This 5-Ingredient Oven Chicken is the kind of easy supper that saves the day when everyone is hungry and you need something dependable without standing over the stove. By starting with raw diced chicken right in the baking dish, you skip extra pans and keep cleanup simple, while the chicken bakes up tender with colorful vegetables and a savory sauce that feels hearty enough for a family meal or casual company.
Serve this chicken over fluffy rice, buttered noodles, or mashed potatoes to catch all the flavorful juices. It also pairs nicely with a simple green salad, steamed broccoli, or warm dinner rolls, and if you want to stretch the meal for a bigger table, a side of roasted carrots or green beans works beautifully.
5-Ingredient Oven Chicken
Servings: 4 to 6
Ingredients
2 pounds raw chicken breast, diced into bite-size pieces
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 packet dry Italian dressing mix, about 1 ounce
1 cup barbecue sauce
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease a medium ceramic baking dish.
2. Add the diced raw chicken to the baking dish and spread it into an even layer.
3. Scatter the chopped red and green bell peppers over the chicken.
4. Sprinkle the dry Italian dressing mix evenly over the top, then spoon the barbecue sauce across the dish and gently stir just enough to coat everything.
5. Bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the chicken is cooked through and reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the center.
6. Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before serving, then spoon it over rice, noodles, or potatoes if desired.
Variations & Tips
Kid-Friendly Version: If your family prefers milder flavors, use a sweet barbecue sauce and chop the peppers a little smaller so they soften more as they bake. You can also serve the chicken over noodles for a supper that usually wins over picky eaters.
Extra Veggie Version: Add chopped onion, zucchini, or mushrooms if you want to make the meal stretch a bit further. Just keep the chicken in a single fairly even layer so it cooks evenly and does not steam too much.
Make-Ahead Tip: You can dice the chicken and chop the peppers earlier in the day, then keep them refrigerated until supper time. When you are ready to cook, simply assemble everything in the baking dish and pop it in the oven.
Sauce Tip: If you like a saucier dish for spooning over rice or mashed potatoes, stir in a few extra spoonfuls of barbecue sauce before baking. Be sure not to overbake, since diced chicken stays most tender when it is just cooked through.