How to Make 9 Different Recipes With Baked Chicken

Today I want to share how to make 9 different recipes with baked chicken. You just need the basics and a little bit of imagination.

When we first got married, I was clueless when it came to cooking! This was no fault of my mom – I had absolutely no interest in learning to cook at that time. I regretted that once I was married.

If I had only known how easy it was to have several meal options when you had one basic recipe, things may have been a little different. Who knew that you could make more than 9 different chicken meals from baked chicken?

Chicken Basics

Let’s start with the basics of cooking chicken. There are several ways to cook chicken:

• Bake in the Oven
• Deep Fry
• Pan Fry (Cast iron skillets are great for this.)
• Air Fryer
• Grill
• Crock Pot
• InstaPot

Each of these methods are a little different, and they call for different appliances and/or utensils. I usually prefer baking, grilling, or using the crock pot. To me, these are the easiest methods.

Today we are only looking at recipes where we bake the chicken. All 9 versions of these chicken meals are extremely easy if you can bake a chicken. You almost can’t go wrong with these!

Tips When Baking Chicken

• When you bake chicken, go ahead and prepare enough chicken for another meal. It doesn’t really take any longer, but it will save you time later in the week.
• With the extra chicken, you can go ahead and chop or shred it, depending on what types of recipes you will be using it for later in the week.
• If you haven’t mastered cutting up a chicken just yet, the easiest thing to do is buy them already cut up at the store. (This is a lot less mess as well.)
• I like to buy chicken pieces in bulk and then freeze them in meal sized portions. This not only saves money, but it saves having to make additional trips to the grocery store.
• Find out what type of chicken your family prefers (white meat or dark meat). The most common are:
  • White – Breasts/Chicken Strips
  • Dark – Chicken Thighs, Legs, and Wings
• Boneless chicken breasts or strips are very easy to use. For these reasons, I use boneless skinless chicken breasts for all of these recipes.
• These chicken dishes are very versatile and can be served over rice, noodles, or couscous.
• Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Preparing the Chicken

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1. Rinse the chicken off well.
2. Cut all of the fat and connective tissue off of the chicken.
3. Season the chicken with the desired seasoning on both sides.
4. I usually add a pat of butter to each piece or so – either salted or unsalted butter.
5. Cook the chicken with the desired method.

Easy Baked Chicken Recipe

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Put the prepared chicken pieces on a sprayed baking sheet or in a baking dish (in a single layer).
• Bake in a 400 degree oven for 18-20 minutes.
• Make sure chicken is done. (See below.)
• Remove the chicken dish from the oven, and let the chicken rest for 2-3 minutes.
• Serve with the side dish or dishes of your choice.

All of these are pretty quick chicken recipes. However, cooking times will vary depending on the size of the chicken pieces. If you use chicken strips, they will definitely take less time.

*If the meal looks like it is getting too done on the top, cover it with a piece of aluminum foil to keep it from burning while the inner parts of the chicken cook.

Making Sure It is Done

I always have a fear of serving chicken that isn’t done all the way through. My mom had a bad experience with this as a child, and she has always shared her concerns with us.

The other side of this is that if you cook it too long, you end up with a dry chicken breast, which usually means a tough chicken. Therefore, you have to find a happy medium. You want a juicy chicken breast that is completely done!

Baking time will depend on your oven and the size and amount of chicken you are baking. Although there is not just a blanket instruction for all chicken meals, there are some instructions and precautions you can take to make sure your chicken is completely done.

There are two main ways I like to check to make sure the chicken is done all the way through:

• Using a knife, cut into a piece of chicken at the thickest spot to make sure it is done before taking it out of the oven. The chicken should still be juicy, but it should not have any blood left in it.
• You can also use a meat thermometer. To me, this is the best way to check because it is exact. The internal temperature of the chicken should be at 165 degrees. Check the temperature in the largest area of the chicken.

These two methods work for all varieties of chicken – fried, baked, grilled, etc.

Once the chicken is done, take it out of the oven and let it rest for 2-3 minutes to lock in the juices.

