How Long Do You Cook A Whole Chicken

Cooking whole chickens is a relatively simple process although to ensure that you chicken is properly cooked through is important given the risks of food poisoning. So how long does chicken need to cook exactly?

The cooking time for a whole chicken will need to be calucated from the weight of the bird. Looking at the packaging which the chicken was purchased in will tell you the exact weight of the bird which you can use to cross reference against the chicken cooking guide below.

Bear in mind that different ovens operate at different temparatures. To be certain your chicken is cooked throughly before serving, simply skewer the deepest part of the meat (usually the breast or thigh area) and watch the flowing juices to ensure they are running clear and not pink. Better still, all kitchens should have an important impliment called a meat thermometer which are inexpensive gadgets which show you the actual internal temparature of your meats taking the guess work away.

The meat probe that I use is the Silicone Meat Thermometer 2″ Dial which is a really simple and effective tool which you can place in the chicken before cooking and leave in the bird during cooking.

Whole Chicken Cooking Times (unstuffed – refer to Cooking Chicken for information around cooking stuffed chickens)

These guidlines are to cook the whole chicken at a temperature of 350ºF (176ºC) – either use a skewer and check the juices before serving or better still invest in the meat thermometer.

2.5 – 3 lbs – 1 – 1hr 45 mins
3.5 – 4 lbs -1hr 30 mins to 1hr 45 mins
4.5 – 5 lbs -1hr 30 mins to 2hrs
5 – 6 lbs -1hr 45 mins to 2hrs 30 mins

Cooking Chicken Internal Temperature

Cooking chicken correctly eliminates nasty illness causing bacteria such as Salmonella and Listeria. Therefore ensuring that your chicken has reached the correct temperature to eliminate any remnants of these bacteria is crucial.

The old fashioned way of judging what temperature should chicken be cooked at is to probe the thickest section of the meat usually around the thigh or breast area and observe the resulting flowing juices. If they are clear to view and translucent the chicken is done, if they are slightly pink or worse still, red then further cooking is required.

Nowadays though with the onset of technology touching the confines of our kitchens most cooks have the use of a meat thermometer. These inexpensive heat sensing kitchen gadgets serve to inform you with a degree of accuracy, the internal temperature of any meat you wish to insert the probe into. Therefore the most reliable method of checking whether or not your chicken is cooked correctly is to use a meat thermometer.

Using a meat probe is very straight forward indeed however one point to remember is to ensure that when probing meat for the temperature you do avoid the bones of the cut (if it is a bone in cut). The temperature reading can be inflated due to the heat conductance of bones which results in a false reading. Thankfully, the probes are designed as such that it is very easy to insert (they have a very sharp tip) and therefore are easy to avoid hitting any bones.

You can get the Silicone Meat Thermometer 2″ Dial one I use, it is cheap and can be inserted into the meat at the start of cooking and left, saving you from having to reinsert the probe! withstands temperatures of over 500°F.

Your chicken cooking temperature and times are to roast your chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Cooking times are 20 minutes per lb (450 g) adding an additional 10 to 20 minutes at the end of the cooking time. As mentioned above, probe the chicken into the thigh area avoiding the bones and deep into the breast area. Also worthy to note that your chicken will continue to cook even after you have removed it from the oven or grill meaning you can even remove the meat from the heat source a few degrees below the desired temperature. Leave the meat probe in the carcass and keep an eye on the temperature to ensure it reaches its target. Enjoy your cooking.

Ways To Cook Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

Boneless and skinless chicken breasts can be cooked in a variety of ways including grilling, oven roasting, BBQing and even poaching but what method provides the best in flavour and yet is simple and straight forward to cook?

One of my favourite ways to cook boneless chicken breasts is to cut them lengthways creating an chicken escalope and then frying gently in and butter and oil mix. Given the chicken breast is quite thin (around 1cm) as a consequence of cutting lengthways it cooks relatively quickly and retains its moisture content provding you with a tender and succulent chicken dish.

