This is a simple weeknight recipe that's easy to put together with ingredients you probably already have! If you're looking for easy you can't go wrong with this quick to prep meal.
Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- Tender, juicy chicken breast (or chicken thighs!) in a tangy, rich sauce is hard to resist.
- Quick prep and hands-off baking mean more time for you. Plus you can make it ahead and freeze for later.
- Double the recipes and freeze half in the sauce in a freezer bag. When you're ready just thaw, dump in a pan, and bake!
Y'all, this used to be on my list of favorite meals when I was a kid. After I grew up I forgot all about it until I was desperate for some "mom food" and went searching through her recipe box.
I love how easy this is to prep. A lot of the time I'll put it together the day before and let it all sit in a storage container. When it's time to fix dinner it goes into the pan and into the oven while I take a quiet minute (full disclosure - by quiet minute I mean I hide for an hour with a book) for myself.
If you love this then you'll like this slow cooker apricot chicken made with bone in chicken thighs!
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
- Cut up boneless chicken thighs or tenders if you have them on hand.
- Instead of apricot, try peach jam or orange marmalade in the sauce mixture. Some families even like to add pineapple chunks to the jam for a tropical twist!
- Russian chicken is a great
slow cooker meal if you want to "set it and forget it". Toss all the ingredients into your Crockpot and cook it on low for four to six hours. The sauce does stay thinner than when it's baked. - If you're having a hard time finding red Russian dressing, you can substitute Catalina dressing in its place.
- Add a few splashes of soy sauce to the to create an Asian-inspired dish, similar to sweet and sour chicken.
- Russian chicken is best served over a bed of fresh white rice to sop up all that good sauce. However, we like it with brown rice or egg noodles, too.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Add 1-inch, bite-sized pieces of chicken to a baking dish.
- In a large bowl, add the Russian salad dressing, apricot jam, and dry onion soup mix.
- Whisk together the sauce ingredients and pour over the chicken
- Bake the Russian chicken for one hour.
🍴 Equipment
- casserole dish
- whisk
- mixing bowls
- measuring cups and spoons
🥫 How to store leftovers
This is one of those great recipes that stores really well. Trust me when I say that your whole family is going to want these leftovers!
Refrigerate
Store extra Russian chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Reheat in the microwave until hot and steaming. (Pro Tip: be sure to cover the dish with a paper towel before heating to avoid a red, splattery mess in your microwave!)
To freeze
You can also freeze leftovers for two to three months, as long as they are stored in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
To thaw, place the frozen, leftover Russian chicken into a microwave-safe dish and heat. Otherwise, let the chicken thaw in the refrigerator for one or two days, then heat.
You can also place the leftovers into a casserole dish and reheat in the oven until warmed through.
Marye's Tip
You can let the chicken pieces marinate in the sauce for an even more tender end result. Simply prep the meal in the morning, mixing the chicken and the sauce into a zip-top bag. Let it marinate in the refrigerator all day. When you're ready to cook, dump the contents of the bag into the casserole dish and bake.
💭 Things to know
- Some brands sell a more creamy Russian dressing that has mayo in it and resembles Thousand Island dressing. When making this recipe, try to find the bright red kind of Russian dressing - sometimes called Catalina dressing.
- Be sure to use an instant-read thermometer at the end of cooking time to make sure the chicken is at least 165F.
- Do not store this in aluminum or with aluminum foil. The acids in the sauce react with the aluminum and can give it a metallic flavor after a couple of days.
This is a very similar recipe to my honey-garlic glazed meatballs so if you like the flavors in this try that as well.
👩🍳 FAQs
Yes, you can prepare this dish the same way, but with whole chicken breasts. The cooking time may vary slightly. Just make sure the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer before consuming.
No worries, this simple recipe is easy to adapt. You can use other cuts of skin-on chicken, like breasts, drumsticks, and thighs. Just be sure to adjust the bake time accordingly, checking for temperature as mentioned above.
Russian dressing is a tomato-based salad dressing, made with vinegar and lots of delicious spices, like chili powder. The flavor profile is tangy and slightly spicy.
Surprisingly, the dressing actually doesn't originate from Russia but is rumored to have contained Russian-based caviar at one time, leading to its name. There are some homemade Russian dressing recipes online, but the easiest, cheapest way to enjoy it is to pick up a bottle from your local grocery store.
📚 Related recipes
- Sweet and tangy Bourbon Chicken cooks quickly on the stove or simmers all day in your slow-cooker.
- Chicken, cheese, and ranch—this tomato-based King Ranch Chicken Casserole is everything you could ever want in a dinner!
- Three ingredients. Yes, just three ingredients in this delicious Slow Cooker Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken dish.
- Baked Ricotta Chicken is a favorite around here!
More great chicken dinner ideas!
🍽️ What to serve with Russian chicken
Russian chicken is delicious with...
I love these red skinned mashed potatoes! Anytime I can skip peeling is a win for my inner lazy cook. Plus with Ranch seasoning and garlic powder the flavor is out of this world.
Broccoli salad has all kind of crunchy goodness! Plus it's very low in sugar and low-carb friendly.
Stick with tried and true vintage recipes like this no-bake millionaire pie and you can't go wrong!
📞 The last word
For the record, Russian chicken has nothing to do with the country but everything to do with the fact that it contains Russian dressing. So, don't come at me and tell me it's not an authentic Russian recipe (yep, that happens) because I know.
And now you do, too.
I like to double or triple this recipe and freeze half in a freezer bag so that I have an easy dinner anytime I need it.
Next time try these easy air fryer boneless chicken thighs! They're done in less than 15 minutes.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Tangy Russian Chicken
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon chipotle
- 1 cup Russian salad dressing
- 1 cup apricot jam
- 1.1 ounce onion soup mix, 1 envelope
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Add chicken to a 3 quart casserole dish.
- Sprinkle with the smoked paprika and chipotle.
- Toss to cover all the chicken.
- Set aside.
- Whisk Russian salad dressing, onion soup mix and apricot jam together in a large bowl.
- Spoon over chicken and stir to cover thoroughly.
- Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour.
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
First published June 6, 2022. Last updated April 14, 2024 for editorial improvements.
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Betty says
I haven’t thought about this recipe in years. We used to call it Golfers Chicken because we’d make it, set the oven at 250, pop it in foil covered, and head to the golf course. In those days, I always used bone-in chicken breast. Thanks for the great memories!