Baked chicken is a healthy and tasty dish that will quickly become a staple of your weekly diet. You can cook any part of the chicken, from the breast to the thighs to the wings, always using the same method. You can also enhance the flavor of the meat with a combination of spices, herbs and other seasonings according to your personal tastes. Start reading this simple article that tells you how to do it step by step. In the second part, there are some ideas for flavoring chicken.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Cooking Chicken in the Oven
Step 1. Get the ingredients
To prepare a basic, no-frills but tasty dish, you will need a few things:
- One chicken, you can cut one 1.5-2 kg into several portions so you have two thighs, two wings, two thighs and two pieces of chicken breast. Alternatively, you can also use only part of the animal. As you prefer.
- You also need salt and pepper as well as good quality olive oil.
Step 2. Prepare the chicken
Wash it thoroughly with cold running water and pat it dry with kitchen paper.
- Grease the bottom of the baking dish with olive oil and then add the chicken. Turn it so that it is completely greasy in contact with the dish. Sprinkle it generously with salt and pepper.
- Arrange the chicken pieces so that the skin side is facing up with the larger pieces (breast and thighs) in the center of the pan. Make sure the pieces are spaced from each other.
Step 3. Cook the chicken
Place the dish in the oven that you have already preheated to 205 ° C. Cook for 30 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 180 ° C and cook for another 10-30 minutes, depending on the weight of the chicken.
- As a general rule, cooking times should be 14-15 minutes for every half pound of meat. So if you are cooking a 2 kg chicken you will have to wait about an hour.
- It's very important that the chicken is well cooked, so don't just rely on timing. Check the juices that come out by pricking the meat with a sharp knife: they should be transparent when cooked. If they are pink, the chicken is still raw.
- If you have an instant-read thermometer, use it to check the doneness of the thickest parts of the meat. When well cooked, the brisket should have an internal temperature of 73 ° C, while the thighs of 77 ° C.
Step 4. The chicken is ready and you can bring it to the table
If it is not as golden as you would like, turn on the grill and cook for another 5 minutes.
- When the meat is golden brown, remove it from the pan and place it on a serving tray. Cover the chicken with aluminum foil.
- Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before eating it. In the meantime, you can prepare a gravy sauce (the recipe is described in the next part of the article), if you wish.
Part 2 of 2: Flavor
Step 1. Make a simple chicken gravy
The easiest way to do this is to use the cooking juices from the pan.
- Place the pan over medium heat on the stove and use a spatula to scrape the bottom to remove the charred pieces of meat and juices.
- Add 120ml of chicken stock, homemade or commercial, to dilute the stock.
- Transfer the contents of the pan to a small saucepan and cook until the sauce is reduced and thick.
- Serve the gravy with the baked chicken.
Step 2. Make a spiced chicken
To cook this tasty meat, follow the same instructions we described in the first part, but sprinkle the animal with this spice mix just before putting it in the oven:
In a bowl, mix a pinch of garlic powder with the same amount of onion powder, dried oregano, and paprika. Use this mixture to scrub the chicken
Step 3. Cook a chicken with garlic and white wine
Here's what you'll need for this delicious recipe:
- Three tablespoons of mustard, three minced cloves of garlic, two tablespoons of butter, two of white wine and 100 g of breadcrumbs.
- Sauté the garlic and mustard in the butter for about 4 minutes and over medium heat. Add the wine and continue cooking for another couple of minutes. Pour the mixture over the raw chicken to coat it completely.
- Roll the chicken back into the breadcrumbs and cook according to the instructions outlined above.
Step 4. Make a flavored chicken
A simple blend of herbs and seasonings enhances the flavor of baked chicken with a Mediterranean flavor.
- Prepare the chicken as explained in the first part. In a small bowl, mix one and a half teaspoons of dried parsley, one teaspoon of dry basil, one of pepper flavored with garlic and one of salt.
- After greasing the chicken with olive oil, sprinkle it evenly with these herbs and cook it respecting the times already indicated in the article.
Step 5. Dijon Honey Chicken
This sweet and spicy preparation needs:
- 120 ml of honey, 80 ml of Dijon mustard, 3 teaspoons of curry powder, 2 tablespoons of melted butter, a pinch of ground pepper and cayenne pepper.
- Mix all these ingredients in a bowl and add the chicken pieces. Cover everything with cling film and leave the meat to marinate in the refrigerator for one to two hours.
- Place the marinated chicken inside a greased baking dish and cover it with aluminum foil. Cook according to the instructions in the first section of the article. While cooking, moisten the meat with the leftover marinade 2-3 times. Remove the aluminum foil when there are 15 minutes left to cook.
Step 6. Lemon and garlic chicken
This recipe is super simple and guarantees exceptional flavor, perfect for a dinner with family or friends!
- You will need: a large onion, 120 ml of dry white wine, 120 ml of chicken broth, 5 crushed cloves of garlic, 5-7 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of thyme or tarragon, salt, pepper and paprika.
- Chop the onion coarsely and add it to the pan, around the oiled chicken. In a pitcher, combine the wine with lemon juice, garlic, chicken broth and herbs. Pour the mixture over the chicken and onions.
- Sprinkle the meat with salt, pepper and paprika and cook as explained above. While cooking, moisten the chicken with the juices once or twice.
Advice
- People who are particularly fond of spicy and spicy foods can stuff the chicken with a couple of jalapeño peppers.
- Brown the chicken before putting it in the oven, in this way you release the aromas of the meat and make it tastier.
- Stuff the chicken with apples, lemon, or oranges to make the meat juicy.