Holding the chicken breast on a cutting board slice the breast lengthways through the thickest part without cutting all the way through creating almost a double or butterfly effect. Place a clean plastic bag over the breast and hit gently with the base of a saucepan or rolling pin to flatten the breast to around 1 cm in thickness. Take care not to hit it too hard given it is a tender meat and will split if you hit too hard.

Below is the method I use to cook boneless chicken breasts.

Boneless Chicken Breast Escalope Recipe

3 x Eggs beaten

1/4 pint of milk

1/4 Tsp Salt

Pinch of black pepper

1/2 Tsp Paprika

1/2 Tsp Garlic powder

4oz Plain flour

8oz breadcrumbs (fresh is best or dried works ok also)

1 x Tsp Butter

1 x Tsp Oil

Method

1. Beat the eggs and add the milk and blend

2. In a clean bowl place flour and seasonings and mix until incorporated

3. Place the butterfly chicken breast into the flour mixture and coat all over

4. Transfer to the egg mix and coat ensuring full coverage

5. Finally transfer to the breadcrumbs and coat gently pressing down the crumbs to ensure they are firmly stuck to the chicken.

Heat the oil and butter to a high heat and crumble in a few breadcrumbs, when they immediately sizzle your pan is hot enough. Simply lay the chicken escalopes into the pan and give them 3-4 minutes each side.

You will now have crispy yet succulent chicken breasts! Enjoy your cooking.

How Long Do I Boil A Chicken

Boiling chicken is a old cooking process and contrary to popular belief is no healthier than roasting a chicken. Given the fat content remains the same (tests have shown that the water content of the boiled chicken is reduced but not the fat content) you can still roast the chicken to produce a similar nutritional value.

That said, boiling chicken in a large crock pot or stock saucepan can achieve some good results.

The technique to boil a chicken is relatively straight forward and is also quite quick to cook using water. One issue to bear in mind when cooking chicken in this manner is to ensure that your chicken is brought up to room temperature before boiling. Under no circumstances should you attempt to boil a frozen chicken. Always thoroughly thaw a frozen chicken overnight in the refrigerator and then take out for several hours to bring to room temperature before cooking.

The best method to boiling a chicken is to use a large pot or saucepan filled with hot water or the same amount of stock. I always add some whole onions and a few diced carrots to the stock to add some additional flavour to the cooking liquid.

Simply put therefore, for best results use chicken stock and added vegetables when boiling.

Boiling a Chicken Method

1. Make up sufficient chicken stock (using a chicken stock cube) to fill your pot or saucepan to the halfway point.

2. Peel 2-3 onions and dice 2-3 carrots and add to the liquid.

3. Place the whole chicken into the pan and top up with stock to cover if needed.

4. Bring the pot to the boil and then reduce the heat to a steady simmer and cover.

An average sized (4lb) chicken will need to boil/simmer for around 1 hour.

For the best and safest results from boiling your chicken is to invest in a meat thermometer. These handy kitchen meat gadgets allow you to check the internal temperature of the meat during cooking which you can then use to determine exactly the required finish simply by probing the prong into the heart of the meat. For a boiled chicken the internal temperature will need to be 180°. You can get the Silicone Meat Thermometer 2″ Dial which is the one I use, it is cheap and can be inserted into the meat at the start of cooking and left, saving you from having to reinsert the probe! withstands temperatures of over 500°F. Enjoy your cooking.

Baked Chicken Drumstick Recipe

Chicken drumsticks are a children’s and adults favourite alike being really simple to prepare and cook especially in the oven. But what is the best way to bake chicken drumsticks and what is the best recipe to bring out the full flavour of the leg meat? I think we all know about KFC chicken and the crispy seasoned flour which is deep fried in hot oil giving wonderful results. I also know that many people have tried and failed to understand exactly what is the secret ingredients of KFC chicken but as far as I know this still remains a closely guarded corporate secret and rightly so.

