50 Non-Boring Baked Chicken Recipes to Try for Dinner (2024)

FAQs

Which type of cooked chicken is best? ›

Baked chicken

Baking is a great way to cook your chicken because it helps to boost your iron intake and is a rich source of protein. Baked chicken is also a lot healthier than fried because it contains less oil and fat.

The healthiest way to cook chicken is to bake it in the oven or stir fry it with vegetables. Put the parts in a baking pan, rub some olive oil on them, and surround them with plenty of garlic, lemon, carrots, or whatever you like. Bake at 350° until brown.

We eat it all the time. But when you need a break from chicken for dinner, what are your other protein options? Don't worry — there's a wide array of meat, vegetarian, and even vegan sources, like turkey, pork, steak, seafood, dairy, legumes, and quinoa.

Larger cuts, such as whole chickens or bone-in pieces, often benefit from covered baking to ensure thorough and even cooking. Smaller cuts, like chicken breasts or tenders, can be baked uncovered for quick results.

Butter chicken, also known as Murgh Makhani, has recently claimed the top spot in the "Top 100 Chicken Dishes in the World" list by TasteAtlas, (an online guide for traditional food) solidifying its place as a global culinary sensation.

Here are a few popular breeds: Cornish Cross: This breed is commonly used in commercial chicken production due to its fast growth and meaty texture. It's known for its tender and juicy meat. Rhode Island Red: Rhode Island Reds are dual-purpose chickens, meaning they are raised for both meat and eggs.

Way More Flavorful

Any good cook knows that fat is flavor, and that is yet another reason why thighs are superior to breasts. Chicken thighs are a fattier cut of meat, which means they're going to have more intense, rich flavor than their white meat counterparts.

Add a touch of spice to your chicken breast by combining paprika, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, ginger, garlic and olive oil to create a paste. Then cover your chicken breast with the paste and pat down to secure.

Think of perking things up a bit with a spicy chili and cheese stuffed chicken breast or switching over to the more flavorful chicken thigh with a recipe for grilled chicken thighs with chimichurri. Suddenly, chicken isn't so boring anymore.

As it does with turkey, the body uses tryptophan from chicken to make melatonin—which can help you rest—and serotonin, the chemical that signals your nerves and makes you feel happy and at ease.

Why do I feel so tired after eating chicken? ›

Cue your classic post-Thanksgiving nap. Tryptophan is often found in turkey, chicken, milk, bread, chocolate, canned tuna, cheddar cheese, peanuts, oats, and more. The essential amino acid helps your body make the relaxation-inducing hormones serotonin and melatonin, explains Prest.

If youre looking to oven bake chicken then metal is the best choice however if you're looking to make a casserole then glass can work perfectly. Just be careful not to expose heated glass to cold tempatures as it will shatter!

You can roast or bake anywhere between 325 and 450 degrees F. When roasting a whole chicken, a nice rule of them is to start at 400 to 425 degrees F and then turn the oven down to 350 after 15 minutes and cook until the internal temp of the chicken is 165 – 175 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.

It's usually not necessary to add water to the pan for a roast chicken: the steam created by the water can prevent the skin from becoming browned and crisp.

In terms of calorie and fat content, boiled chicken is the healthier option. However, the seasoning and cooking method used for rotisserie chicken can add flavor and convenience to your meals. If you are looking to maintain a healthy diet, boiled chicken is the better choice.

Stir-frying is one of the healthiest ways to cook chicken. Stir-fried lean, skinless chicken breast has the lowest fat content and is a great source of a vitamin called niacin. It has high levels of unsaturated (generally good) fats and the lowest levels of saturated (generally bad) fats.

The Winner: Poaching

Typically, poaching chicken requires bringing water to a boil in a saucepan, then reducing the heat to low and carefully dropping your chicken into the pan and simmering until cooked through.