Catalina Chicken is a comforting meal of tender chicken breasts coated in a sweet and tangy sauce made from Catalina dressing, apricot preserves, and a touch of spice. This recipe makes use of pantry staples to create a satisfying meal with minimal effort.

Catalina salad dressing is a requirement for my Taco Salad with Catalina Dressing (another blast from the past!). This recipe is one more fun way to make use of it!

If you’ve never heard of Catalina Chicken, allow me to introduce you.

This recipe is one of many “dump-and-bake” chicken recipes that were very popular in the 1950’s and for at least a couple of decades beyond. My earliest recollection of recipes like Catalina Chicken and Chicken Broccoli Rice Bake (another dump-and-bake classic) are from when I was a kid in the 1970’s.

The use of bottled dressings and dry soup mixes (and sometimes canned soup) made it quick and easy to add flavor without needing a lot of fresh ingredients. These recipes are also very kid-friendly, making them perfect for busy, working-parent households.

It’s fun to revisit these classic recipes and rediscover why you loved them so much!

Ingredient Notes

Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breasts.
Salad dressing: Kraft Catalina Salad Dressing is a bright orange/red color and has a sweet and tangy flavor. The flavor is somewhat similar to French dressing. Kraft makes a lightened up version and while I always use regular, I think you could achieve a very similar result with the light dressing.
Preserves: I like using apricot preserves but you can substitute peach preserves with a similar result.
Dry soup mix: You’ll need one packet of Lipton Dry Onion Soup Mix.
Optional ingredients: I add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little heat to balance the sweetness of the dressing. And, if you want to get fancy, you can garnish the finished recipe with some minced fresh parsley.

How to Make Catalina Chicken

1. Brown the chicken. In a large skillet in a little neutral oil, like vegetable oil. Brown it in batches, if needed.
2. Grease a baking dish. Transfer the browned chicken to the prepared dish.
3. Make the sauce. Combine the salad dressing, soup mix, preserves, and crushed red pepper, if using.
4. Bake. Pour the sauce over the chicken and bake at 350 degree F, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes. The chicken is done when the thickest portion reaches 165 degrees F when measured with an instant read meat thermometer.

Serving Suggestions

The point of this recipe is ease of preparation so keep with this theme for your side dishes. Simply prepared white or brown rice and Sautéed Green Beans or Sautéed Broccolini are plenty to round out this meal. To make it a little more interesting, cook a batch of my Almond Rice Pilaf – the crunch of the almonds is SO good with Catalina Chicken.

Storage Tips

• Refrigerate: Transfer the cooled chicken and sauce to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat the chicken and sauce over low heat in a skillet on the stove or in the microwave, just until warmed through.
• Meal Prep: Leftover Catalina Chicken is excellent for an easy lunch at work the next day. Just slice it and place it over cooked rice or grains with a little additional sauce and store it in an airtight meal prep container in the fridge.
• Freeze: For longer storage, transfer the leftovers to a freezer-safe plastic storage bag and freeze for up to 2 months.

Sign up for my free newsletter for all the latest recipes and join me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for more cooking inspiration!

Catalina Chicken

Catalina Chicken is a comforting meal of tender chicken breasts coated in a sweet and tangy sauce made from Catalina dressing, apricot preserves, and a touch of spice. This recipe makes use of pantry staples to create a satisfying meal with minimal effort.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Author: Valerie Brunmeier

Keyword: catalina chicken

Prep Time:15 minutes minutes

Cook Time:25 minutes minutes

Resting Time:5 minutes minutes

Total Time:45 minutes minutes

Instructions

• Coat a 13- x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. With an oven rack set to the center position, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

• If chicken breasts are very thick, pound to about ½-inch thickness. Cut large pieces in half for smaller serving size portions.

• Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to a large skillet and place it over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. When hot, add half of the chicken and cook for about 3 minutes per side, or until light golden brown. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and repeat with the remaining oil and chicken.

• Combine the salad dressing, soup mix, preserves, and crushed red pepper, if using. Pour the mixture over the chicken.

• Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes or until the thickest portion of chicken reaches at least 165 degrees F when measured with an instant read meat thermometer. If desired, you can set the oven to BROIL for a couple of minutes at the end of the cooking time just until the sauce is bubbling, being careful not to burn the chicken.

• Remove the baking dish from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. The sauce will thicken slightly as it rests. Spoon the slightly thickened sauce over the pieces of chicken. Serve with additional sauce spooned over the top.

Nutrition

Calories: 460 kcal · Carbohydrates: 30 g · Protein: 49 g · Fat: 14 g · Saturated Fat: 3 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g · Trans Fat: 0.03 g · Cholesterol: 145 mg · Sodium: 1420 mg · Potassium: 906 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 20 g · Vitamin A: 143 IU · Vitamin C: 5 mg · Calcium: 25 mg · Iron: 1 mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.

Did You Make This?We love seeing what you’ve made! Tag us on social media at @fromvalerieskitchen for a chance to be featured