How to Cook Baked Chicken

Baking the Chicken

Gather your ingredients. To make a basic, no-frills baked chicken that still tastes great, you only need a few things: Chicken -- you can cut up a whole 3 or 4 pound chicken, giving you two wings, two legs, two breasts and two thighs, or you make this dish using only chicken breasts, drumsticks, or thighs -- it's up to you. You will also need salt and pepper and some good quality olive oil.

Prepare the chicken. Wash the chicken thoroughly in cold running water, then pat dry with a sheet or two of paper towel. Coat the bottom of your roasting pan in olive oil, then add the chicken and toss to coat. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken pieces with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Arrange the chicken pieces skin side up, with the larger sections (the breasts and thighs) towards the center of the roasting pan. Make sure the chicken pieces aren't crowded together.

Bake the chicken. Place the roasting pan in an oven preheated to 400 °F (204 °C) and cook for 30 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 350 and cook for an additional 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the quantity of chicken. In general, you need to assign 14 to 15 minutes of cooking time for every pound of chicken. For example, cooking a 4 lbs chicken takes approximately an hour. It's very important that the chicken is thoroughly cooked, so don't rely on cooking time alone. Check the juices by poking the chicken breast with a sharp knife -- they should run clear once the chicken is fully cooked. If they are pink, the chicken is not cooked yet. If you have an instant-read thermometer, use it to check the temperature of the thickest part of the chicken. The breasts should register an internal temperature of 165 °F (74 °C), while the thighs should register at 170 degrees, when fully cooked.

Finish and serve the chicken. If the chicken hasn't browned to your liking, you can place it under the broiler for the last 5 minutes of cooking time. Once browned, remove the chicken from the roasting pan, place it on a serving dish and cover with aluminum foil. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. During this time you can make the gravy (described below), if desired.

Adding Flavor

Make a basic chicken gravy. The easiest way to make a tasty chicken gravy with minimal effort is to use the drippings from the roasting pan. Place the roasting pan over a medium heat on the stovetop and use a spoon or spatula to scrape any drippings from the bottom of the pan. Add half a cup of chicken stock (homemade or store-bought) to the pan to aid with the deglazing process. Transfer the contents of the pan to a small saucepan and cook over a medium heat until the gravy reduces to the desired thickness. Serve in a gravy boat alongside the baked chicken.

Make spiced chicken. To make this flavorsome spiced chicken, use the same method for baked chicken as described above, but sprinkle the chicken with the following spice mixture before cooking: Combine 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano and 1/4 teaspoon of paprika in a bowl, then sprinkle it over both sides of the chicken before cooking.

Make garlic and white wine baked chicken. To make this delicious variation of baked chicken, you will need: 3 tbsp Dijon mustard, 3 crushed garlic cloves, 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp white wine, 2 tsp salt, 2 cups dry bread crumbs. Sauté the mustard and garlic in butter for about 4 minutes over moderate heat. Add the wine and continue to cook for another couple of minutes. Spoon this mixture over the uncooked chicken and toss to coat. Dredge the chicken with breadcrumbs and cook according to the instructions in the previous section.

Make herb-y baked chicken. A simple mixture of herbs and seasoning give this baked chicken a delicious Italian twist. Prepare the chicken according to the directions given in the section above. In a small bowl, mix 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried parsley, 1 teaspoon of dried basil, 1 teaspoon of garlic pepper and 1 teaspoon of salt. After tossing the raw chicken pieces in olive oil, sprinkle the herb mix evenly over both sides of the chicken and cook according to the method described in the section above.

Make honey Dijon baked chicken. To make this sweet and spicy baked chicken, you will need the following ingredients: 1/2 cup of honey, 1/3 cup Dijon mustard, 3 teaspoons of curry powder, 3 tablespoons of butter (melted), 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper, dash of cayenne pepper. Combine all of these ingredients in a bowl, add the chicken pieces and toss to coat in the honey mixture. Cover the bowl with foil or plastic wrap and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for an hour or two. Place the marinated chicken pieces on a greased roasting pan and cover with tin foil. Cook the chicken pieces according to the instructions given in the section above, basting the chicken with the leftover sauce 2 or 3 times during cooking. Remove the tin foil for the last 15 minutes of cooking.

Make garlic and lemon baked chicken. This lemon and garlic baked chicken is simply bursting with flavor -- perfect for family dinners or for serving guests! You will need: 1 large white onion, 1/2 cup of dry white wine, 1/2 cup of chicken broth, 5 crushed garlic cloves, 5 to 7 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of dried tarragon or thyme, salt, pepper and paprika (for seasoning). Roughly chop the onion and add it to the roasting dish, around the olive oil-coated chicken pieces. Combine the wine, lemon juice, garlic, chicken broth and herbs in a jug, then pour over the chicken and onions. Sprinkle the chicken with the salt, pepper and paprika, then bake according to the instructions given in the section above. Baste the chicken with juices once or twice during cooking.