Lightly season both sides of the chicken thighs with the kosher salt. The onion soup mix is salty, so you don’t need much here.
Arrange the chicken thighs, skin-side up, in the glass baking dish. Nestle them close together but try to keep them in a single layer, similar to a neat grid of pieces in the pan.
Raw chicken thighs arranged neatly in a glass baking dish
Raw chicken thighs arranged neatly in a glass baking dish
In a medium bowl, whisk together the French or Catalina dressing, apricot preserves, and dry onion soup mix until fairly smooth and combined. It will be thick and glossy.
Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken thighs in the baking dish, making sure each piece is coated. Use a spoon to spread the mixture so all the tops are covered, but keep the skin side mostly exposed so it can brown while the sauce bubbles around it.
Glossy apricot sauce being spooned over chicken thighs
Glossy apricot sauce being spooned over chicken thighs
Place the baking dish, uncovered, on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is deep golden and crisp around the edges. The sauce will be thick, bubbly, and slightly caramelized.Salads
Check for doneness by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of a thigh without touching the bone; it should read at least 165°F (74°C). If the skin isn’t as browned as you’d like, you can broil the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes at the end, watching closely so it doesn’t burn.
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