It’s a question we ask ourselves each day…what’s for dinner? With the warm weather approaching and summer on our brains we need to think about new and interesting ways to make cook. Let’s look at one of our favorite dinner staples and the best ways to cook baked chicken.
There are many ways to cook chicken, depending on your preference, time and equipment. Some of the most common methods are baking, roasting, grilling, slow-cooking and steaming. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, such as flavor, texture, juiciness and healthiness.
Baked chicken is a delicious and easy way to enjoy chicken. You can bake chicken breasts, thighs, legs or wings, depending on what you like. The key to a good baked chicken is to season it well and cook it at the right temperature for the right time.
The downfall of most baked chicken breast recipes is the long time in the oven that dries out the lean meat before it can fully cook through. The problem can be solved with a couple of secret weapons. The first is white wine added to the baking dish, which creates steam. (While it’s worth using wine, you could substitute stock or even water.) The second is a piece of parchment paper placed directly on top of the chicken to lock in the moisture during baking. The result is the best boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are plump and juicy, with a minimum of hands-on time. A bunch of parsley and lemon slices infuse the dish with fresh flavor and the seasoning is neutral enough that the chicken can be used for a variety of different meals. Serve it alongside vegetables and grains, shredded into soup, spiced up for tacos or chopped on top of salad. Feel free to switch up the herbs and citrus if you have leftovers in the fridge to use up.
The best part of baked chicken is that it freezes well. Baking chicken ahead of time allows you time to enjoy all those sporting events with your family! Just bake, freeze and take it on the road with you!