How to Bake Chicken

Oven-baked chicken is one of the healthiest options when cooking chicken. There are a variety of ways to cook chicken making it quite a versatile meal option. When finding ways on how to bake chicken, consider baking chicken pieces especially when you’re pressed for time. We’ll go over some of the general things you need to do to bake chicken.

Things You Need

You’ll need two to three pounds of chicken. You have the option to have it cut into pieces or just have it whole. For herbs, you may want a combination of salt and pepper mixed with any of the following herbs: oregano, thyme, tarragon, rosemary. You can have any herb dried or fresh, it’s your own personal choice.

Grab a large enough roasting pan, non-stick cooking spray (or olive oil if you wish), a thermometer for your meat, and an optional marinade. Now you can prepare the chicken for baking, which is your next step on how to bake chicken.

Prepare to Bake the Chicken

Always wash and dry your chicken even if it came fresh out of the store. If you want to marinade your chicken, be sure to do it overnight to bring in the flavor. You can get ready made marinade or make one yourself. Whether you use one or not, it won’t affect the steps on how to bake chicken.

Place your chicken in a zip lock bag and pour your marinade. Zip your bag and keep the whole thing in the fridge. Simply shake the bag in order to mix things up inside the bag. If you don’t want to use a zip lock bag, then a shallow bowl will do.

Ready Your Oven

Here’s your next step on how to bake chicken. Your oven should have been preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit by the time you’re ready to bake. Spray your roasting pan with non-stick cooking spray. If you want to use olive oil instead, coat your pan lightly. If you used marinade, then this would be the time to take your chicken out.

Place your chicken skin side up on the roasting pan – that is if you have it cut up into pieces. Those who use marinade won’t have to season their chicken as much as those who didn’t. The next step on how to bake chicken is getting it into the oven to begin cooking.

Getting the Chicken Cooked

Bake your chicken uncovered for 50 minutes. You may check if the chicken is done about this time. While waiting for your chicken to cook, use a thermometer to check the temperature. When checking the temperature, insert your thermometer in the thickest part of meat. The temperature of your meat should range from 170 degrees to 180 degree Fahrenheit.

Getting Ready to Eat

You can check if the chicken is cooked if you are a bit unsure. Cut the meatiest part of the chicken and let the juices run. If the meat is pinkish then it isn’t ready yet. The juices will have to run clear if the chicken is ready to eat. These are your easy steps on how to bake chicken. It is a healthy option to cook this very versatile meal option.