Whole chicken baked in the oven always turns out very appetizing and often with a crispy crust, even if it is prepared in a simple way. The dish and table for any holiday will decorate and diversify an ordinary family dinner. I tried to collect the most delicious recipes for baking a bird in such a way as to please everyone close to me.
I'll give you a couple of tips. To make the meat aromatic and juicy, place butter and spices under the skin. For the same purpose, place bunches of herbs and a whole lemon inside the carcass. You can also stuff it with garlic. To preserve all the juices, do not cut the chicken immediately after cooking - let it stand for a quarter of an hour. If you bake in a sleeve or foil, you can leave it in them - these materials retain the temperature well and allow the bird to gradually cool.
Whole stuffed chicken in the oven with apples
It is customary to bake duck or goose with apples, but chicken stuffed with sweet and sour apple slices also turns out amazing. Chicken meat after baking in the oven comes out soft and juicy, the crust is crispy and piquant thanks to the use of an aromatic marinade with garlic and honey. The fruit imparts some of its flavor to the chicken and absorbs excess fat. It's definitely worth trying this dish if you've never cooked it before.
Ingredients:
- chicken carcass weighing 1.5-2 kg – 1 pc.;
- sweet and sour apples, with firm pulp – 2-3 pcs. (small size);
- garlic – 2-3 cloves;
- vegetable oil – 1.5-2 tbsp. l.;
- honey – 1 tsp;
- mustard – 1.5 tsp;
- salt – 1-1.5 tsp. (taste);
- paprika – 1 tsp. (without top);
- ground black pepper – 2 pinches;
- lemon juice – 1.5 tsp.
Cooking method:
Prepare the chicken for baking: remove remaining feathers, trim off excess fat, remove areas of yellowish skin, wash, and dry with paper towels inside and out.
Prepare the marinade. Squeeze the garlic into a small bowl through a press (or grate it on a fine grater if you don’t have a special press). Add salt, paprika and pepper there.
Pour in oil and lemon juice, add honey and mustard.
Mix everything well. The marinade is ready.
Distribute the aromatic mixture over the chicken, including the internal cavity, cover the carcass with film and put in the cold to marinate for 1.5-2 hours (you can do it for a longer period, up to 2 days).
Just before baking, prepare the apple filling. Remove the core of the apples and cut the pulp into slices of medium thickness and size.
Stuff the inside of the chicken with apple slices.
Pinch the edges of the hole with toothpicks or sew up with cooking thread. The legs can be fastened together with foil or thread, the tips of the wings can also be hidden under the foil so that they do not burn during baking. Place the chicken in a heat-proof dish; you can place several whole apples next to it, which will impart their flavor and aroma to the bird during cooking, and also absorb excess fat.
Bake the dish for about 1.5 hours. Check readiness with a toothpick - pierce in the place where the leg connects to the breast (the thickest part). If the juice runs clear, you can remove the chicken, it is ready. Serve hot, allowing to rest after cooking for 10-15 minutes under foil.
Bon appetit!
How to fry chicken legs without oil. Chicken legs in a frying pan - 9 delicious recipes
Homemade chicken drumsticks are not only tasty, but also a budget product. Due to their versatility and good compatibility with other ingredients, they can be prepared in many ways, but they are most delicious when fried. So, how can you fry chicken legs in a frying pan, and with what additives will they turn out the most delicious?
Cooking breaded
And below is the easiest way to prepare it.
To perform it you will need a minimum of ingredients:
- the legs themselves;
- breadcrumbs;
- a pair of chicken eggs;
- regular salt;
- a mix of peppers and other “chicken” spices;
- vegetable oil.
It is advisable to buy shanks at the market (they will be meatier and tastier), and for frying use a mixture of butter and vegetable oils.
Prepare the legs as follows:
- Wash the meat thoroughly and dry with disposable towels.
- Make the marinade by mixing eggs with a mixture of peppers and salt.
- Marinate the drumsticks in the mixture for at least 2 hours, but it is best to let them sit overnight in the refrigerator.
