This 5-ingredient oven chicken is the kind of simple supper that saves the day when everyone is hungry and you need dinner to come together fast. Raw chicken tenderloins bake up tender and juicy in a quick pantry-style sauce, giving you a comforting main dish with very little prep and hardly any cleanup. It has that dependable, home-cooked feel that works especially well on busy weeknights, and the sweet-savory flavor makes it easy to serve to both kids and adults.
Serve this chicken with rice, buttered noodles, mashed potatoes, or roasted vegetables so you can spoon some of that extra sauce over the top. A simple green salad, steamed broccoli, or warm dinner rolls round it out nicely, and if you want to make it feel a little extra special, pair it with baked sweet potatoes or green beans for a full family-style meal.
5-Ingredient Oven Chicken
Servings: 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 1/2 to 2 pounds raw chicken tenderloins
1 cup French dressing
1 packet dry onion soup mix, about 1 ounce
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch glass casserole dish if needed.
2. Arrange the raw chicken tenderloins in a single layer in the casserole dish.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the French dressing, dry onion soup mix, apricot preserves, and soy sauce until well combined.
4. Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken tenderloins, turning them gently if needed so they are well coated.
5. Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and reaches 165°F in the thickest part.
6. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving, then spoon the sauce over the top and serve warm.
Variations & Tips
Make it sweeter: If your family likes a sweeter sauce, add an extra spoonful of apricot preserves before baking. This makes the glaze a little stickier and especially good over rice.
Add vegetables: Tuck baby carrots, sliced onions, or chunks of bell pepper around the chicken before it goes into the oven. They soak up the sauce nicely and help turn this into more of a one-pan meal.
For picky eaters: Chicken tenderloins are already a kid-friendly cut, but you can also slice the cooked chicken into bite-size pieces before serving. That makes it easy to spoon over noodles or rice for little ones.
Check early: Since chicken tenderloins are smaller than chicken breasts, they can cook quickly. Start checking for doneness around the 25-minute mark so they stay juicy and tender.
Prep ahead: You can whisk the sauce together earlier in the day and keep it covered in the refrigerator. When dinner time comes, just pour it over the chicken and bake.