Baked Chicken Breast with Cream of Chicken Soup
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Baked chicken breast with cream of chicken soup is one of the easiest oven dinners I make when I want something warm and filling without much prep.
The chicken cooks in a creamy sauce made from condensed soup and milk, with poultry seasoning doing most of the seasoning work. You need only 4 ingredients and a baking dish, so there isn’t much washing up either.
I like serving this with mashed potatoes because there’s plenty of sauce to spoon over them. Rice or pasta works well too, and a green vegetable rounds out the meal. The mild creamy sauce also gives you plenty of options if you want to add herbs, garlic or cheese another time.
Baked Chicken Breast with Cream of Chicken Soup at a Glance
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 40 minutes
- Total time: 50 minutes
- Servings: 4
- Cuisine: Not cuisine-specific
- Main ingredients: Chicken breast, condensed cream of chicken soup, milk and poultry seasoning
- Best cooking method: Oven baking
- Storage: Refrigerate for 3 to 4 days
Why You’ll Love This Baked Chicken Breast
- Only 4 ingredients: You don’t need a long shopping list or lots of seasonings.
- 10 minutes of prep: Most of the cooking time is hands-off once the dish goes into the oven.
- The sauce cooks with the chicken: There’s no separate gravy or pan sauce to prepare.
- Easy to vary: The basic sauce gives you room to try another condensed soup or add herbs and cheese.
Ingredient Notes
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: Choose pieces of a similar size when possible so they finish cooking at around the same time. Very thick chicken breasts can take longer.
- Condensed cream of chicken soup: Make sure it says condensed on the can. A standard 10 ½ to 10 ¾-ounce can works here. Ready-to-eat cream of chicken soup contains more liquid.
- Milk: This loosens the condensed soup into a creamy sauce that you can pour over the chicken.
- Poultry seasoning: This herb blend seasons the chicken without needing several separate jars of dried herbs.
Why You Need Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
Condensed soup is concentrated and much thicker than soup that’s ready to heat and eat. Mixing it with milk gives you enough sauce to cover the chicken while it bakes. Regular cream of chicken soup already contains more liquid, so adding the full amount of milk can leave you with a watery sauce.
How to Make Baked Chicken Breast with Cream of Chicken Soup
Arrange the chicken breasts in a baking dish and season them with poultry seasoning. Whisk the condensed soup with the milk and pour the mixture over the chicken, then bake until the thickest part of each breast reaches 165°F (74°C).
I start checking the temperature at about 35 minutes since chicken breast size can make quite a difference to the cooking time and chicken breast can dry out easily, so take care not to let this happen.
Tips for the Best Results
- Choose similar-sized chicken breasts: They’re more likely to finish cooking together.
- Keep the chicken in one layer: Arrange the breasts next to each other rather than overlapping them.
- Start checking early: Check the thickest breast at around 35 minutes. Larger pieces can need a little longer than the stated 40 minutes.
- Use a thermometer: Chicken is safely cooked when the thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C). Color alone isn’t a reliable way to judge doneness.
- Use condensed soup: Regular cream of chicken soup contains too much liquid for the recipe to come out right.
Substitutions and Variations
- Try another soup: Cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup can replace the cream of chicken soup. I really like the celery version!
- Make the sauce richer: Replace some of the milk with half-and-half or heavy cream.
- Add garlic: Stir a minced garlic clove into the soup mixture before pouring it over the chicken.
- Add herbs: Tarragon, parsley or basil all work with the mild creamy sauce.
- Add cheese: Sprinkle shredded cheddar, mozzarella or another good melting cheese over the chicken during the final few minutes of baking.
Equipment
You only need four ingredients for this recipe and guess what? You only need four pieces of equipment too!
- Baking dish: I like this Pyrex Deep 9 x 13-Inch Glass Baking Dish with Lid because the deeper sides leave plenty of room for the chicken and creamy sauce.
