No-Peek Chicken Uses A Simple Steaming Tactic For Delicious Results

No-peek chicken had its moment thanks to a viral TikTok video demonstrating the incredible ease of this delicious family meal that uses one baking dish and a sheet of tin foil to steam it to perfection. However, if that weren't reason enough to add no-peek chicken to your dinner menu, the fact that this dish only requires a few inexpensive ingredients — rice, condensed cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soups, chicken broth or water, a packet of onion soup, chicken, and some salt and pepper — should have you eagerly adding it to your culinary repertoire.

What people love about this one-pan meal is how creamy and flavorful the rice is and how juicy the chicken turns out thanks to a simple steaming tactic that uses two kitchen must-haves: tin foil and patience. While it takes an hour to an hour and a half to bake, the pan is tightly covered with a sheet of foil that should not be tampered with until the oven's timer goes off. This is because this wrap traps all the moisture between it and the pan, steaming the rice and chicken in all of the liquids and juices. Sounds easy enough, but what makes this no-peek chicken a standout is how you can customize it to make it your own. 

This really begins with the cut of chicken you select and how you prep it. Both decisions can influence how your no-peek chicken tastes. Some people like to get a nice sear on those breasts of poultry and then nestle them into the soupy rice mixture before sealing it up to bake, while others prefer to use chicken legs or thighs without any cooking prior to adding them to the casserole dish. 

You can even change up the condensed soups you use as well as the rice. If you aren't a fan of white rice, you can swap it for brown rice, but remember the cooking time may need to be adjusted because brown rice tends to need more time. And if you want to slip some veggies into the mix, bell peppers, mushrooms, and onions are easy go-tos. This dish also makes for an excellent leftover and if you don't think you can eat up a pan quickly enough, you can always freeze it for up to three months.