Table of Contents
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!!
Is the can of soup in buttery baked chicken recipe condensed or just a normal can of soup
It is condensed, yes. Just a regular can of cream of chicken soup.
Thanks so much. I’m going to try this. I’m a bit of a novice.
Gotta try this
Hope you enjoy!
This chicken is wonderful, moist, full of flavor, and easy. My husband and I think this a go to meal. I have recommended this to a couple friends, that have picky husband’s, and they all love it. Kudos to you.
How could I change the oven cooking to a crock pot? Thank you, Karen
Just put the melted butter into the crockpot and the prepared chicken pieces on top of it. Cook for 4-5 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low. Half way through the cooking time, turn each piece over and pour in the soup mixture. Then cook for the remaining time. Hope you enjoy!!
Loved it!Made chicken flavor rice a roni to go with it & added a can of sliced mushrooms. Delicious & easy
This chicken was so good I add a few more spices like garlic salt instead of salt and paprika onion powder
Mmmm sounds tasty! So glad you enjoyed the chicken!
Can you do the same thing with steak
I haven’t tried substituting the chicken for steak. I’m not sure this is the recipe I would use to swap for steak either, just due to how it is baked. You’d need to adjust baking time and even probably how you bake it if you were to use steak. We have an awesome steak marinade recipe that you could grill or sear in a pan https://lilluna.com/steak-marinade-recipe/ or a yummy Chicken Fried Steak recipe too, that may feel a bit more like this Butter Chicken, but using steak: https://lilluna.com/chicken-fried-steak/
So yummy and easy. The extra “sauce” mixes well with a side of white rice.
this chicken is amazing! I served it on a bed of rice with some veggies and everyone loved it!
Yay!! Thank you for letting me know!
This recipe will change your life! So easy to make and 100% delicious. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
Such an incredible dish! The flavors are amazing!!
Another good tasting meal that has the option of going into the crockpot. Anything in the crockpot is always a favorite for me.
This recipe is super easy! It’s a great go-to & tastes good with anything! My kids love the sauce over the chicken!
Can you use something else in place of evaporated milk?
Yes – you can use half and half or whipping cream or if you want to stay away from dairy, you can use chicken broth.
I felt like 1/2 cup flour was too much. I covered my chicken and then had a lot left over, which I had to throw out. Other than that, it was very tasty. Added some Tex Mex cheese at the end for more flavour. I served it with roasted Brussels sprouts and homemade rice for a complete meal. My boyfriend loved it! We will try with chicken thighs next time as he prefers those
Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like a delicious meal. Love the sides that you paired with the chicken. Chicken thighs are great in this recipe too, so that’s a great option for next time! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I accidentally used condensed milk (sweetened of course) instead of evaporated milk. Whoops. We’ll see how that goes!
You will have to let me know! Hope you like it!
What size can evaporated milk.
Your nutrition facts for the buttery baked chicken do not specify serving size. Please tell me that the 2824 calories are for the entire dish and not just for 1/4 of the recipe!
Terrific dish! My husband said it was the best chicken he had ever eaten. I am on low sodium diet, so I had to tweak the recipe with lower sodium homemade soup, and less salt, but it was delicious. I definitely will make this again. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
You are so welcome! Tell him thank you! Thank you for trying it!
Just got the answer to mY lemon q. Keep the chicken recipes coming!!!!’my hUb only eats chicken since a recent heart attack. Thanks. Sue
I sure will!! Thank you so much for letting me know that!
Trying this tonight but what Do the lemons do. Thanks
What size can of milk they make two sizes
The bigger one 🙂 Enjoy!
Can this recipe be done in a crockpot or slowcooker?
I am sure it can, though I personally haven’t tried.
I made this tonight and even though I’m stuffed, I could go back for seconds! This is definitely being added to our dinner rotation! Thanks for sharing ????
LOL!! I’m so glad you like it! Thank you for sharing!