- Mixing bowl: This OXO Good Grips Mixing Bowl Set includes a medium bowl that’s a good size for mixing the condensed soup and milk.
- Whisk: An OXO Good Grips Balloon Whisk works well for whisking the soup and milk until smooth.
- Meat thermometer: I recommend an Instant-Read Meat Thermometer so you can check that the thickest part of the chicken has reached 165°F (74°C).
What to Serve with Baked Chicken Breast
Mashed potatoes are my first choice because the creamy sauce is so good spooned over them. For something a little different, try my colcannon with Irish cheddar. Rice, buttered noodles, pasta or crusty bread are easy alternatives.
Broccoli, green beans, asparagus and carrots all make simple vegetable sides. My creamed spinach is another option if you’re in the mood for a heartier veggie side dish and don’t mind pairing creamy with creamy!
How to Store
- Refrigerator: Put leftover chicken and sauce in a covered container within 2 hours of cooking. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 days.
- Reheating: Reheat the chicken with some of the sauce in the microwave or a covered baking dish until it reaches 165°F (74°C). Add a small splash of milk if the sauce has become too thick.
- Freezing: Cooked chicken can be frozen for up to 4 months for best quality. The milk-based sauce can separate slightly after thawing, so stir it well as it reheats.
- Make ahead: You can mix the condensed soup and milk ahead of time and refrigerate the mixture in a covered container. Keep it separate from the raw chicken until you’re ready to assemble and bake the dish.
Baked Chicken Breast with Cream of Chicken Soup FAQs
Not with the same amount of milk. Regular cream of chicken soup already contains more liquid, so the sauce can become watery. Use condensed soup for the recipe as written.
Thawed chicken breasts are the better choice for this recipe because the stated cooking time is based on thawed chicken. Frozen chicken can take around 50% longer in the oven, so the chicken and sauce may not finish at the same time.
Yes. Choose a certified gluten-free condensed cream of chicken soup and check the poultry seasoning label as well. Standard Campbell’s condensed cream of chicken soup contains wheat.
Yes. Divide the chicken between 2 baking dishes so the breasts remain in a single layer. The cooking time should be similar. Check the thickest breast in each dish and cook until it reaches 165°F (74°C).
Check that you used condensed soup and measured the milk accurately. Chicken also releases some moisture as it cooks. If you prefer a thicker sauce, reduce the milk slightly the next time you make the recipe.
Baked Chicken Breast with Cream of Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
- ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 ⅓ cups (320 ml) milk
- 1 can (10 ½ to 10 ¾ ounces/298 to 305g) condensed cream of chicken soup
Equipment
- 13 x 9-inch baking dish
- Medium mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Instant-read meat thermometer
Method
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Arrange the chicken breasts in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish and sprinkle them with the poultry seasoning.
- Whisk the condensed cream of chicken soup and milk together until evenly combined.
- Pour the soup mixture over the chicken breasts.
- Bake for about 40 minutes, starting to check the chicken at around 35 minutes. Remove it from the oven once the thickest part of each chicken breast reaches 165°F (74°C).
Notes
- Use slightly less milk if you want a thicker sauce.
- I sometimes use cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup if I don’t have cream of chicken soup.
- Replace some of the milk with half-and-half or heavy cream for a richer sauce.
- I find cooking time varies according to the thickness of the chicken breasts, so use a meat thermometer rather than relying only on the clock.
- Sprinkle shredded cheddar, mozzarella or another melting cheese over the chicken during the final few minutes of baking if liked.
- Refrigerate cooked leftovers for 3 to 4 days. Reheat to 165°F (74°C).
More Easy Chicken Dinners to Try
For another creamy chicken breast dinner, try my Elizabethan chicken in cream sauce, made with grapes, sour cream and warm spices. Baked chicken legs are super easy and sesame teriyaki chicken thighs make a great dinner with rice or noodles.
If you’re in the mood for something spicier, there’s my tandoori chicken in the oven or spicy chicken soup. You can also browse my chicken marinade recipes.
