Baked chicken or turkey is a traditional dinner for the Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays. Many families will prepare and stuff the chicken the night before. This will allow the seasonings to penetrate the skin to make the baked chicken soft and tasty to eat. The time required to bake a chicken in the oven will depend upon the weight of the chicken and the size. Chickens are not as large a bird as a turkey, so in order to be sure you have enough, buy two chickens instead of only one. Use a baking thermometer to test the bird to be certain that it is done. An overcooked chicken will get rubbery and will only be good for the garbage.
Baking chicken or any type of poultry in the oven will allow you to meet and greet your guests while dinner is baking in the oven. Enjoying a glass of wine with friends and family is better than standing over a hot stove instead of baking the chicken in the oven.
Bake a Whole Chicken In The Oven
1.Bake chicken in the oven is one way to cook a chicken. There are many other methods that can be used. However, when it is baked inside an oven it leaves you free to set the table, prepare salads, vegetables or other foods being served with the chicken.
2. Generally, there is something that a cook should do prior to bake a chicken in the oven. That is to lightly pat oil over the entire outer skin of the chicken. In fact, most cooks will refer to this as giving the chicken a rub-down.
3. Preheat the oven to about 350 degrees. This will allow the oven to get hot prior to placing the chicken into the oven.
4. Add seasonings to the outside and inside of the entire chicken. Sprinkle a bit of paprika, salt and pepper on top of the chicken. Gently lightly rub it into the already greased chicken.
5. Make sure that you rub the seasoning completely around the drumsticks, the wings, and into the cavity of the chicken that you bake in the oven.
6. Place the chicken into a baking pan. Any type of baking pan will do depending on your preference. There are glass Pyrex pans or baking pans made of aluminum. Regardless of the type, make sure that the size is not too small to bake the chicken in the oven. Lightly oil the surface of whichever baking pan you select. This is important so that the chicken does not stick.
7. Insert the meat thermometer beneath the drumstick of the chicken downwards towards the breast. Bake the chicken in the oven for about 1 1/2 hours or until it is golden brown. If in doubt, take it out of the oven so that it will not over bake.
Bake Cut Up Chicken In The Oven
Baking chicken pieces in the oven for the gang who comes over to watch the football game makes chicken easier to eat especially when it is cold instead of hot.
1. Buy cut up pieces of chicken at the store. If the parts you want are not available, tell the butcher what you want. He might cut up whole chickens to give you the parts.
2. Generally, the drumsticks, wings and small drumsticks make the best finger foods. They also bake up fast in the oven.
3. Make certain that you purchase and bake more than enough because a hungry crowd will devour them quickly. Serve along with potato salad and coleslaw, potato chips and pickles.
4. Wash the chicken parts under the cold water tap of the sink. Place them on a paper towel or a cut in half brown paper bag and allow them to dry slightly. You do not want them wet when they are breaded and seasoned.
5. Prepare a plate of breadcrumbs and a bowl of well beaten eggs. In place of the seasoned breadcrumbs you might prefer to use crushed cornflakes or Shake and Bake for chicken.
6. Dip the chicken pieces into the beaten eggs and then into the breadcrumbs or the crushed cornflakes or Shake and Bake.
7. Place the chicken pieces into a lightly greased Pyrex or aluminum baking pan. Make sure that the chicken parts are not touching each other and put them into a heated oven of about 350 degrees. Bake and turning them over once.
