This oven baked 4-ingredient Amish carrot chicken is the sort of supper I watched the church ladies put together for potlucks when I was a girl—quietly frugal, deeply comforting, and made with what was on hand. Raw chicken drumsticks go straight into a glass baking dish, then you simply scatter canned sliced carrots over the top along with a sweet-tangy mix of brown sugar and dry onion soup mix. It all bakes together into a glossy, savory pan of chicken and carrots that tastes like it took all afternoon, even though it comes together in just a few minutes. It’s the kind of no-fuss, stick-to-your-ribs meal that fits right into a busy farmhouse day or a cozy weeknight in town.
Serve these tender drumsticks and soft, sweet carrots with a big scoop of buttery mashed potatoes or plain boiled potatoes to soak up the juices. Buttered egg noodles or white rice are also very traditional and do a nice job catching the sauce from the pan. Add a simple side of green beans, coleslaw, or a crisp lettuce salad for a bit of crunch and color. A slice of soft dinner roll or store-bought bread, warmed in the oven while the chicken rests, makes this humble dish feel like Sunday supper.
Oven-Baked Amish Carrot ChickenServings: 4
Ingredients
8 chicken drumsticks (about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds), skin-on
1 can (14.5 to 15 ounces) sliced carrots, well drained
1 packet (about 1 ounce) dry onion soup mix
1/3 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
Directions
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Set a 9x13-inch glass baking dish on the counter.
Pat the chicken drumsticks dry with paper towels so they brown better. Arrange the raw drumsticks in a single layer in the glass baking dish, leaving a little space between each piece so the heat can circulate.
In a small bowl, use your fingers or a spoon to break up any clumps in the brown sugar. Sprinkle the dry onion soup mix into the bowl with the brown sugar and stir them together until evenly combined.
Open the can of sliced carrots and drain them well so they don’t water down the sauce. With clean hands, scatter the canned sliced carrots evenly over the raw chicken drumsticks in the glass dish, tucking some of the carrots down between the pieces of chicken.
Sprinkle the brown sugar and onion soup mixture evenly over the top of the carrots and chicken, letting it fall down into the spaces. Use your hands to gently spread it so every drumstick gets a good coating of the mixture.
Cover the glass baking dish tightly with foil. Place the dish on the center oven rack and bake, covered, for 30 minutes to let the chicken start cooking through and the sugar and soup mix dissolve into a sauce.
After 30 minutes, carefully remove the foil—watch for steam. Spoon some of the juices from the bottom of the dish over the tops of the drumsticks to moisten them. Return the uncovered dish to the oven and continue baking for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and nicely browned in spots. The internal temperature of the thickest part of a drumstick should reach at least 165°F (74°C).
If you’d like a deeper color on the skin, you can turn the oven to broil for the last 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely so the sugar doesn’t burn. Remove the dish from the oven and let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes so the juices settle.
Before serving, gently stir the carrots into the pan juices and spoon some of that sweet-savory sauce over each drumstick. Serve the chicken hot, with extra carrots and juices from the glass baking dish spooned over each plate.
Variations & Tips
You can swap the drumsticks for bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs if that’s what you have; just keep them in a single layer and check for doneness, as thighs may need an extra 5 to 10 minutes. If you prefer things less sweet, reduce the brown sugar to 1/4 cup; for a slightly richer, stickier glaze, you can increase it to 1/2 cup. A small pinch of black pepper or paprika sprinkled over the top before baking adds a gentle warmth without changing the simple spirit of the dish. If you don’t have dry onion soup mix, you can approximate it by using 2 tablespoons of dried minced onion, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and a small pinch of garlic powder, though the flavor will be a bit different from the packet. For a heartier one-pan meal, you may tuck a few small, peeled potato chunks around the drumsticks, but be sure not to crowd the pan too much or the chicken will steam instead of brown. Always handle raw chicken with care: wash your hands, cutting boards, and any utensils that touch the raw meat before using them on other foods. Make sure the chicken reaches at least 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part, away from the bone, and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Leftovers reheat well, covered, in a low oven or microwave with a spoonful of the pan juices to keep everything moist.