- Heat a mixture of butter and vegetable oils in a frying pan.
- Carefully roll the legs in breading and fry on one side without a lid until a nice thick crust forms. After this, turn them over to the other side, cover the pan and continue cooking over low heat for about half an hour.
The finished dish is served hot.
It will be an excellent addition to mashed potatoes and vegetable salad.
With a crispy crust
For such a dish, you should choose drumsticks with thick skin, since it is the skin that is “responsible” for the formation of a crispy crust.
If the “spare parts” turn out to be from a young bird with delicate thin skin, then the food may turn out to be too dry and tough.
You will need:
- the legs themselves;
- salt;
- pepper;
- oil for frying.
It is best if the cooking pan has a thick bottom and walls. Heating in such a dish will be more uniform, and the dish will not burn.
It is very simple to prepare chicken legs with a deliciously crispy crust as follows:
- Rinse the meat thoroughly, brush with a mixture of peppers and regular salt.
- Heat a mixture of butter and vegetable oil in a frying pan; it is permissible to use melted oil.
- Fry the pieces on all sides until a light crust forms, cover them and continue processing for up to half an hour over low heat.
- After this, remove the lid, add heat and fry the legs until crispy.
And immediately send it to the table before it cools down!
How to fry with gravy
This dish goes well with any type of side dish, be it buckwheat porridge or small noodles. Preparing drumsticks is quick and easy.
You will need the following ingredients:
- chicken drumsticks - 5 - 6 pieces;
- one and a half glasses of chicken broth;
- onion;
- regular salt, peppers, “chicken” spices.
There are no special secrets in how to fry chicken legs in a frying pan:
- Fry the washed legs in oil until an appetizing crust forms.
- Chop the onion into smaller pieces and add to the frying pan with the meat. Sprinkle everything with salt, add pepper and simmer a little until the vegetable becomes soft.
- Add warm broth, reduce heat, cover the food with a lid and simmer for up to 30 minutes.
When preparing the dish, you should use the drumsticks along with the skin, since it is thanks to it that the gravy will become thicker and richer.
Fried chicken legs in batter
And this is one of the easiest ways to serve. Despite its simplicity, the dish is eaten instantly.
To prepare you will need:
- 5 – 6 chicken legs;
- half a glass of flour;
- half a glass of milk;
Prepare fried chicken legs in batter as follows:
- Wash the product thoroughly, making sure that there are no feather residues on it. Dry with napkins or paper towels.
We bake the chicken on a can in the oven - very tasty!
To prepare it, it is better to take a small weight young chicken carcass - this way it will be completely cooked. And to make the meat especially juicy, you can marinate it in a mixture of soy sauce, sweet paprika, pepper and turmeric.
Ingredients:
- chicken - 1.9 kg;
- vegetable oil - 1 tbsp. l.;
- turmeric - ½ tsp;
- ground paprika - 1 tsp;
- coriander seeds - ½ tsp;
- salt - to taste;
- soy sauce - 2 tbsp. l.;
- hot pepper - ½ tsp;
- mixture of ground peppers - ½ tsp;
- peppercorns - 4 pcs.;
- garlic - 3 teeth;
- bay leaf - 3 pcs.
How to cook:
Rinse the carcass and dry it. Remove the coccygeal gland. Gather the skin at the neck hole and secure it with toothpicks - this will prevent steam from escaping during cooking.
For the marinade, mix vegetable oil, soy sauce, paprika and all cooked types of peppers in a bowl. You should get about 3 tbsp. l. Rub the marinade inside and out, leave in a container covered with film for about 60 minutes.
Pour boiling water into the jar to fill 2/3 of the volume. Add bay leaf, allspice, black pepper, and coriander. Place the marinated chicken on the container. Wrap the ends of the wings in foil to prevent them from burning during baking.
Place the jar on a tray filled with water, then place it in the oven and preheat it to 180°. Reduce gas and bake for about 80 minutes. A quarter of an hour before the end of cooking, start pouring the fat that has collected in the pan over the carcass. When the knife goes into the meat easily and the released broth becomes clear, you can turn off the oven and remove the chicken.