But what other seasonings can we use to flavour our baked chicken legs? one of my favourite (and my kids!) is using crushed cornflakes as the basis of what would normally be breadcrumbs. This gives a much lighter texture to the chicken and remains crunchy and flavoursome after cooking. This is also a great chicken drumstick recipe which you can get the kids involved. But do not be fooled, just because its great for the children doesn’t mean us adults will not enjoy it, give it a try and you will see what I am talking about, scrumptious!

Baked Chicken Legs Recipe (coats around 8 chicken legs or quarters)

8 x Chicken legs or quarters with the skin removed (really do ensure you remove the skin, you will get a watery effect under the skin itself if you do not remove it first)

3 x Cups of ground up cornflakes (you can also use Weetabix!)

2 x Teaspoons of Cayenne pepper

2 x Teaspoons of mild Curry powder

1 x Teaspoon of garlic powder

1 x Teaspoon of salt

1/2 Cup of plain flour

1/2 pint of milk

2 x Eggs beaten

Method

1. Pre heat oven to 200 degrees and remove skins from chicken legs

2. Place flour and salt in a clean bowl

3. Place beaten eggs and milk into another bowl

4. Crush cornflakes to breadcrumb size in a clear, clean, plastic bag and add the spices shaking to mix thoroughly

5. Coat chicken in the flour shaking off any excess and dip into the milk/egg mixture and carefully place into the bag. Repeat for four chicken legs and then gently shake to coat evenly.

6. Repeat the above for the remaining 4 chicken drumsticks.

7. Place the coated chicken drumsticks on a baking tray and give a spray of oil.

8. Bake in the oven for around 40-45 minutes until golden and cooked through.

A really tasty and crunchy chicken leg coating which is great fun to make. Enjoy your cooking!

Easy Chicken and Bacon Quiche Recipe

Utilising your left over chicken pieces perhaps from a whole chicken is a great way of using up left over food. If you are looking for easy chicken and bacon quiche recipe then the below tried and trusted quiche is quick and really easy to pull together and tastes amazing.

This easy quiche receipe can be either cooked ahead and eaten cold or cooked ready from the oven to eat with a lovely green salad and roasted vegetables.

I tend to use a pre purchased pastry case (savoury) for the this recipe although you can of course bake your own pastry case ready to receive the filling.

Easy Chicken and Bacon Quiche Recipe Ingredients

1 x medium onion chopped

25g butter

2 x large eggs + 1 additional yolk

10 fl oz double cream (you can also use single if your watching the calories)

200g for cooked left over chicken pieces diced (you can use as much or as little chicken as you like just make sure it will fit into your pastry case)

4-6 rashers of smoked streaky bacon

1-2 Tomatoes sliced

Freshly grated nutmeg

Method

1. Heat the butter over a medium heat and soften the onion for around 5 minutes until soft and translucent.

2. Stir in the cooked chicken and cook gently (uncovered) for about 1o minutes.

3. Transfer the mixture to your pastry case and arrange evenly throughout the base.

4. Grill your rashers of bacon and once cooled break up into the mixture.

5. Beat your eggs in a bowl and add the cream. Season with salt and pepper and a small grating of nutmeg (or a pinch of dried)

6. Pour the eggy mixture into the pastry case and place the sliced tomatoes on the top.

7. Place on a baking tray into a pre heated medium oven (180 degrees) and cook for 35-40 minutes.

Once the centre is set and golden brown you are done.

How Long Do You Cook Chicken Legs On The Grill

Chicken legs cooked to perfection under the grill provide a succulent and delicious treat if cooked well. However, it is easy to overcook and indeed under-cook chicken legs using the intense heat produced through grilling. We all understand the importance of cooking chicken correctly and importantly, thoroughly. Therefore we need to ensure that our cooking using the grill is sustained enough to ensure total cooking of the chicken without burning them.

So how long do you cook chicken legs on the grill for?

Well, given my comments above and the fact that chicken legs themselves can be quite thick especially around the thigh area we need to ensure that we cook them properly. My advice when grilling chicken legs is to first place them in a hot oven before transferring to the grill pan. If you are cooking 4 chicken legs for example, simply place them into an appropriately sized baking tray and bake in a medium oven for around 40 minutes (turning once halfway through cooking) loosely covered with tin foil.