I tried this recipe tonight, found it on Pinterest. I saw you added some rosemary in the photo, but I didn’t have any lemons. Do you have the quantity for those ingredients? I ended up improvising, and added a little thyme and rosemary. I did use all the butter….its why the chicken doesn’t dry out. I served it over angel hair pasta….by boyfriend, he ate it so fast, then said “you ready to get married”? LOL….great recipe, thanks for sharing!
LOL!! Glad he liked it!! As for the lemons and rosemary, I just sprinkled some on top & sliced a small lemon and put some of those slices in. You can definitely add more or less. Thanks so much for letting me know!
Can I use bone in chicken thighs?
Yes you can!
The picture and the instructions don’t jive. Not sure how it gets brown with all of this soup on top. I think something is amiss.
I typically cut my chicken breasts in half…. So they aren’t so thick. Should I just leave them for this recipe?
Made this tonight and it was a big hit…even with the pickiest of our eaters. Thanks!
YAY!! I Love to hear that!! Thanks for stopping by. I hope you can find other recipes on the site that you enjoy. 😉
This chicken was so delicious. So tender. I served it with rice for all the yummy sauce. It’s a keeper as the guys said. Thank you.
Thank you for the comment!! Glad it was a keeper. It’s definitely a fav in our home. Hopefully you can try other recipes here on the site that are “keepers” too. 😉
I will try some this week. Can not wait.
i made mine just like it says and it browned and came out perfect. The butter is basically frying it.. Super easy.
Made it tonight….just so-so….pretty boring
I was wondering about the part that you pour over the chicken- there was so much my chicken was completely covered. Your pictures look like it was drizzled- did you dump the whole mixture on the chicken? With mine, you couldn’t even see the browning of the chicken. Normal or not normal?
There was a ton so we actually poured most of it over and baked and then left a little bit to drizzle on top. 😉
I would love to know nutritional facts.. Calories?
Because.. This was totally delish! Could b my new favorite easy recipe
It’s quite high. If you use four 7.5 oz chicken breasts, it comes out to 758 calories per breast.
I was so excited to try this but with 17 min left on the timer my oven was on FIRE!! How the heck did this happen?! I followed everything 100%, down to the pan size!
Is there a secret to getting them to brown? We tried tonight and did not brown up like the pic. Still good though!
All Wonderful Recipes. Thanks so much.
You are very welcome. 🙂
What is the carb count? Calories? Did I miss where this is posted?
This looks delish but I have a question-what size can of evaporated milk? Thanks.
There is only one size. I don’t have one on hand but its about 14-15 oz.
I had the same question as there is actually a small can of evap milk as well.
Carnation has two sizes.. 5 oz and 12 oz. https://www.verybestbaking.com/products/3804/carnation/nestle-carnation-evaporated-milk/
It’s 12 ounces, I believe. 😉
Yea just wondering like others. Does it get dry choking that long? Do you need to cover?
It didn’t get dry for us, but you can definitely cover it if you’d like. 🙂
Thanks for the recipe. Your website is really nice, I love the photos. Do you bake the chicken covered? I wonder how it bakes for 1.5 hours and is not dry.
I thought this was really good but I used chicken thighs instead of the chicken breasts.
Thighs would be just as good! Glad you liked it. 🙂
This looks delicious! I would love it if you joined and contribute your awesome posts at my link party at City of Creative Dreams, starts on Fridays 😀 Hope to see you there at City of Creative Dreams Link Party.
We tried this tonight. That’s an awful lot of butter. I think maybe you are meant to dump the butter at the time that you add the soup mixture…?
Yup, which is why it’s so good! 😉 If you want less butter I suggest using 1/4 cup instead. 😉
Do you think this will work with mushroom soup?
Absolutely!! The flavor will be a little different than the original recipe, but it will still taste delicious!
How does baking it for that long not make it dried out? It looks delicious and I really want to try it.
I’m wondering the same thing. 90 min is too long.
We love chicken too!! We eat it most nights. I can’t wait to try this recipe!! Super delicious!! Thanks 🙂