9 Different Recipes With Baked Chicken

These 9 dishes are some of our favorite ways to change up a baked chicken meal. In each of these recipes use the directions for baking chicken above. Each one has a different topping, making it totally different. Add the toppings before baking unless otherwise noted in the directions.

1 – Best Baked Chicken Recipe

• Prepare the chicken according to the directions above.
• Top the chicken with a few pats of butter, salt, and black pepper. You can use other seasonings as well (garlic salt or garlic powder, onion powder, seasoning salt, or any other favorite seasonings).
• Add any vegetables (potatoes, carrots, onions, etc.) and or toppings you desire.
• Bake according to the directions above.

2 – Apricot Chicken

This may sound like a weird combination, but trust me on this! The sweet and savory flavors together are the perfect combination.

• Prepare the chicken according to the directions above.
• Top the chicken with a few pats of butter, salt, black pepper, and a jar of apricot preserves.
• Bake according to the directions above.

3 – BBQ Chicken

• Prepare the chicken according to the directions above.
• Brush the top the seasoned chicken with the desired amount of BBQ sauce your family likes.
• Bake according to the directions above.
• Serve with more BBQ sauce.

4 – Hot Sauce Chicken

This is a go-to recipe for our family. It is so easy and delicious!

• Prepare the chicken according to the directions above.
• Top the chicken with a few pats of butter, salt, black pepper, and a jar of your favorite salsa. Any brand and any amount of heat will work (Mild, Medium, or Hot).
• Bake according to the directions above.
• If you want, you can add grated cheddar cheese and/or fresh chopped cilantro when there are only 5 minutes left to bake.

5 – Italian Chicken

• Prepare the chicken according to the directions above.
• Top the chicken with a few pats of butter, salt, black pepper, and your favorite spaghetti sauce. You can also season the chicken pieces with Italian seasoning if you like.
• Bake according to the directions above.
• When there are 5 minutes left to bake, add Mozzarella cheese to the top.
• Serve this over pasta.

6 – Mushroom Chicken

• Prepare the chicken according to the directions above.
• Top the chicken with a few pats of butter and your favorite seasonings.
• Add a package of fresh mushrooms, one sliced onion, and one jar of Heinz Gravy. (Turkey, Beef, or Mushroom Gravy is fine.)
• Bake according to the directions above.

7 – Rotel Chicken

• Prepare the chicken according to the directions above.
• Top the chicken with a few pats of butter and your favorite seasonings.
• Add a can of Rotel tomatoes to the top of the chicken.
• Bake according to the directions above.
• Top with shredded cheddar cheese and fresh chopped cilantro before serving.

8 – Swiss Chicken

• Prepare the chicken according to the directions above.
• Top the chicken with a few pats of butter salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning.
• Add one roughly cut onion (large chunks) and two cans of sliced stewed tomatoes to the top of the chicken.
• Bake according to the directions above.

9 – Chicken Alfredo

• Prepare the chicken according to the directions above.
• Top the chicken with a few pats of butter salt, and black pepper.
• Bake according to the directions above.
• Half way through the baking time, add a jar or two of any brand of Alfredo sauce. The amount of sauce will depend on how much chicken you are baking.
• Serve over pasta, and top with crispy bacon and Parmesan cheese.

Must Haves for Chicken

Baking Dish

Instant Read Thermometer

Cast Iron Skillet (for frying)

Other Favorite Chicken Recipes

Link to Spanish Chicken and Rice

Link to Poblano Chicken

Farmer’s Market Chicken

Creamy Chicken and Dumplings

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Resources

Since my daughter’s family raise chickens, I get the best chicken available! When it is “chicken time,” which comes up twice a year, I stock up on it. Here is a link to their page if you are local and want more information.

The next time you are looking for an easy meal to throw together, I hope you will try one of these. These 9 different recipes from baked chicken are just about as easy and versatile as they come. The options are limitless! Get creative, and please share your creations in the comments.

Until next week…

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“Then God said, ‘Let the water swarm with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.’” Genesis 1:20