How To Bake Chicken: Detailed Instructions (plus Life Hacks And Marinade)

There are many variations of cooking chicken, it can be boiled, stewed, fried, smoked and even dried.

There are many variations of cooking chicken, it can be boiled, stewed, fried, smoked and even dried. But until now, the most popular option has been and remains cooking chicken in the oven. Every experienced housewife will deal with this bird with her eyes closed, and in the bins lies the most favorite marinade recipe. But what about newbies? We will teach you how to cook chicken properly.

 

1. Defrost Chicken Properly

Any meat needs to be thawed properly, and chicken, of course, is no exception. If you bought a frozen bird or froze it yourself, do not immediately transfer it to a warm place. It is best to let it thaw naturally and slowly by simply placing it in the refrigerator (don't forget to drain the water).

2. Check the freshness of the chicken

Before you start working with the carcass, rinse it. Immediately before this, you can evaluate the freshness and condition of the meat, of course, after defrosting. The bird should be moist, but not sticky, also pay attention to the smell, it should be neutral.

Life hack: To find out how fresh the chicken you got, whether it was frozen before, press your finger on the breast or thigh. If a cavity remains in the meat and it does not take its previous shape, it is highly not recommended to cook the bird. If the meat takes its former form, but slowly, then the chicken has already succumbed to repeated freezing, and it needs to be cooked in the near future. Of course, if the meat quickly regained its original appearance, you don’t have to worry, it’s fresh!

 

3. Clean well

After washing the chicken, do not forget to clean it. Especially on domestic and farm birds, feathers, offal, and sometimes foreign objects, stones, and sand often remain. Even if you bought a chicken in a chain store, do not be too lazy to look inside, suddenly a surprise awaits you there.

4. Cut it right

If you decide to bake a chicken in portioned pieces, and not a whole carcass, approach the butchering wisely, this is all for your own convenience.

Lay the carcass on its back, breasts up. Make deep cuts under the wings and legs (towards the thighs), turn the chicken over. With a sharp movement of the hand, alternately turn the joints up, and make the same incisions as before. You will have wings and shins with thighs in your hands (if you want, also separate them). It remains only to cut the carcass along the ridge, and, if necessary, separate the back and fillet from each other.

5. What to bake and at what temperature?

If you want the chicken to retain all the juices, be soft and tender, it is best to bake it in foil or in a sleeve (special bag). If you need more dietary meat, use parchment paper, it will absorb all excess fat and moisture.

The optimum temperature for cooking poultry is 220-250 degrees.

Marinades

 

Chicken is combined with almost all spices. But there are foods that make the meat of this bird soft by breaking down the fibers. A selection of excellent marinades especially for you!

Life hack: Before marinating chicken, and indeed any meat, make small but deep cuts in the pieces used. So any marinade is good to seep inside, and the meat absorbs everything from the inside.

Marinade number 1.

You will need:

lemon juice 2-3 teaspoons; smoked paprika 1.5 teaspoons; Worcestershire sauce 2 tbsp; grated ginger 1/4 teaspoon (you can take the powder); olive oil 4-5 tbsp. spoons; salt 0.5 tsp.

Mix all the ingredients together, rub the chicken well inside and out, wrap the meat in cling film and put in the refrigerator for 30-40 minutes. It is best to cook in the sleeve, and put potatoes under the chicken, which will absorb the Worcester sauce and become insanely delicious.

 

Marinade number 2.

You will need:

garlic 5-6 cloves; curry seasoning 2-3 teaspoons; soft butter 50-60 g; rosemary 2-3 sprigs; cilantro 1 teaspoon (in powder); salt 0.5 tsp.

Mash the butter with a fork, mix with chopped garlic, cilantro and spices. Rub the chicken inside and out in a thick layer. If the marinade is not enough for you, just add more oil. If you are cooking a whole carcass, put rosemary sprigs inside, they will give a pleasant aroma. You can cook on a pillow of rice (previously boil it a little), without covering it with foil or putting it in a sleeve.

 

Marinade number 3.

You will need:

orange juice 50 ml; red pepper 0.5 tsp; cumin 0.5 tsp; turmeric 1 teaspoon; honey 1 tbsp. the spoon; salt 0.5 tsp.

Mix all the ingredients together, let it brew a little in a bowl for 10-15 minutes (so that the cumin and pepper open). Then rub the chicken well with marinade, pour the rest inside or into a foil boat, where you put the pieces / carcass. Top also cover the meat with foil and bake. Chicken in this marinade goes well with barley and quinoa.

 

Marinade number 4.

You will need:

coriander 0.5 tsp; cognac 50 ml; tomatoes in their own juice 60 g; thyme 0.5 tsp; salt 0.5 tsp.

Mash the tomatoes in their own juice with a fork until the consistency of porridge, mix with all the spices and skate. You can add olive oil if you wish. Rub the chicken with the marinade, leave in the refrigerator for an hour. If you are cooking a whole carcass, put a couple of tomatoes inside, they will give juice. It is better to cook in a sleeve or in foil, and put vegetables under the chicken. Cognac evaporates, don't worry!

On average, the cooking time of chicken in the oven takes 30-90 minutes. A kilogram of poultry is cooked for half an hour.