For the garlic sauce, mix minced garlic with a little fat from the pan. Lubricate the bird with the resulting aromatic liquid, after removing the foil from the wings. Carefully remove from jar and cut into portions.
The most delicious crispy chicken recipe
Honey and garlic complement the meat well, imbuing it with pleasant sweetness and a slight spiciness. For complete roasting, make a cut in the breast area and open it like a butterfly. This must be done if the bird carcass is very large.
Ingredients:
- chicken - 1 pc.;
- honey - 3 tbsp. l.;
- spices, pepper, salt - to taste.
How to cook:
For the marinade mixture, combine honey, garlic, salt and spices.
Spread on the prepared carcass. Leave to marinate for a quarter of an hour. Then place the bird on a baking sheet and pour a little warm water on the bottom. Place in preheated oven, cook for about 1 hour. About 30 minutes before the end, begin to generously baste the chicken with fat. Advice!
To prevent the wings from burning, tuck their ends into the slits in the skin of the breast.
Stuffed chicken breast in the oven
Such rolls will be an excellent alternative for dinner or lunch, while the dish looks original and the taste will not disappoint at all. To prepare you will need:
- 3 chicken breasts;
- 6 slices of ham
- hard cheese
- 1 tomato, if you have dried ones, then this is ideal, if not, fresh ones are also suitable
- basil leaves or other herbs
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
Preparation:
1. Before you start stuffing the chicken, preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. Chicken breasts need to be washed. Each one needs to be cut in half as in the photo, so you will get 6 thin slices of breast. Season each slice with salt and pepper on both sides.
3. Place 1 piece of ham on each slice, and a couple of cheese sticks on top (if you have a rectangular block of cheese, just cut it into strips, as in the photo; if you can’t cut into strips, you can just grate it on a coarse grater). Place tomatoes between the slices of cheese; they also need to be cut into strips. In this case, sun-dried tomatoes are ideal, but fresh ones will work too. Don't make the tomato and cheese slices too thick, as the breast will still need to be wrapped.
4. Wrap the breast into rolls; it is better to fasten the roll with a toothpick. Take a baking sheet, put foil on it, or you can just take a ceramic or glass mold, grease it with oil and place it on the baking sheet/mould.
5. Bake the stuffed chicken breast for 30 minutes until done. You can serve it with rice or lettuce.
Whole grilled chicken in the oven on a spit
This cooking method guarantees complete cooking, so there is no weight limit. Be sure to use a marinade to ensure the meat is juicy and flavorful. You can use any spices, not just those suggested in the list of ingredients.
Ingredients:
- chicken - 1 pc. (about 2 kg);
- water - 3 l;
- salt - 9 tbsp;
- paprika, turmeric, dried garlic, mixture of peppers - 1 tsp each;
- bay leaf - 2 pcs.
How to cook:
Pour cold water into a suitable sized bowl, add pepper, bay leaf and salt, stir. Place the carcass in the solution so that the water completely covers it. Leave for 3-4 hours.
Then dry thoroughly with paper towels, outside and inside. Mix the spices separately and rub them all over the chicken. Make through cuts at the bottom of the legs and insert the legs crosswise. And simply pin the wings to the breast with toothpicks.
Carefully skewer the bird. Make sure it is securely fastened, otherwise it may start to spin during cooking. Place in the oven and cook as follows:
- heating from above for the first 30 minutes;
- 1 hour bottom heating at 180°;
- heat from above for another 30 minutes.
If desired, you can put vegetables in the tray where fat and juice will collect. Just be sure to add a little water so they cook but don't burn.
Advice! Recommended proportions for a salt bath are 3 tbsp. l salt for every liter of water.
