This oven baked 4-ingredient chicken Evangeline is one of those humble little casseroles that doesn’t look like much on paper, but it’s the dish everyone remembers from the reunion table. I found it written in my Aunt Evangeline’s careful cursive on a yellowed card dated 1968, tucked in the back of her recipe box with a note that simply said, “For company.” She brought this to every family gathering, and we all tried to guess what made the sauce so silky and rich. Turns out the secret wasn’t fancy at all—just a clever way of using canned soup and dry onion soup mix to turn plain chicken breasts into something tender, fragrant, and bathed in an amber, oniony gravy that tastes like it simmered all day.
This chicken is happiest alongside plain, comforting sides that soak up the sauce. Serve it over fluffy mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or simple white rice so every bit of that onion-rich gravy has a place to go. Add a green vegetable—steamed green beans, peas, or a simple tossed salad—to balance the richness. A basket of warm dinner rolls or slices of soft white bread lets everyone mop up the last of the silky sauce from the baking dish.
Oven-Baked Chicken EvangelineServings: 4
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds total)
1 (10.5-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.5-ounce) can condensed French onion soup
1 (1-ounce) packet dry onion soup mix
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a rectangular glass baking dish (about 9x13 inches) so the chicken doesn’t stick.
Lay the chicken breasts in a single layer in the baking dish. If any pieces are very thick on one end, tuck the thin end under so they cook more evenly.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the condensed cream of chicken soup, condensed French onion soup, and the dry onion soup mix until everything is smoothly combined. It will be thick and pale at this point.
Pour the soup mixture evenly over the chicken breasts, making sure each piece is well coated and the onions from the mix are scattered over and around the chicken. Use the back of a spoon to spread if needed.
Cover the baking dish tightly with foil. Bake on the center rack for 30 minutes to let the chicken gently poach and stay tender in the sauce.
After 30 minutes, carefully remove the foil (watch for steam). Spoon some of the sauce over the tops of the chicken breasts, then return the uncovered dish to the oven.
Continue baking, uncovered, for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and very tender. The sauce should be bubbling, thickened, and a rich amber color, with the onions soft and lightly caramelized around the edges. The internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken should reach 165°F (74°C).
Once done, let the dish rest for about 5 to 10 minutes so the sauce settles and clings nicely to the chicken. Use a wooden spoon to scoop out a chicken breast and plenty of the silky onion gravy to serve over mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice.
Variations & Tips
If you like a deeper flavor, you can use cream of mushroom soup in place of cream of chicken, or use half of each. For a touch of brightness, stir a tablespoon of dry sherry or white wine into the sauce mixture before pouring it over the chicken. If you prefer dark meat, substitute bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs; increase covered baking time by about 10–15 minutes and check for doneness with a thermometer. To make the onions even more pronounced, scatter a thinly sliced fresh yellow onion over the chicken before adding the sauce. For a slightly lighter version, use reduced-sodium soups and a low-sodium dry onion mix if you can find it, and taste the sauce before serving in case you want a small pinch of salt. Always handle raw chicken carefully: keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to cook, use a separate cutting board and knife for the raw meat, and wash your hands, utensils, and surfaces with hot, soapy water after contact. Be sure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) measured in the thickest part, and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow containers. Leftovers reheat well in a low oven, covered, or gently in the microwave with an extra spoonful of water or broth to loosen the sauce if needed.
