This oven baked 3-ingredient Amish onion soup chicken bake is the definition of low-effort, high-reward comfort food. My neighbor brought a pan of this to a neighborhood potluck, and everyone was shocked when she said it was just chicken, onion soup mix, and a little creamy binder. The Amish-style simplicity is all about pantry staples and slow oven time, which turns basic chicken into something unbelievably fork tender with a rich, savory onion gravy. It’s the kind of recipe you throw together on a busy weeknight and still feel like you’re serving a cozy, from-scratch dinner.
Serve this chicken with a scoop of mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles so they can soak up all that onion gravy. Steamed green beans, roasted carrots, or a simple side salad round it out without much extra effort. If you’re feeding a crowd, add some dinner rolls or crusty bread for dipping. Leftovers are great spooned over rice for an easy next-day lunch.
Oven Baked 3-Ingredient Amish Onion Soup Chicken BakeServings: 4
Ingredients
2 to 2 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and/or drumsticks
2 (1-ounce) packets dry onion soup mix (such as Lipton)
1 cup sour cream (full-fat or light)
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch glass baking dish so the chicken doesn’t stick and cleanup is easier.
Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and trim any excess skin or fat. Arrange the chicken in a single layer in the glass baking dish, skin side up, leaving a little space between pieces so they roast instead of steam.
In a medium bowl, stir together the dry onion soup mix and sour cream until completely combined. The mixture will be thick and speckled with dried onions and herbs.
Spoon the onion soup mixture evenly over the chicken, spreading it so each piece is well coated. It’s fine if some of the mixture falls into the bottom of the dish—this will turn into a rich, savory onion gravy as it bakes.
Cover the baking dish tightly with foil. Bake covered for 45 minutes to help the chicken become very tender and keep the sauce from drying out.
After 45 minutes, carefully remove the foil. Baste the chicken with some of the onion gravy from the pan, then return the dish to the oven uncovered.
Continue baking, uncovered, for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the chicken is fork tender and the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). The top should be lightly browned and the onion gravy bubbly around the edges.
Remove the dish from the oven and let the chicken rest for about 5 to 10 minutes. This lets the juices settle and the sauce thicken slightly. Serve the chicken straight from the glass baking dish, spooning plenty of the onion gravy over each piece.
Variations & Tips
For a slightly lighter version, swap the sour cream for plain Greek yogurt; just know the sauce will have a bit more tang. You can also use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs—reduce the covered bake time to about 30 minutes and then uncover and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, watching closely so they don’t dry out. If you like a deeper roasted flavor, broil the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes at the very end to brown the tops more (keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn). To stretch the meal, tuck thick-sliced onions or quartered baby potatoes around the chicken before adding the sauce; they’ll cook in the onion gravy and come out super flavorful, though this technically adds more ingredients. For a make-ahead option, assemble the dish in the morning, cover, and refrigerate; when you get home, slide it into the oven and add 5 to 10 extra minutes to the bake time since it will be starting cold.