Chicken breast in tomato paste
This chicken breast recipe is also prepared in the oven. It will take more time than in the previous recipe, because the chicken needs to be marinated first. The recipe is designed for 3-4 servings, for it you need:
- 3 chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 2-3 tbsp. spoons of ketchup
- spices and salt to taste
By the way, for this recipe you can use not only tomato paste, but also tomato juice, and if you don’t have that, you can take ketchup and dilute it with a few tablespoons of water (just don’t use very spicy).
Cooking chicken breast in the oven:
1. Place the chicken in a bowl, pour tomato paste, ketchup on top and sprinkle with spices. Mix well so that all pieces are covered with marinade. And put it in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 40 minutes, you can leave it for several hours or even overnight. You can marinate the chicken in the same form in which you are going to cook (as done in the recipe).
2. Before cooking, preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
3. If you marinated the chicken in another bowl, then take a mold and grease it with olive oil. Place the breast there and pour the marinade on top. Cover the pan with a lid or foil.
4. Place in a preheated oven for 30-40 minutes. After half an hour, remove the lid/foil from the pan and bake for another 10 minutes.
5. Chicken breast in tomato paste in the oven is ready! You can serve this dish with boiled rice or a light salad.
Chicken whole and with crust according to a simple recipe in the oven
You can cook poultry quickly and without any hassle. The only thing you need to do is rub it with spices, wait a little, bake and you can enjoy the incredibly tasty and juicy meat.
Ingredients:
- chicken - 2 kg;
- dried garlic - 2 tsp;
- curry - 10 g;
- pepper, salt - to taste.
How to cook:
Wash the carcass and dry with paper towels. Make cuts at the bottom of the drumstick and tuck the legs in, crossing them. Rub with a mixture of salt and spices. Leave for two hours to marinate.
Place in the oven and bake for about 60 minutes at 200°. In general, focus on the features of your equipment. It is better to make several cuts in the thickest places about 50 minutes after the start of cooking. If the liquid released is clear, cooking is complete.
Baked whole chicken with potatoes on a baking sheet
This is a very filling and tasty dinner. It is better to take small potatoes. During vegetable season, it is better to cook with new potatoes. It can generally be baked directly in the peel.
Ingredients:
- chicken - 2 kg;
- potatoes - 6 pcs.;
- garlic - 5 cloves;
- salt, spices, pepper - to taste.
How to cook:
Cut the peeled tubers into equal-sized slices, dry and season to your taste. Make cuts throughout the carcass and insert pieces of garlic into them. Then rub with salt and spices. Gently pry the skin with your fingers to separate it from the meat. Rub the spices and fillets as deep as possible. Be sure to tie the chicken feet. Leave in a cool place while the oven preheats.
Grease a baking dish with oil. Place the chicken breast side down and the potatoes around it. Place in the oven for 60 minutes at 200°.
Advice! To add extra flavor to the meat and potatoes, add a few sprigs of rosemary.
Recipe for cooking whole chicken in foil
Foil retains moisture well and prevents the meat from drying out during cooking. For baking, it is better to take one with a large thickness - this way you will be able to achieve complete roasting of the meat. It is better to fold thin foil several times.
Ingredients:
- chicken - 1.5 kg;
- mustard - 2 tsp;
- granulated garlic, pepper, salt - to taste;
- sour cream - 200 ml;
- prunes - 15 pcs.;
- mayonnaise - 2 tbsp. l.
How to cook:
Rinse the prunes, pour boiling water over them and leave for 20 minutes. For extra piquancy, you can use heated wine or cognac.
If necessary, defrost the chicken, rinse it, removing the entrails and remaining feathers. Dry. Spread the entire carcass with a mixture of sour cream, mustard and spices.
Drain the prunes. Cut half into pieces and put inside. Place the bird on foil and arrange the remaining dried fruit around it. Connect the ends of the foil tightly. Leave at room temperature to marinate.
Preheat the oven to 180°. Roast for about 80 minutes. 10 minutes before the end, carefully open the package, pierce it with a knife in thick places, checking readiness. If clear juice comes out of the cuts, remove the dish from the oven and leave in foil for about a quarter of an hour. Only then start cutting.
