My mother-in-law made this for every wedding party from 1975 to 2010. Only 3 ingredients and people still ask for the recipe.

My mother-in-law made this for every wedding party from 1975 to 2010. Only 3 ingredients and people still ask for the recipe.

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