Forget Canned Soup — Baked Chicken Breasts Are Better When Slathered In This Popular Dip

Chicken breasts are high in protein and convenient, but on their own — or even topped with a canned soup and baked — they can be a little bit bland. To make baked chicken a bit more exciting, look no further than French onion dip. While most of us usually only think to pull out the French onion dip alongside a bag of chips, it's actually a great way to upgrade the flavor of chicken breast. 

French onion dip adds richness along with a salty, savory flavor — but that's not the only thing that makes it such good fit for baked chicken. The dairy ingredients in the dip (like milk, cream, and sour cream) can actually help tenderize chicken, leaving you with a super-flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth meal (dairy is also a weird but genius way to make steak unbelievably tender, too). Other ingredients in French onion dip — like vinegar — can help tenderize your chicken even further. Let's take a look at some tips and tricks to make great French onion chicken in your kitchen.

First, you'll want to choose a great French onion dip packed with flavor. There are a ton of quality store-bought French onion dips out there, or you can make a tub of the good stuff at home and customize your recipe to suit your tastes. Once you have your French onion dip picked out, it's time to put it to work on your chicken. While you certainly can spread some dip on top of your chicken and get it into the oven, you can also coat your chicken in dip and let it marinate in the fridge for between two and six hours before baking.

Want to take your French onion chicken to the next level? You can try topping it with crispy fried onions to add more flavor and a nice textural contrast. Another option: try giving your chicken the full French onion soup treatment. After you bake your chicken with French onion dip, top it off with caramelized onions and Gruyère cheese, then place it back under the broiler to melt before serving (be sure to use a broiler-safe dish) with a bit of toasty bread to echo the crouton you'd normally get on top of French onion soup. Whether you stick with simply coating your chicken in French onion dip or you add some extra toppings, you'll love the flavor-loaded result.