Baked Chicken Recipes: Simple Yet Delicious

Chicken is truly a versatile ingredient in any recipes. There are many ways you can prepare a chicken but one of the healthiest yet delicious method is to bake it. Indeed, baked chicken is a good choice for families who are working together to lose weight or eat healthy everyday.

Baking a whole chicken is really fun and simple but it takes a longer time for it to be fully cooked. A faster way to enjoy the flavours of baked chicken is to cut up the chicken into smaller pieces such as the chicken legs or drumsticks, chicken thighs, chicken wings, chicken breasts and chicken tenders.

One of the most common questions that most people ask is how to keep baked chicken juicy? As long as you do not overcook the chicken and you let it rest for at least 5-10 minutes before cutting it, the chicken should be moist and juicy inside.

If you want to ensure that the chicken turns out moist, make sure that you brine it first. Brining helps the chicken absorbs more moisture so that it can withstand more overcooking before it dries out. If the meat is not overcooked at all, it will definitely be moist and tender. Nevertheless, eating undercooked chicken is dangerous. To ensure that the meat is fully cooked, slice into the meat and check if it is white or poke a knife or fork into it and see if the juices that come out run clear.

If you want the chicken to taste even better and healthier, buy free range chicken. Free range chicken may be more expensive but they are all natural. Below are some simple and healthy baked chicken recipes which you can bake at home:

Recipe #1: Garlic Baked Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds chicken pieces
• 5 red potatoes, quartered
• 2 bags frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 small jar garlic, chopped
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 packets dry Italian dressing
• some white wine

Instructions:

First, preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Pour some white wine into the roasting pan an add enough water until it fills 1/4 inch of the pan. Arrange the chicken pieces and generously spread the top of each piece with chopped garlic. After that, sprinkle the 1 packet of dry Italian dressing over them and add in the potatoes, onions and frozen mixed vegetables. Finally, sprinkle the remaining packet of of dry Italian dressing on top then cover with foil.

Bake for 30 minutes then remove the cover and bake for another 60 minutes. Let it rest for at least 10 minute after baking. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe #2: Apple Baked Chicken

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds chicken, cut up and washed
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 1 cup apples, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 2 cups fresh green beans, sliced
• 1 ounce bread
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 cup ground cinnamon
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste

Instructions:

First, In a large bowl, add in the chicken pieces and season them with salt and pepper. After that, place them on the rack of a shallow open roasting pan and bake them for 20 minutes at 450°F (232°C). Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (176°C) and remove the chicken pieces and rack. Pour off the fat from the pan and place the chicken pieces on the pan.

In a bowl, add in the boiling water and dissolve the chicken bouillon cube in it. Add in the apple juice and pour them together over the chicken. After that, stir in the french style green beans. Cover it and bake for 25 minutes. Stir in the apples then cover and bake for another 10 more minutes.

For the sauce, in a sauce pan, add in the cinnamon, flour and cold water. Combine and mix well then stir into the pan. Continue cooking and stirring until the mixture boils and becomes slightly thicker. Serve over baked chicken.