How To Bake Chicken?

Jerk chicken
By belkus on 2011-10-23 08:39:39
Chicken is the main meat in the diet of most meat eaters because it is less costly than other kinds of meats and since it may be cooked in so many diverse ways. Frying is probably the most recognized technique of them all for preparing chicken but there are several others including roasting, jerking, barbequing and baking.

Especially for a person conscious of the fat and cholesterol that fried chicken may possess, these other techniques are very good choices but the one we will talk about primarily is baking.

Required Tools
Paper towel
Sharp knife (optional)
Baking dish/roasting pan
Oven
Meat thermometer
Required Materials
Whole chicken cut into smaller parts/chicken breasts
Salt
Pepper
Fresh or dried herbs (oregano, thyme, tarragon or rosemary)
Olive oil
Marinade (optional)
Seasoning of your desire

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit; if you are using a whole chicken, get rid of the giblets in the inner hollow and then rinse the chicken thoroughly with water. If you opt to slice the chicken into smaller pieces, go ahead and do that now with a sharp knife; after that pat the chicken dry with the paper towel and season the chicken through and through using the salt, pepper, herbs and any other seasoning you desire.

Lay the chicken in the baking dish/roasting pan and rub it using the olive oil and marinade (if you decide to use it). You can additionally add herbs of your choice to the top of the chicken for added taste and garnishing.

Place the baking dish/roasting pan within the oven with the chicken in it and leave it bare; bake the chicken at 350 degrees for 1-1.5 hours or until it is golden brown and thoroughly cooked right through.

To be certain the meat is cooked insert the meat thermometer into the thickest section of the chicken; if the temperature shows 170 degrees or greater then the chicken can be removed from the oven. Another method to confirm if the chicken is cooked is to use a sharp knife and slice the fattest section of the chicken; if it is cooked the meat will not be pink and the juices running out of the chicken will be clear.

You may now dish up the chicken by itself or with whatever you wish; if you used a whole chicken let it to rest for 10 minutes before carving it. For a complete meal serve it along with rice or mashed potatoes and peas or corn.

Tips and Warnings
It is vitally important that the chicken is properly cooked before you eat, partially cooked chicken may result in food poisoning and dangerous parasites.
Be certain to wash all surface which the raw chicken comes in contact with including your hands to avoid contaminating other foods and utensils with any bacteria that might be on the chicken; soap and water will typically be enough nevertheless you may use a mixture of bleach or some other cleaning agent with water to guarantee a proper clean.

To reduce the rawness of the chicken cut a lemon in half and rub it all over the chicken before you cook it; you can additionally rub the chicken with vinegar, inside and out if it is a whole chicken. If you don’t mind the added sourness you may leave it as is, if you do mind, simply wash the chicken again.

There are a few types of baked chicken available like baked sweet and sour chicken, baked chicken in mango sauce, or curry flavored baked chicken. If you wish to attempt any of these variations you may check out a couple of the recipes available online.