Chicken breast in sour cream
- breast - 400 gr.;
- sour cream 25% fat - 5 tbsp;
- various peppercorns;
- dill or parsley - to taste;
- bay leaf - 6 pcs.;
- garlic cloves - 2 pcs.
Calorie content: 700 kcal.
Let's take a closer look at how you can bake a chicken breast with sour cream in the oven in foil. Wash the breast well. Grind the pepper, add your favorite spices to taste and mix. Now you need to thoroughly rub the meat with the resulting mixture.
Using a sharp knife, make small slits in the breast and stuff it with garlic cloves. Coat the meat on all sides with sour cream mixed with finely chopped dill and salt. Leave some of the dill.
It is very important that the seasonings and sour cream penetrate properly into all cuts on the meat. In order for it to be better saturated with the taste and aroma of seasonings, it can be left in the refrigerator for an hour.
Line a baking dish with foil and place the meat. Place a broken bay leaf next to it. Seal the foil tightly. Bake in an oven heated to 180°C for about 45 minutes.
A few minutes before the end of cooking, remove the dish, open the foil and return it to the oven. This is done so that a crispy crust forms on the meat. Sprinkle the finished dish with chopped dill.
It’s very tasty to complement this recipe with mushrooms. Any mushrooms, but best of all champignons, should be thoroughly washed, peeled and cut. Place the mushrooms along with the meat on foil and pour over the sauce. The combination of chicken meat, mushrooms and sour cream is a win-win option to please both family and guests.
How to deliciously bake a whole chicken with vegetables in a sleeve (in a bag)
A fragrant and very tasty dish. It can easily become a complete lunch or dinner. The chicken cooked in the sleeve turns out to be dietary, without excess fat.
Ingredients:
- chicken - 1.5 kg;
- potatoes - 7 pcs.;
- carrots - 2 pcs.;
- garlic - 5 cloves;
- mayonnaise - 2 tbsp. l.;
- vegetable oil - 1 tbsp. l.;
- salt, spices - to taste.
How to cook:
Mix finely chopped garlic, pepper, salt, vegetable oil and spices. Spread the resulting mixture onto the entire chicken, which has been previously washed and dried. Leave at room temperature to marinate.
Cut the potatoes into equal cubes. Simply cut the carrots into 3 or 4 pieces. Add vegetable oil, mayonnaise, salt, spices.
Place the chicken and vegetables in the cooking sleeve. Tighten the neck with a clamp and place in the oven, preheated to 200°, for 1.5 hours.
Useful tips
In order for a chicken dish to be truly dietary and have a reduced calorie content, you should adhere to some cooking rules.
- Before baking, you need to trim off all the fat from the carcass and remove the skin.
- If you prefer juicy meat, you should not beat it, and vice versa - drier meat is obtained after mechanical processing.
- Avoid using vegetable oil during cooking: at high temperatures it acquires carcinogenic properties and increases the calorie content of dishes.
- When seasoning a dish, you should use more herbs and spices instead of salt.
- Use vegetables as a side dish; they go well with chicken to taste and provide double benefits.
- Use fresh carcasses or fillets whenever possible, since defrosted ones are always much tougher and less healthy due to the destruction of the natural composition of amino acids under the influence of low temperature.
Delicious baked whole chicken with salt
Chicken meat is often prepared for the holiday table. To surprise your guests you don’t need to use any complicated recipes. 1 kg of salt is enough to make the bird juicy and very aromatic, and the crust crispy.
Ingredients:
- chicken - 1 kg;
- coarse salt - 1 kg;
- lemon - 1 pc.
How to cook:
Prepare the chicken. Tie the legs with twine - this will make the bird look more beautiful on the table. Fold the wings behind your back to prevent them from burning while cooking. Place a lemon, scalded with boiling water, inside the carcass.
Pour all the salt onto a baking sheet. Place the chicken on top and bake in an oven preheated to 190°. Depending on the technical data of the device, cooking may take about 1 hour.