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Chicken is the main meat in the diet of the majority of meat eaters as it is cheaper than other types of meats and as it can be cooked in so many various techniques. Frying is possibly the most recognized technique of them all for cooking chicken however, there are several others like roasting, jerking, barbequing and baking.

Especially for an individual aware of the fat and cholesterol that fried chicken may contain, these other ways are really good alternatives but the one we will talk about chiefly 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 choosing

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit; if you are using a whole chicken, take out the giblets inside the inner cavity and then wash the chicken meticulously with water. If you choose to cut the chicken into smaller pieces, go ahead and do that now using a sharp knife; after that pat the chicken dry with the paper towel and season the chicken thoroughly using the salt, pepper, herbs and any other seasoning you desire.

Lay the chicken inside the baking dish/roasting pan and wipe it with the olive oil and marinade (if you opt to use it). You can moreover add herbs of your choosing to the top of the chicken for added flavor and trimmings.

Lay the baking dish/roasting pan within the oven with the chicken in it and leave it bare; bake the chicken at 350 degrees for 1-1½ hours or until it is golden brown and thoroughly cooked throughout.

To be sure the meat is cooked insert the meat thermometer into the fattest part of the chicken; if the temperature shows 170 degrees or greater then the chicken can be taken from the oven. Another way to confirm if the chicken is cooked is to use a sharp knife and slice the fattest part 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 share the chicken alone or with whatever you choose; if you used a whole chicken allow it to cool for 10 minutes before cutting it up. For a whole meal serve it along with rice or mashed potatoes and peas or corn.

Tips and Warnings

It is crucially important that the chicken is thoroughly cooked before you eat, half cooked chicken can cause food poisoning and deadly parasites.

Be certain to clean any surface that the raw chicken touches including your hands to prevent contaminating other foods and items with any bacteria that can be on the chicken; soap and water will often be sufficient but you can use a solution of bleach or some other cleaning agent with water to ensure a in depth clean.

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

There are a couple variations of baked chicken available including baked sweet and sour chicken, baked chicken in mango sauce, or curry flavored baked chicken. If you want to try any of these kinds you may check out a couple of the recipes available on the internet.