No-Peek Chicken Recipe

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 08/11/19
No peek chicken recipe

​The Spruce Eats / Nita West

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 2 hrs
Total: 2 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings

It doesn't get much easier than this. Budget-friendly chicken pieces are baked to perfection with condensed soups, a long grain and wild rice mixture, and a little wine. It's a great family recipe and an especially nice choice for a busy weekday meal. If you prefer to make the dish without wine, substitute with low or no sodium chicken broth or stock.

Whole chicken legs or chicken thighs are excellent in this easy dish, but chicken breasts, a cut-up whole chicken, or a combination of chicken parts will work as well. Browning the chicken before baking creates some extra depth of flavor, and the browned skin adds to the dish's appearance and texture. If you're short on time, you can skip that step.

Don't lift the foil to check on the chicken before the time is up! That's why it's called "no-peek" chicken.

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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (or vegetable oil)
  • 8 pieces chicken (a cut-up chicken or your choice of pieces)
  • 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
  • 2/3 cup water (or chicken stock, preferably unsalted)
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine (e.g. sauvignon blanc or an unoaked chardonnay)
  • 1 (6-ounce) package Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice Original Recipe
  • 1 (1.4-ounce) envelope dry onion soup

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for no peek chicken
    ​The Spruce Eats / Nita West

  2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the chicken and cook for 7 to 9 minutes, turning to brown on both sides. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

    Chicken in pan
    ​The Spruce Eats / Nita West

  3. Heat the oven to 350 F (180 C/Gas 4). Lightly grease a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan or a shallow to 2 1/2 to 3-quart baking dish.

    Grease pan
    ​The Spruce Eats / Nita West

  4. In a bowl, combine the condensed cream of mushroom and cream of celery soups, water or stock, wine, and the rice mix.

    Cream of mushroom
    ​The Spruce Eats / Nita West

  5. Then spoon the mixture into the prepared baking pan.

    Spoon mixture in baking pan
    ​The Spruce Eats / Nita West

  6. Place the chicken pieces on top of the rice mixture and sprinkle the dry onion soup mix over all.

    Place chicken on top
    ​The Spruce Eats / Nita West

  7. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 2 hours in the preheated oven.

    Cover
    ​The Spruce Eats / Nita West 

  8. Serve and enjoy!

    No peek chicken
    ​The Spruce Eats / Nita West

Recipe Variations

  • Use the lighter or "healthy" versions of the condensed soups. Cream of chicken soup or cream of chicken with herbs may be substituted for one or both of the soups.
  • Use chicken stock or vegetable stock instead of wine if you prefer to cook without alcohol.
  • Sauté about 1/2 cup each of diced celery, onions, and carrots until the onions are translucent. Add them to the rice mixture or layer the vegetables on top of the rice mixture.
  • Add diced pimientos to the rice mixture for additional color and flavor.
  • Scatter some fresh herbs over the chicken pieces along with the onion soup mix.
  • When the chicken is done, remove the foil from the baking dish and sprinkle with a layer of cheddar or another melty cheese. Place it back in the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
632 Calories
39g Fat
38g Carbs
29g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 632
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 39g 50%
Saturated Fat 18g 92%
Cholesterol 144mg 48%
Sodium 200mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 38g 14%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Protein 29g
Calcium 200mg 15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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