Sinfully Simple, No-Fail Roasted Chicken Pieces

This sinfully simple recipe is undoubtedly the easiest way to cook inexpensive bone-in chicken pieces.  The chicken will be so tenderly delicious, it will make your mouth water while the meat falls off the bone as you move it from the baking dish onto your plate.

This is a perfect beginner recipe.  When I first started cooking, I was nervous to try anything but chicken breasts (which are notoriously too expensive for people who are also starting to create an independent life for themselves in the first place) because I didn’t know how to properly cook chicken and warnings about improper chicken cooking are abound.  This recipe is a no-fail method and still my go-to way to prepare chicken even now that I am a confident cook.

Roasted chicken pieces are just as satisfying and scrumptious as a whole roasted chicken, but much easier and quicker to prepare.  The meat will be tender, the skin will be crispy and the juices can be easily turned into gravy with a little flour for the days you are longing for what is likely the most nostalgic home-made meal in my region.

Ingredients:

Chicken pieces: I use chicken quarters because they are generally the meatiest and the cheapest (under a $1.99/lb or 4.39/kg is reasonable, usually about $1.50 per piece)

Butter: 1 spoon per chicken piece

Salt: just a sprinkle

Water: 1 cup (optional: add an oxo cube or use chicken broth instead of water)

Optional if you want to make gravy: a few spoons of flour or cornstarch

Rinse your chicken and place in a baking dish.  Do not worry yourself with trimming fat off the pieces, the fat is much easier to remove once cooked.

Add the water or chicken broth to the dish.  I used water and an oxo cube which you can see didn’t dissolve whatsoever, no worries!

Place one spoon of butter on each piece, then sprinkle with salt.  The butter and salt are needed to make the skin nice and crispy.

Bake at 375 degrees for about one hour and fifteen minutes for chicken quarters whether you are cooking one or eight pieces.  The number of pieces doesn’t affect cooking time, the size of pieces does.  If you are cooking smaller pieces such as chicken legs only, you can lessen the time to 45 minutes to an hour.

Let sit for a few minutes before transferring to plates or the chicken will fall apart when you try to move it!

To make gravy, after removing the chicken from the dish, carefully pour the juices into a little pot.  Turn the stove onto medium and once boiling, add a few spoons of flour OR as I prefer, mix a spoon of cornstarch with a few spoons of cold water in a little cup and add this to the boiling juices.  Either way, let boil for one minute and then turn the stove to low and let simmer for a few minutes until thickened to your liking.

I promise the gravy is flavorful even if you only used water to cook the chicken in.

Don’t forget to serve with a healthy side such as the mixture of rice, beans and vegetables squeezed with lime seen below, recipe coming soon!

You can also turn this into a whole meal right in the pan by tossing potatoes and carrots or whatever you fancy around the chicken before baking.

¡Salud! Jump up.