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Dinner is a great meal, and more often than not, I usually need to make something easy and semi-quick. Fortunately, today’s recipe is just that; it takes little prep time before baking in the oven.
If your family likes chicken, then you’ll want to try this buttery baked chicken. With butter, evaporated milk, and cream of chicken soup, it becomes a creamy dish that you’re sure to love.
I cook with chicken breasts A LOT. It’s probably our go-to meat, and I have a lot of favorite baked chicken breast recipes you may also wish to try, like Salsa Chicken, Creamy Swiss Chicken Bake, and BBQ Baked Chicken.
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Pantry staples. Make a delicious dish with ingredients you most likely have on hand.
- Surprisingly easy. With just 10 minutes of prep and a few easy steps, this recipe is so simple that even your kids can make it.
- Creamy sauce. The smooth sauce coats the chicken and is wonderful served over rice or noodles.
Buttery Baked Chicken Ingredients and Substitutions
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts- or 6 to 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk- Be sure that you use evaporated milk, NOT sweetened condensed milk.
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt- Reduce if using salted butter.
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup butter, melted- We use unsalted butter, but salted butter can be used.
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of chicken soup- Use cream of mushroom soup instead, or even make a cream soup substitute.
- ¼ cup water
- Optional- Sprinkle on some Cheddar, Monterey, or Colby Jack, Mozzarella, mild Provolone, or Parmesan right before the last 30-minute bake time.
How to Make Buttery Baked Chicken
- PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- COAT. Dip each chicken piece in a bowl filled with about ⅛ (about 3 tablespoons) of your evaporated milk. Coat well and then roll it in the flour seasoned with salt and pepper.
- BAKE. Pour the melted butter in a 9×13 baking dish, and the chicken, and bake for 1 hour.
- SAUCE. While the chicken is baking, mix together water, the can of soup, and the rest of the evaporated milk.
- BAKE. After 1 hour, turn the chicken over and pour the soup mixture on top. Bake for 30 more minutes until golden brown. Serve as is. Creamy and Delish!!
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Be sure that you use evaporated milk, not sweetened condensed milk. In a pinch, half and half can also be used.
- Pound the chicken breasts to a consistent thickness throughout so they will bake and an even rate.
- This recipe makes more sauce than you might need. Pour enough over the chicken so the sauce comes about halfway up the breasts. You can also use a larger dish and add more chicken breasts.
- To make in a crock pot. Put the melted butter into the crockpot and add the prepared chicken pieces on top. Cook for 4-5 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low. Halfway through the cooking time, turn each piece over and pour in the soup mixture.
Buttery Baked Chicken Recipe
Creamy Buttery Baked Chicken is simple and full of flavor. It is another great dinner idea for any occasion!!
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Dip each chicken piece in a bowl filled with about ⅛ of your evaporated milk. Coat well and then roll it in the flour seasoned with salt and pepper.
- Pour the melted butter in a 9×13 baking dish, and the chicken, and bake for 1 hour.
- While the chicken is baking, mix together water, the can of soup, and the rest of the evaporated milk.
- After chicken has been baking for 1 hour, turn the chicken over and pour the soup mixture on top. Bake for 30 more minutes until golden brown. Serve as is. Creamy and Delish!!
Notes
Recipe Tips.
- Be sure that you use evaporated milk, not sweetened condensed milk. In a pinch, half and half can also be used.
- Pound the chicken breasts to a consistent thickness throughout so they will bake and an even rate.
- This recipe makes more sauce than you might need. Pour enough over the chicken so the sauce comes about halfway up the breasts. You can also use a larger dish and add more chicken breasts.
- To make in a crock pot. Put the melted butter into the crockpot and add the prepared chicken pieces on top. Cook for 4-5 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low. Halfway through the cooking time, turn each piece over and pour in the soup mixture.
Nutrition
Serving: 4g, Calories: 587kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 52g, Fat: 33g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 212mg, Sodium: 1853mg, Potassium: 899mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 0.5g, Vitamin A: 917IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 33mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
How to store?
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for 3-4 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw, if needed, and reheat in the microwave, or for larger amounts, the oven.
Complete the Meal
Side Dishes
Caramelized Brussel Sprouts
30 mins
Homemade Biscuits
25 mins
Parmesan Potatoes
30 mins
Roasted Green Beans
17 mins
Desserts
More Baked Chicken Recipes
Creamy Swiss Chicken Bake
1 hr 5 mins
Mayo Parmesan Chicken Bake
45 mins
Baked Ranch Chicken
45 mins
Bruschetta Chicken
4 hrs 45 mins
Collections
This recipe was originally published June 2014.
Could you possibly use chicken tenders instead of large chicken breasts, and then just reduce the cooking time?
Yes, 4 chicken breasts can be substituted with 12-16 chicken tenders. Bake them in the butter for 1about 15 minutes, add the sauce and bake for another 15-20 minutes.
This looks delicious. I’m dying to make it tonight, but I have no evaporated milk. Can I use half and half instead?
Does the chicken still bake for 1 hour if they are smaller chicken breasts?
Ok, so I screwed this up, but it was delicious! Instead of cream of chicken, I accidentally used cream of mushroom soup. I also used chicken thighs (could only fit 7 in my dish). I wasn’t certain if using chicken thighs would double the recipe, so I doubled it anyway just in case. Definitely ended up with A LOT of sauce/butter, but I served this with jasmine rice and it was excellent drizzled over the rice. I also made pan-fried asparagus (butter, olive oil, garlic, salt pepper) and cut the asparagus into smaller pieces. (Recipe from AllRecipes.com.) Also a hit! My son said we should make it again, but not to bother trying the Cream of Chicken since the Cream of Mushroom was so tasty!
I’ve made this several times and it is so good. To be hoenst , I did not expect it to turn out like it did, Next best thing to fried chicken adn milk gravy
Awesome recipe!
Thank you!!