Bottom of the Jar Chicken

Baked Italian Dressing Chicken

Let’s chat about bottom of the jar chicken, aka Italian dressing chicken. A simple chicken breast recipe doesn’t always turn out very flavorful and that’s kind of annoying because every adult out there knows that what we really need is quick, easy AND delicious dinner ideas, which is where this Bottom of the Jar Chicken recipe comes in.

We start with a simple breast of chicken and then just three more ingredients — apricot jam, Italian dressing, and garlic powder — to add a stitch more flavor. As everything bakes in the oven, the Italian dressing chicken marinade seeps into the chicken, making it packed full of flavor and a perfect standalone dish, served over pasta or even shredded on top of salad.

A long time ago I heard someone mention that they had made Rachel Ray’s bottom of the jar chicken. I asked what it was and they responded that you use the last of your jam and fill the jar with salad dressing and herbs or something like that and then cook it over chicken.

I think that’s what she said, at least. Anyway, the other night I noticed that we still had a little of the pineapple apricot preserves from some turkey burgers we had made. I knew it wasn’t enough for more turkey burgers, but I actually don’t really like that jam for toast so I needed to think up something to do with it. I suddenly remembered that girl talking about using it for chicken, so I winged it!

From there we’ve been making versions of this Bottom of the Jar Chicken ever since, though 9/10 I just buy regular ol’ Apricot preserves.

This Italian dressing chicken was fantastic. It was light and incredibly flavorful. You can’t tell in the picture, but there was actually plenty of sauce, which is huge for me. I’m a saucy person 😉 I loved the mild and slight tang from the dressing with the fruity preserves. It was honestly so good! As I type this I’m totally craving it!

Italian Dressing Chicken Ingredients 

The ingredients list for this Italian dressing chicken couldn’t be any simpler! Here’s what we use to make baked chicken with Italian dressing: 

• Chicken breasts
• Apricot preserves
• Garlic powder
• Italian dressing

Can I Use Other Types of Jam in This Italian Dressing Chicken? 

For sure! It’s a fairly flexible recipe, which is why we love this baked chicken with Italian dressing. We’ve tested and tested this recipe and have found that when you’re using jam, jelly, or preserves for cooking you should stick with one of the following:

• Apricot
• Pineapple Apricot
• Mango
• Peach
• Pear
• Apple

We’ve found that strawberry and raspberry are often too seedy and sweet. However, I’m not stopping you if you’d like to try!

Can I Use Homemade Italian Dressing?

Absolutely! We just used store-bought dressing in this recipe to make this baked chicken as simple possible. But here’s a recipe for a homemade version of Italian Dressing that we LOVE if you prefer. 

How to Make Italian Dressing Chicken

This baked Italian chicken couldn’t be easier to make! Here are the steps for making the Italian chicken marinade and cooking the chicken: 

1. Whisk together the preserves and Italian dressing. 
2. Pour over the chicken in a baking dish. 
3. Bake until done. 

How Long to Bake Chicken

You can use chicken breasts or chicken tenders to make this Italian dressing chicken, although we prefer chicken breasts. Here are the guidelines for baking chicken: 

• Chicken breasts are generally baked at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, depending on the size.
• Chicken tenderloins are baked at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, or even 350 degrees F for 25 minutes.

Can I Make Italian Chicken in a CrockPot? 

Yes, but note that to make bottom of the jar chicken in the slow cooker or crockpot, you need to use chicken breasts or an increased number of chicken tenders or there won’t be enough meat in the slow cooker and it will burn.

Place the CrockPot on low heat and add the chicken breasts. Pour the dressing all over the chicken and place the lid on. Cook for 8 hours on low. Or if you’re using high heat only cook the chicken for 3-4 hours.

Can I Make Italian Chicken in an Instant Pot? 

Yes! The Instant Pot is a great shortcut to making this baked Italian chicken.

To make Italian dressing chicken in an Instant Pot, place a little dressing in the bottom of the pot then add the chicken and the remaining dressing. Set the Instant Pot to high pressure and close the lid, making sure the pressure gauge is set to seal.

Cook for 10-15 minutes and allow a 5 minute natural release. Remove the chicken and enjoy.

Tips for Making Italian Dressing Chicken

I say play with the flavor of the Italian chicken marinade! Add the amounts of jam and dressing that I did, then taste test to make sure it’s to your liking.

Also note that there are actually a lot of store-bought dressings that you can use as a marinade for chicken besides Italian dressing. We mention some in our Asian Ginger Marinade for Grilled Chicken recipe. Italian dressing is a great go-to that anyone can use for chicken, but it’s especially good if you add your own fresh herbs, sun dried tomatoes or even, like in this case, jam.

Here’s the best part too. This makes a killer freezer meal. Just whisk up the marinade in a freezer bag, add chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins, seal and freeze for up to 1 month!

More EASY MARINADE RECIPES: 

Looking for more marinade recipes? A good marinade is one of my favorite things, so make sure you try the following:  

• Balsamic Steak Marinade 
• Favorite Steak Marinade 
• Sticky Asian Grilled Chicken 
• Grilled Hawaiian Chicken
• Greek Marinade
• Sticky Orange Marinade 

More EASY CHICKEN DINNERS:

Or, if you’re just looking for another delicious chicken dinner recipe, go with one of the following: 

• Panko Crusted Chicken with Lemon Cream Sauce
• Thai Peanut Sauce Noodles and Chicken
• Simple Garlic Butter Parmesan Chicken with Lemon Rice
• Quick and Easy 15-Minute Chicken Stir Fry
• Teriyaki Chicken Casserole
• Cheesy Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
• Quick and Easy Cashew Chicken
• Better Than Grandma’s Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
• Quick and Easy Cornflake Ranch Chicken

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