How to Cook Baked Chicken

There is nothing quite as delicious as a baked chicken. Chicken is quite inexpensive and can be prepared for use in a variety of dishes, but the baked chicken remains a tried and true favorite. This is a main course that can almost cook itself, providing the freedom to focus on more time consuming side dishes. Baked chicken is a safe dish to choose not only for family dinners, but for entertaining as well. Seriously, it is next to impossible to destroy a dinner featuring baked chicken. Follow these directions to create a meal that is a staple for many families.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• 3 lb baking hen
• Lawry’s Seasoned Salt – 2 Tablespoons
• 1 Cup of water
• Oblong oven proof dish
• Aluminum foil

Getting Started

1. Gathering your ingredientsA quick trip to the local supermarket will most likely be all that is needed to find the baking hen, Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, and aluminum foil. If needed, an oblong oven proof dish can be purchased from a dollar store or one of the chain department stores. They are quite easy to find.
2. Preparing the chickenPreheat the oven to 350 degrees. The first thing to do is wash the chicken thoroughly under running cold water for 10 minutes. Pat it dry with a paper towel. Holding the hen with the legs up, put the Lawry’s Seasoned Salt inside the body. Rub the seasoned salt all around inside of the hen. Don’t be squeamish. This part is important and has to be done.
3. Baking the chickenThe chicken is now ready to be placed in the oven proof dish. Add 1 cup of water to the dish. Use enough of the aluminum foil to cover the chicken tightly. Let it bake, checking occasionally for the degree of browning. The baking time will take approximately 1 hour. Once the chicken is browned, remove it from the oven. Take the foil off of the chicken and return it to the oven for another 10 minutes.
4. Serving the chickenOnce the chicken is fully browned, remove it from the oven. Drain the drippings from the pan into a 3 quart sauce pan and set aside to make gravy. Let the chicken cool for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

Tips & Warnings

• This is a basic recipe for baking a chicken but feel free to get creative and add more spices as desired. Again, remember that it is nearly impossible to ruin a baked chicken.
• An attractive serving suggestion is to place the chicken slices on a large platter to be placed on the table. This can be a more appetizing presentation than bringing the entire hen to the table and slicing it that way.
• Be very careful when transferring the hot drippings from the oven proof dish to the 3 quart sauce pan. If it is too heavy to handle alone, get some help with it. These drippings will be quite hot and have the potential to burn badly if they hit skin.