Rice. I made mine with some coconut milk and then tossed in roasted cashewsโฆ healthy and yummy!
Whatever you do, just give this 3 Ingredient Apricot Chicken a try. Honestly, itโs SOOOO good. I canโt figure out if itโs more of an Asian flavor or an Indian flavor or maybe even a Russian flavor, but I really donโt care. All I care is that itโs completely amazing and the EASIEST thing ever to make. Like add your three ingredients to a Pyrex pan and bake.
DONE AND DONE.
Oh, and really quick, thank you so much for you kind words on yesterdayโs post. I am thrilled you guys are so excited about the Better Homes and Gardens Blogger Awards, THANK YOU!
Now, letโs all celebrate with a little feast and an easy + pretty, healthy Wednesday dinner.
Sweet and Sticky 3 Ingredient Apricot Chicken with Cauliflower Rice.
Ingredients
- 6-8 skin on chicken thighs or 4 breasts
- 1 (13 ounce) jar high quality apricot preserves*
- 2 cups store bought or homemade Russian Dressing, see my healthy recipe below
Cashew Cauliflower Rice
- 2 tablespoons coconut or olive oil
- 1 large or 2 small heads cauliflower, finely grated*
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- salt + pepper
- 1/3 cup canned coconut milk
- 1/2 cup roasted cashews, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Lightly grease a 9x13 inch pyrex pan. Add the chicken. In a medium bowl, mix together the apricot preserves and Russian Dressing. Pour over the chicken.
- Bake for 30-40, minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. The time will depend on the size of your chicken pieces. If the tops of the chicken are getting too browned, cover the pan with foil halfway through cooking. Serve the chicken along side the cauliflower rice (recipe below). Spoon the sauce left in the pan, over the chicken. EAT.
Cauliflower Rice
- Heat a large, high sided skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Add the cauliflower and season with cumin, salt and pepper. Cook for 2 more minutes. Stir in the coconut milk. Cook until the cauliflower is tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat, then add the cashews and cilantro.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Healthy Red Russian Dressing.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup plain full-fat or 2% greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup organic ketchup
- 1/4 cup pickle brine/juice, the juice from the pickle jar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley + dill
- salt + pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl or glass jar and whisk to combine. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Keep stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Yes letsโฆ and then maybe even help ourselves to another plateโฆor two. ๐
P.S. Donโt forget, you can vote once a day through March 7th for your favorite food blogger!! Just click onย the badge above toย link you to the Better Homes & Gardens siteย to vote! THANK YOU for all your continuousย support! 
ย
I love and have used this recipe before. when I came back to print it, the link only takes me to the healthy russian dressing, not the sweet and sticky 3 ingredient chicken w cauliflower.
Hi Jean,
So glad to hear you have been enjoying this recipe! That is so weird, so sorry about that! I will let the Jupiter team know so they can get this fixed! xx
We normally love your recipes but this one just doesn’t seem to work. So much sauce to chicken and as it’s baked in a Pyrex it just comes out poached and unattractive. I ended up broiling the chicken to give it some colour before re-adding but overall was still not a favourite in our house.
Hi Katherine,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so very sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! xT
I don’t know if I did something wrong, but the sauce was incredibly watery and tasteless after baking the 40 minutes. The chicken was fine, but I expected the sauce to thicken a lot in the oven (based on the pictures) and it was a soupy mess. I would definitely tweak the measurements of the dressing if I make this again.
Hi Robin,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear your sauce was so watery. You could add a cornstarch slurry next time to ensure it thickens. I hope this helps! Happy Sunday! xT
Absolutely delicious!! This is a winner! Seems so weirdโฆ the combination of ingredients, but the flavors are wonderful. Followed pretty close. Thank you. ๐
Hey Rochelle,
Amazing!! Love to hear that this dish turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xT
I’ve been a fan of dozens of Half Baked recipes and have liked almost all the ones I’ve tried, but this one missed the mark! No one in my family liked it. (The recipe I tried is from her cookbook, and included broccoli, but it’s basically the same as far as flavors). Huge disappointment. The flavors were bizarre together. Never making this again.
Hey Becky! Oh no I’m so sorry about that! Is there anything I can do to help? Thank you for letting me know, I appreciate it! xT
Trying tonightโฆhowever in cookbook it calls for boneless, skinless thighs or breasts
Hi Kathleen,
This recipe and the one in the cookbook are different:) You can pick whichever one you would like to follow. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx