I Made the Viral No-Peek Chicken, and It Took Me Back to Childhood
Updated: Dec. 12, 2023
Dear TikTok and Gen Z, thank you for reminding me about the no-peek chicken recipe of my youth.
TikTok has a knack for resurrecting old-fashioned recipes and making everyone fall in love with them all over again. From million-dollar TikTok spaghetti to the latest viral dinner recipe craze: no-peek chicken.
Made in a single pan with just five pantry-staple dinner ingredients, I’m not sure how I ever forgot about no-peek chicken with rice. Needless to say, I’m grateful for the recent hype surrounding this dish so I can relive its magic as an adult.
Keep reading for the easy step-by-step recipe and to see if this viral vintage recipe is as good as I remember Mom’s being.
What Is No-Peek Chicken?
Don’t let the social media craze fool you, no-peek chicken isn’t a new recipe by any means (nor are any of the trending chicken sheet pan dinners). Variations of this beloved dish have been around for decades. While the exact ingredients will vary slightly between recipes, most start with a few cans of condensed soup (like these other creamy casserole recipes), whole chicken pieces, a wild rice blend with seasoning packet, and onion soup mix.
The ingredients are combined in a single casserole dish, covered, and baked until the chicken is fall-apart tender and the rice is creamy and flavorful. Oh, and don’t peek before it’s done, or you’ll release all of that precious steam keeping the chicken juicy and the rice fluffy.
How to Make No-Peek Chicken
This recipe from Taste of Home contributor Sharon Juart of Rochester Mills, Pennsylvania makes four servings.
Ingredients
- 1 package (6 ounces) long grain and wild rice mix
- 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
- 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
- 1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) water
- 4 chicken leg quarters, skin on
- 1 envelope onion soup mix
Directions
Step 1: Mix
In a 9×13 casserole dish, combine the rice, the contents of its seasoning packet, the cream soups, and water. Stir to combine with a whisk.
Step 2: Add chicken and onion soup mix
Arrange the chicken over the rice mixture in a single layer and then sprinkle the onion soup mix evenly over the top.
Step 3: Bake
Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F for 2 hours, or until the rice is tender and the chicken is done cooking (e.g., when it reaches an internal temperature of 180°). Serve warm with your favorite side of steamed vegetables. Enjoy!
Here’s What I Thought
Who knew all you needed for time travel was a can of cream of mushroom soup and some chicken?! Some things never change, and no-peek chicken with rice is no exception. The dish was every bit as easy, comforting and filling as I remember it being, and its taste and aroma instantly took me back to my mother’s kitchen table.
I love that this dish is made with leg quarters, as I’m a dark meat fan through and through. However, I do think this could also be made with chicken breasts if that’s your preference. The cook time would reduce if you opted for white meat, however, since breasts often cook more quickly than dark meat (for best results use this chicken temperature guide).
On the subject of cook time, the 2 hours this viral recipe calls for seems excessive. In testing, my chicken reached the 180° mark in about an hour and 15 minutes, though they were on the smaller side. I suggest using an instant-read thermometer to monitor your chicken after an hour since your chicken may not need the full 2 hours to cook, depending on its size.
On a final note, while I love the ease, convenience and nostalgia of this dish, I do tend to avoid using canned soups and packaged mixes in recipes due to their hefty sodium content and highly processed ingredients. If I made this recipe again, I would experiment with a healthier, made-from-scratch rendition that omits the canned soup and onion soup mix. In their place, I would opt for minimally processed ingredients like fresh herbs, homemade cream of mushroom soup and plenty of roasted vegetables.
Originally Published: August 10, 2023
