Easy Baked Chicken
Baked Chicken is a quick and easy dinner that you can have in the oven in only 5 minutes. While your chicken cooks up perfectly, you’ll have plenty of time to put together a side dish or vegetable. This is always a favorite family dinner at my house. I have a very active household, so a fast and yummy meal is definitely much appreciated. You can use chicken breasts, wings, thighs, or legs; you can even use a whole cut up chicken if you prefer. What could be easier than this family-friendly Easy Baked Chicken for dinner?
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- 3 lbs chicken, whole or pieces*
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp tarragon (or substitute your favorite herb)
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Ingredients
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- Rinse the chicken under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Place in a shallow baking dish.
- Brush melted butter over the chicken or chicken pieces, and sprinkle with the spices.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. The amount of time the chicken takes to cook will depend on several factors, such as which type of pieces you are using as well as the oven temperature (ovens can vary a great deal, so the use of an oven thermometer is always a good idea).***
*You can use a 3 to 3-1/2 lb whole chicken or a package of bone-in, skin on, chicken thighs, legs, or breasts.
**Rosemary is another wonderful herb that is delicious with baked chicken.
***Handy guide for how long to bake chicken.
If you want to use individually frozen chicken breasts, you won't even have to defrost them! Simply rinse the frozen chicken under cold water to remove the ice layer, then place in the baking pan. Brush with melted butter and season according to the above recipe. Bake the frozen chicken breasts in a 375° F oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until no longer pink and the juices run clear.
Timothy Crain / Put the chicken, skin side down, in a frinyg pan, and lightly salt and pepper it. Using a medium flame, cook the chicken, covered, for about 12 minutes. Then flip the chicken over, pour some bar-b-que sauce over the skin side of the chicken, and cook for another 15 minutes or until the juices run clear.
Danniel, thanks for the great tip!