If you have ever thought of preparing chicken, what approach occurred first in your mind? Perhaps one of the things that you may have come across are simple recipes for baked chicken.
In this post, I am going to discuss simple recipes for baked chicken which you can easily replicate in your own home and perhaps even impress your colleagues as well as your date as you invite them into your home and show off your cooking and culinary prowess in preparing baked chicken.
But Why Chicken?
Chicken is regarded to be one of the most versatile, simplest to cook and prepare. Relatively compared to pork and beef, chicken is a healthier meat alternative than those that were mentioned prior.
Chicken is also widely available and accessible and has a variety of options when it comes to being cooked. It will still make for a delicious meal even for frozen chicken.
Baking the Best Breasts! Baked Chicken Breast for the Amateur Enthusiast
Chicken breasts have a lot of benefits when being consumed. Firstly, the breast part of the chicken contains the least amount of fat per pound as well as the most tender meat in any part of a chicken.
In terms of size, it is second only to the thigh part, due in part to chicken breasts being quite large and meaty in proportion to the rest of the chicken such as the wings and the drumstick.
According to health experts and dietitians, the chicken breast is the ideal source of lean meat that you can almost exclusively feast upon if you wish to consume a diet that is consisted mainly of protein and the least amount of fat.
Simply by frying a piece of chicken breast on a small piece of butter or a teaspoon of olive oil will be enough of a meal for anyone who wishes to eat an almost exclusively protein diet.
But What About Baked Chicken Breasts?
It’s easier and more convenient to bake them, that is, if you have the right tools, namely:
Chicken Breasts
The boneless and skinless kind are most preferable due to them being the easiest to season and bake, without having to worry about baking uneven areas wherein you might end up overcooking the outside and leaving the insides raw.
Extra Virgin Oil, Butter or Whatever Grease Of Your Choice
Depending on what grease you choose to put on the pan so as to prevent the chicken breasts from sticking from it, as long as a sufficient amount of oil is placed.
Salt
Iodized salt, kosher or even the more expensive kind that claims to have come from a distant, faraway mountains that are oddly pink for some reason should work, although the quality of taste will depend mostly on how much you put and what kind of salt you will put.
Seasonings
An ideal combination of seasoning for this recipe would be garlic (powdered or minced should be fine), paprika, pepper and a bit of Cayenne should do the trick. If you wish to add, subtract or substitute any of the seasonings mentioned, you are free to do so as you like.
Another thing that is recommended when baking is that you must always have a digital food thermometer for instant and accurate temperature reading, so as to avoid mistakenly and carelessly cooking (either over or under) your chicken.
Here Is How to Bake Scrumptious Chicken Breasts
Step 1:
The first and ideal step to do would be to get a bowl, pour some lukewarm water into it and put some salt into the mix. Stir until the salt dissolves.
After the salt has completely mixed and disappeared from view, put the chicken breasts in. What this does is that it tenderizes the meat so that it is easier to bake.
Let the chicken breasts sit in the water for around fifteen to twenty minutes.
If you are going to do this ahead of time, you can do so for up to six hours. Letting the chicken breasts sit in for much longer than that will make it saltier.
Remove the chicken breast from the bowl, rinse it under running lukewarm water and shake until it dries up or you can use a towel to wipe the chicken breasts dry.
Step 2:
Second step would be to turn up the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (or about 232 degrees Celsius) to preheat.
Step 3:
As the oven is preheating, this is the ideal time to put the chicken breast in a large dish, preferably the sort used for baking. Get the olive oil, butter or whichever grease you wish to apply and brush it to your chicken, doing so evenly on both ends and sides once per piece of the chicken breasts. Mix the seasoning of your choosing in a separate container and when the mixture is evenly whisked, sprinkle them evenly on all sides.
Step 4:
After mixing the butter oil grease and the seasonings, place the pan into the oven. Bake between fifteen to eighteen minutes. This vary depending on many factors such as the amount of chicken breasts as well as its volume and density. It is best to monitor the oven until the chicken breasts are no longer pink.
The recommended way to check whether the chicken breasts have been cooked is that by using the digital food thermometer. What you do is you need to pierce it into the thickest part of the chicken breasts. It should show a temperature of about 165 degrees Fahrenheit (or about 74 degrees Celsius).
If you wish that the breasts be crispier, you can let it stay for three to five minutes more. But you need to keep a keen eye so as to prevent the chicken breasts from overcooking.
Step 5:
Once it is finished baking, remove the chicken from the baking pan. Move it to a clean plate. With an aluminium foil, cover the plate to retain heat and let it rest for about five to ten minutes.
Step 6:
The chicken breasts should be ready for serving by this point.
Conclusion
So there you have it – a simple recipe for baked chicken breast. This recipe is easy to cook and is very healthy. You can add some variety to it by adding or substituting different spices and ingredients.
Hope you find this useful and try this recipe. I would love to hear feedback from your experience. Drop a comment below to share your thoughts.
