This oven baked 3-ingredient chicken is the kind of old-school church cookbook recipe that earns a permanent spot in the family rotation. It turns a few pantry staples into tender, deeply savory-sweet chicken with a sticky glaze and beautifully browned skin, and it is exactly the sort of dependable dish busy home cooks love because you can get it into the oven fast and let it do its thing. Recipes like this became popular at potlucks and fellowship dinners because they were affordable, easy to scale, and always came home with an empty casserole dish.
Serve this chicken with simple sides that soak up the extra glaze, like fluffy rice, mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or a scoop of dressing at a holiday table. For vegetables, green beans, roasted carrots, corn, or a crisp green salad all work well and balance the sweetness of the sauce. If you are bringing it to a gathering, it pairs especially nicely with classic potluck favorites like rolls, deviled eggs, and a fruit salad.
Oven Baked 3-Ingredient Chicken Episcopalian
Servings: 6
Ingredients
3 pounds chicken pieces, bone-in and skin-on
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup honey
Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly grease a large oval casserole dish or 9x13-inch baking dish.
2. Arrange the chicken pieces in the baking dish in a single layer, skin side up if possible.
3. Drizzle the melted butter evenly over the chicken, then spoon the honey over the top as evenly as you can.
4. Bake uncovered for 50 to 65 minutes, basting once or twice with the pan juices, until the chicken is deeply golden and cooked through to 165°F in the thickest part.
5. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving, then spoon the glossy glaze from the pan over the top.
Variations & Tips
Use mixed chicken pieces: Thighs, drumsticks, and split breasts all work well here. Just try to use similarly sized pieces so everything finishes baking at about the same time.
Add a little seasoning: Even though the charm of this recipe is its simplicity, a sprinkle of salt, black pepper, garlic powder, or paprika can round out the sweet glaze nicely if you want a little more depth.
Watch the glaze near the end: Honey can darken quickly, so if the chicken is browning too fast before it is fully cooked, loosely tent the dish with foil for the remaining bake time.
Make it potluck-friendly: This is a great recipe to bake ahead, cover, and gently rewarm before serving. Spoon the pan juices over the chicken again right before it goes onto the table to freshen it up.
Try a crispier finish: For extra caramelized skin, place the baked chicken under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes at the very end, watching closely so the honey glaze does not burn.