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    Home » Everyday Meals

    May 20, 2022 · Modified: Jan 22, 2023 by Melinda O'Malley Keckler · This post may contain affiliate links · this blog generates income via ads.

    Dutch Oven Chicken

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Dutch Oven Chicken is a great go-to recipe. It's easy-to-make comfort food. Tender chicken and caramelized onions are topped with nutty poppy seeds and a crunchy, buttery cracker topping. It's a tasty, company chicken casserole recipe to prepare outdoors in a cast iron Dutch Oven or inside in your home kitchen. If you are looking for a new recipe that bakes chunks of tender chicken in a creamy sauce, get ready to dig in.

    Note: Some of the links on this page are paid links, Amazon Associates. This means I make a small commission when you click and shop. Your cost is always the same and I only link to and recommend products or ingredients here that I use.

    A scoop of chicken with green beans and rice on a plate.
    Tender chicken and caramelized onions are nestled under a crunchy cracker topping.

    Ingredients to Have on Hand

    The grocery list for Dutch Oven Chicken is short (yay!) and most everything on the list is likely either in your pantry now or an item that might be found on a quick trip to the store. The prep time is fast. Essentially, it's a chicken mixture baked with a soup mixture. I like to keep cream of chicken soup on hand just for this dish. You can use cream of mushroom soup as an option. This is an easy-to-make chicken recipe using boneless skinless chicken breasts that your family will love. It's also relatively low carb, despite that crunchy, cracker topping.

    • Chicken Breasts
    • Onion
    • Sour Cream
    • Cream of Chicken Soup
    • Buttery Crackers, such as Club Crackers
    • Poppy Seeds
    Ingredients for the recipe arranged on an outdoor table.
    Simple ingredients combine for a hearty and comforting entree.

    Tiny, Nutty Poppy Seeds

    You might wonder, why do we need to add something so little to this recipe? Poppy seeds might be tiny, but they add a mild, nutty flavor to Dutch Oven Chicken and they add a lot to this recipe! According to the Food Network, poppy seeds even have a bit of a health benefit. Bring on the poppy seeds!

    Where can I find poppy seeds?

    The grocery store in your neighborhood should have them. I usually find poppy seeds in the spice aisle but sometimes they are in the baking aisle. As an option, you can buy them here too.

    Diced chicken and chopped onions in a Dutch Oven.
    Place the diced chicken and chopped onion on top of the hot olive oil in the Dutch Oven.

    Prepare the Coals

    Unlike our home ovens where we just preheat the oven and prepare a large casserole dish, with Dutch Oven cooking we need to get the coals ready first. The charcoal will take about 20-30 minutes to reach the right temperature, you can tell when they're ready because the edges of the charcoal turn gray. It may seem time consuming, but this is usually the perfect amount of time to do some prep work for this easy chicken casserole, whether you need to melt a few tablespoons butter, chop a few wedges of onion, mix soup or prep the remaining ingredients.

    Soup and sour cream added to Dutch Oven.
    Add the soup and sour cream to the cooked chicken and caramelized onions.

    One Pot Main Course

    Whether you make this outside or inside, this baked chicken recipe is a satisfying one-pot main course for dinner. The creamy sauce is delicious served with white rice, brown rice or even a wild rice mix. But you could keep things really simple and serve it with a baked potato or even toast. Whatever is your personal preference will taste great. Whether you use boneless skinless chicken breast halves, chicken tenders or even boneless skinless chicken thighs, you'll have a winner, winner chicken dinner. One note, I've not made this using pre-cooked rotisserie chicken and I haven't used the slow cooker. I recommend baking either in the oven or a Dutch Oven for this recipe.

    Chicken and onions cooking in a Dutch Oven
    The chicken and onions cook together in the hot Dutch Oven.

    Dutch Oven Cooking

    Have you ever made a meal outdoors in a big cast iron Dutch Oven? It's a fun and actually very easy way to fix a big pot of food. Talk about a conversation starter when you have company! Of all the chicken casserole recipes out there, this one is the best of both worlds. It's a flavor combination that even a picky eater will love yet it's fancy enough to serve guests and the total time from prep work to baking is pretty quick. Scroll down for a few "tricks of the trade" for this great recipe.

    Fourteen coals on top of the Dutch Oven lid.
    Depending on the temperature outside and the weather, 14 coals on the lid is what you'll need to cook at 350° F.

    There are a few items you'll want to have ready before your maiden voyage with Dutch Oven cooking. Here are some of the "must have" items to help make the cooking adventure go smoothly with this simple recipe.

    10" Dutch Oven There are many size options in Dutch Oven cooking, some are much larger. But this 10" size holds 5 quarts which is big enough to prepare plenty of food.

    Lid lifter. Of all the Dutch Oven accessories, this is probably the most important to have. Lifting a lid full of hot coals over high or even medium-high heat is something you don't want to risk with a potholder.

    Lid stand this is really important because you'll want a nice clean place to put your lid when you want to check what's cooking in the oven, or when you remove the lid so folks can dig in.

    A chimney charcoal starter makes lighting all that charcoal a cinch. Just count the number of coals you'll need, place them in the chimney on top of a few paper towels and ignite.

    The crunchy topping made with a cracker and butter mixture will bake to golden brown perfection.
    Cooked chicken casserole in a large Dutch Oven pot with a spoon.
    Ready to eat!

