How To Cook Chicken In The Oven

Oven prepared chicken is not only an impressive dish especially for parties; it is also very soft on the pockets. This type of chicken is not labor intensive which means it can be cooked at short notices. Chicken that has been baked can be served during reception dinners, bridal shower parties or engagement parties. People intending to wed soon should make a point of mastering how to cook chicken in oven so that they make their married life as blissful as possible. Use the following simple steps to take care of the baked chicken and you will never look back.

Chicken preparations will depend to a large extent on how the chicken was initially preserved. Depending on the state of the chicken, you will have to adjust the initial preparations to suit the type of chicken that you have i.e. whether fresh or frozen. Thawing will have to be carried out on frozen chicken either by having the chicken placed under running cold water for a number of hours or having it transferred from the freezer to the lower sections of the refrigerator where it will have to stay for 24hours so that it thaws out slowly and completely. Before you start cooking the chicken, you will have to remove it from the fridge and place it on the sink. Preheat your oven to a high of 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Insert your hand into its cavity and then have the heart, neck and other internal organs out of the cavity.

Have the chicken washed thoroughly using cool running water and then proceed to pat it dry using paper towels. Place it on a clean plate before cleaning your hands well as well as the work surfaces with soap. After you are through, rub the chicken with some 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil and any one combination of the following spices: tarragon and rosemary; basil, garlic and oregano; lemon pepper and salt seasoning; pepper, paprika and salt; black pepper and poultry seasoning or use just about any blend of seasoning that you fancy. Place the chicken the breast side down on the pan. Bake it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for a period of one hour. Remove and turn the chicken on its other side and return to the oven for another 30 minutes of baking. The breast will remain not only tender, but also moist. Use an internal meat thermometer to ensure that the meat is well cooked especially at the deepest part of the breast or the leg bone if it registers a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

This might take a longer time to master but once you master it, there is no other easier way to cook chicken. Other methods of cooking chicken include crock pot roasting or casserole baking. Chicken tetrazziniis a different type of chicken dish that is more synonymous with Italians. This dish is baked but the chicken is baked together with spaghetti and cheese.