How to Bake Chicken

You can bake chicken whole or in pieces and season it any way you like. No matter which baked chicken recipe you use, it's best to leave the skin on, even when baking chicken breasts, to protect the meat from drying out.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• 1 (2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pound) broiler-fryer chicken, whole or cut up
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh or dried herbs (oregano, thyme, tarragon or rosemary)
• Olive oil
• Marinade (optional)
• Groceries
• Chef's knife
• Roasting pan or oven-proof skillet
• Oven
• Meat thermometer

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Remove the giblets from the cavity if using a whole chicken. Rinse the chicken under cool water. Pat it dry with paper towels and season the chicken (inside and out, if whole) with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

3. 

   Place the chicken in a roasting pan or a large oven-proof skillet, skin-side up. Rub with olive oil or pour a marinade over the chicken if desired (see the Related eHows).

4. 

   Bake, uncovered for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the skin is golden brown and the meat is cooked through.

5. Use an instant-read meat thermometer to check the chicken near the end of cooking. When the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees for breast meat, 180 for thighs (measured in the thickest part), the chicken is done.

6. Test for doneness without a thermometer by cutting into the deepest part of the thigh. If the meat is no longer pink and juices run clear, it's done.

7. 

   Let a whole chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Tips & Warnings

• Experiment by rubbing the raw chicken with different dry seasonings, from international seasoning mixes to your own blends.

• Squeeze a lemon over the chicken (and inside the cavity of a whole chicken) before you cook it.

• Try an easy glaze--equal parts melted butter, apricot jam and white wine--applied for the last 30 minutes of cooking.

• Be sure to carefully clean everything that the raw chicken touches to avoid contamination.

• Partially raw chicken is not safe to eat. Bone-in chicken parts are done when juices run clear and a meat thermometer shows they have reached an internal temperature of 170 degrees F.