This is the kind of dish that appeared on every church basement buffet table from the mid-70s through the 2000s, usually in a battered glass baking dish with someone’s name etched into the bottom. My mother-in-law called it her “chicken knuckle,” and I don’t think she ever brought home any leftovers.
It’s only three ingredients, nothing fancy at all, but the way the sauce bakes down around the chicken creates a glossy, flavorful glaze with sticky, caramelized edges that people remember. It’s the recipe people still ask me for at funerals, baby showers, and every small-town dinner in between.
Glass baking dish with old-fashioned church chicken on a country kitchen table
Glass baking dish with old-fashioned church chicken on a country kitchen
This chicken is perfect next to a bowl of fluffy mashed potatoes or butter-fried egg noodles, where all that extra sauce can soak in. For a potluck party, I usually serve it with a pot of baked rice, a big green salad, and some butter-fried corn or green beans.
Bread or slices of soft white bread are great for soaking up the juices. It’s also delicious the next day, shredded over rice or stuffed into a soft roll with a spoonful of the leftover sauce.
Oven-baked chicken with 3 ingredients for church dinner
Servings: 6
Ingredients
1.5 to 1.7 kg chicken pieces with bones and skin (thighs and legs work best)
1 bottle (450 g) thick, tomato-based barbecue sauce
1 can (320 g) lemon-lime soda (e.g. 7UP or Sprite), not diet
Three simple ingredients for chicken for church dinner set out on a kitchen counter
Three simple ingredients for chicken for church dinner set out on a kitchen counter
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 175 °C. Line a 23×33 cm glass baking dish with baking paper. You don’t need to grease the dish; the chicken will release some fat as it cooks.
Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels. This will help the sauce adhere better and prevent the finished dish from being too watery. Place the chicken in a single layer in a glass baking dish, skin side up, with the pieces close together but not stacked on top of each other.
Raw chicken pieces placed in a glass baking dish before adding the sauce
Raw chicken pieces placed in a glass baking dish before adding the sauce
Stir together the barbecue sauce and lemon-lime soda in a medium bowl until smooth and well-mixed. It will look thin at first; that’s exactly what you want, as it will thicken and become glossy in the oven.
Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the chicken pieces, lifting them slightly with a spoon or tongs so that some of the sauce can get underneath. Spoon a little extra sauce over the top so that all the chicken is well covered and embedded in the liquid.
Barbecue sauce and soda are poured over the chicken in a baking dish
Barbecue sauce and soda are poured over the chicken in a baking dish
