This old-fashioned oven baked 3-ingredient chicken boulevard is the kind of supper that belongs at potlucks, summer holidays, and family tables where nobody leaves hungry. It is wonderfully simple, with pantry staples doing all the heavy lifting, and the oven turning plain chicken into something sticky, tangy, and deeply comforting. Recipes like this have floated around Midwestern neighborhoods for decades, passed from one handwritten card to the next, because they are dependable, budget-friendly, and always seem to disappear fast.
Serve this chicken with potato salad, buttered corn, baked beans, coleslaw, or a simple pan of scalloped potatoes if you want to lean into that backyard-supper feeling. It also goes nicely with white rice or egg noodles to catch every bit of the sauce, and a dish of sliced pickles or watermelon on the side makes a fine warm-weather pairing.
Oven Baked 3-Ingredient Chicken Boulevard
Servings: 6
Ingredients
3 pounds chicken pieces, such as drumsticks and thighs
1 cup ketchup
1 cup bottled French dressing
Directions
1. Heat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a white speckled enamel casserole dish or a 9x13-inch baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the ketchup and French dressing until smooth and evenly combined.
3. Arrange the chicken pieces in the prepared baking dish in a single layer, then pour the sauce over the top and turn the pieces so they are well coated.
4. Bake uncovered for 50 to 60 minutes, basting once or twice if you like, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is bubbling, thickened, and caramelized around the edges.
5. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving so the sauce settles a bit and clings nicely to each piece.
Variations & Tips
Use mixed chicken pieces: Drumsticks and thighs stay especially juicy in this recipe, but a whole cut-up chicken works too. Just be sure every piece is coated well, and check that the chicken reaches a safe internal temperature before serving.
Make it a little sweeter or tangier: Since there are only three ingredients, each one really shows up. If your French dressing is quite sweet, the sauce will bake up with more of that old picnic-style flavor. If you prefer more tang, choose a sharper bottled dressing or use a ketchup with less sugar.
Line the dish for easier cleanup: This sauce loves to caramelize at the edges, which is mighty tasty but can stick to the pan. A light coating of oil helps, and soaking the dish in warm water soon after supper makes cleanup much easier.
Serve it for a crowd: This is a fine dish for reunions, church suppers, and holiday weekends because it doubles easily. Use two baking dishes rather than crowding one pan, so the chicken bakes evenly and the sauce has room to thicken instead of steam.