    Kitchen Cooking Option

    Pretty much any recipe that is designed for a Dutch Oven can be adapted for cooking or baking inside in your kitchen oven. The cook time is very similar and this recipe is no exception. See below for a step-by-step for either option.

    When it comes to a Dutch Oven in my kitchen, this Le Creuset Dutch Oven is by far my favorite. It's durable, beautiful, cooks food evenly and it's pretty enough to scoop up right from the pot.

    Chicken Casserole in the Oven
    Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes.
    Cooked chicken casserole in a pot on the stove with a wooden spoon scooping up a serving.
    Piping hot, creamy yet crunchy with a buttery cracker topping, this entree is a family favorite.

    Crunchy Cracker Topping

    Don't skimp on this part. It's an easy step and the melted butter combined with crushed crackers bakes into a crunchy, buttery topping that can't be beat. You'll want to see the chicken and the sauce simmering under the cracker topping, but it doesn't need to reach a hard boiling point. Remember, the chicken was fully cooked in step one of the process.

    Chicken casserole with a large spoon in a Dutch Oven
    Another bonus of Dutch Oven cooking is you dish up right from the hot oven.

    This recipe was adapted from one I found in a little paperback Southern Living cookbook a few years ago.

    A scoop of chicken with green beans on a plate.
    Tender chicken and caramelized onions are nestled under a crunchy cracker topping.

    Be sure to give a star rating to the recipes you make from the Crinkled Cookbook. I always love hearing from you. Sharing is great too! Use the buttons after the recipe to text it with just one click or send it to family and friends on Pinterest and Facebook. Enjoy.

    A scoop of chicken with green beans on a plate.

    Dutch Oven Chicken

    Simple, creamy comfort food.
    4.98 from 140 votes
    Print Rate Pin Recipe
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Charcoal Time, Only Needed If Cooking Over Coals: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
    Servings: 5
    Calories: 465kcal
    Author: Melinda O'Malley Keckler

    Equipment

    • 10" Dutch Oven, optional

    Ingredients 

    • 1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 3 chicken breasts about 3 cups of chicken
    • 1 cup onion chopped
    • 1 can cream of chicken soup undiluted
    • 1 cup sour cream
    • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
    • 2 cups crushed buttery crackers 50 crackers, crushed
    • ¼ cup butter melted

    Instructions

    Oven Baking in Your Kitchen

    • Preheat your kitchen oven to 350° F
    • Place olive oil in oven-safe skillet on the stove and heat until warm and shimmering. Add diced chicken and and onions and cook uncovered until the chicken is tender and the onions are caramelized, about 15 minutes.
    • Add sour cream, cream of chicken soup and the poppy seeds to the cooked chicken and onions, stir to combine.
    • Melt the butter and combine with crushed crackers. Sprinkle the crushed crackers and butter over the chicken mixture.
    • Bake uncovered in the oven for 30 minutes or until the top cracker crust is lightly browned and the filing is bubbling around the edges.

    Dutch Oven Cooking, Outdoors

    • Stack 22 charocoals into a chimney and ignite. The charcoal will take about 20-30 minutes to reach the right temperature, you can tell when they're ready because the edges of the charcoal turn gray. Arrange eight coals ina small ring on a fire and heat safe cooking surface.
      Place the Dutch Oven over the ring of hot charcoal. Add a little olive oil to the bottom of the oven and allow the hot coals to heat the oil, uncovered. Once the oil is heated, add the diced chicken and onions. Cook uncovered until the chicken is tender and the onions are caramelized, about 15 minutes.
      Add sour cream, cream of chicken soup and the poppy seeds to the cookied chicken and onions and stir.
      Melt the butter separately (in a pan on the stove or in the microwave) and combine with crushed crackers.
      Sprinkle the crushed crackers and butter over the chicken mixture.
      Place 14 coals on the lid of the Dutch Oven, cover and bake. Lift the lid and check after 30 minutes. The top crust should be lightly browned and the filling should be bubbling.
    Did you make this recipe? Scroll up and leave a star rating.Tap @crinkledcookbook and follow me today.

    Notes

    My husband Mike is a passionate Dutch Oven cook! Thanks for sharing all your great cooking ideas and handy tricks for Dutch Oven cooking with the Crinkled Cookbook. 🙂 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 5gCalories: 465kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 32gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 135mgSodium: 410mgPotassium: 658mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 612IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 130mgIron: 2mg

    Please note, the nutrition details are estimated using a food database and are offered here only as a guideline for informational purposes.

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    1. Carolyn Straub says

      December 05, 2021 at 12:41 pm

      Do you have to use the poppy seeds in the recipe I'm allergic to them, can I use something else if the recipe absolutely needs something like that ingredient for flavor?

      Reply
      • Melinda O'Malley Keckler says

        December 05, 2021 at 2:42 pm

        Hello! I made this once without poppy seeds (I was out of them, but didn't realize it until I was putting everything in the pot.;) It turned out yummy. The sauce was a little creamier and the flavor was still delicious!

        Reply
    2. Kathy Davis says

      September 10, 2021 at 4:56 pm

      4 stars
      Simple easy recipe...Easy and quick for working moms and dads...would love to have more recipes like this

      Reply

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