This 5-ingredient oven chicken is the kind of dinner I lean on when the day gets away from me but I still want something warm, hearty, and homemade on the table. Using raw boneless skinless chicken breasts right in the baking pan keeps prep simple and cleanup easy, and the oven does most of the work. It has that classic busy-weeknight casserole feel so many Midwestern home cooks love, with simple pantry additions turning plain chicken into a juicy, flavorful meal.
Serve this chicken with mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, rice, or roasted potatoes to soak up the extra sauce in the pan. For vegetables, steamed green beans, broccoli, glazed carrots, or a simple side salad all work well. If you want to stretch the meal for hungrier eaters, add warm dinner rolls or crusty bread on the side.
5-Ingredient Oven Chicken
Servings: 4
Ingredients
4 raw boneless skinless chicken breasts
Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 375°F and lightly grease a dark metal baking pan. Arrange the raw boneless skinless chicken breasts in a single layer in the pan.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the dry onion soup mix, sour cream, chicken broth, and paprika until smooth and well combined.
3. Spoon the sauce evenly over the chicken breasts, covering the tops as much as possible.
4. Bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and the sauce is bubbly around the edges.
5. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving, then spoon some of the pan sauce over each portion.
Variations & Tips
Add mushrooms: Scatter 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms around the chicken before baking if you want a richer, homestyle dinner. They cook down into the sauce and make it feel a little more like a full casserole.
Use chicken thighs: Boneless skinless chicken thighs work well here if that is what you have on hand. They usually stay extra juicy, but still check that they are fully cooked before serving.
Make it ahead: You can mix the sauce earlier in the day and keep it covered in the fridge. When dinnertime rolls around, just assemble everything in the pan and bake, which is especially helpful on busy work nights.
Thin large chicken breasts: If your chicken breasts are especially thick, pound them to a more even thickness so they cook more evenly and stay tender. This also helps avoid dry edges and undercooked centers.
Season carefully: Dry onion soup mix can be fairly salty, so taste the sauce ingredients only if appropriate before adding any extra seasoning, and wait until after baking to decide whether it needs more salt or pepper.