This will ensure that your chicken legs are first cooked through before transferring to the grill to ‘crisp up’. In effect all you are doing is grilling the skin, the chicken itself has already been cooked through. Set your grill to a medium high setting and place your pre cooked chicken legs under (ensuring they are not too close to the heat source) once heated up fully. Simply allow the chicken skin to crisp up turning once after 4 minutes. Do not forget to check the chicken once finished with the grill to make sure that it is cooked through thoroughly. Skewer the deepest part of the thigh and look at the juices, they should be clear and not pink. If they require more cooking simply place back under the grill and give them a further 4 minutes each side.

If for any reason you do not have use of an oven then you can still cook the chicken legs under the grill but emphasis needs to be placed upon the above. Use a low grill setting and give plenty of room from the heat source to the chicken legs and cook for 35-40 minutes turning in 10 minute intervals to ensure throughly cooked through. Check the thickest part of the thigh before finsihing to ensure that the juices run clear.

Why not try our Creole/Cajun Chicken Seasoning Mix recipe for your chicken legs, very simple to make and giving you wonderfully tasty chicken pieces!

How Long To Grill Chicken Wings

Chicken wings are an often overlooked part of the chicken given their lack of meat content however, there is nothing better than succulent and juicy chicken wings coated and baked in the oven, grill or BBQ. In fact, if you purchase a large chicken and detach the wings from the carcass you will have some fairly ‘meaty’ wings which are an excellent cut perfect for the BBQ given their quick cooking times. But just how to to grill chicken wings?

Grilling chicken enables the fat to drain off and delivers you a delicate, crisp wing lacking excess fat. The true test in grilling chicken wings is the inevitable flare ups and burning. However, to resolve this, keep your grill to a medium flame/heat and turn the wings frequently to avoid burning. The total grilling time for chicken wings will be around 15 minutes with constant turning to avoid burn marks.

A good chicken wing cooking tip is to simply place them on a baking tray and cook in a medium to high oven for 20 minutes (turning once) before allowing them to cool slightly to allow you to brush on some tasty BBQ sauce. You can then introduce your wings to the grill and giving them around 3-4 minutes on each side on a medium grill to finish off the cooking and sealing the sauce into the wings.

A great chicken wing recipe is provided for you below to accomplish just that!

Honey & Mustard Chicken Wings Ingredients

1 x tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 x small Onion, chopped as finely as you can get it
2 x cloves of crushed/minced garlic
2 x tablespoons of clear runny Honey
4 x tablespoons of tomato sauce/ketchup
4 x tablespoons of Worcester sauce
2 x teaspoons of Mustard
2 x teaspoons of Tabasco sauce (use less or more according to you liking)
8 x chicken wings (remove the very tips at the joint)
2 x tablespoons of plain Flour seasoned liberally with salt & pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 210C.

2. Cook the onion and garlic in a frying pan on the hob for 3 to 4 minutes until softened and translucent.

3. Blend in the honey, tomato and Worcester sauces and then the mustard and Tabasco sauce. Simmer over a very low heat stirring for around a minute.

4. Coat the chicken wings in the seasoned flour and spread the sauce plentifully.

5. Arrange the sticky chicken wings on a non stick (if you have one) baking tray and cook in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes until golden and cooked through.

Can I Boil Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

It is possible to boil or ‘poach’ a chicken breast in water although it is a good way of loosing the flavours of the meat unless you add additional spice and flavour the cooking water to compensate. This is achieved by using a suitable stock rather than simply water to poach the chicken in.

A simple method of cooking a chicken breast through boiling or poaching is to place the breast into a large skillet or frying pan adding 1 or 2 cups of chicken broth. Once the broth reaches boiling temperature reduce the heat to a slow simmer and cover, cooking for around 15 minutes. Once the cooking time is up simply remove the boneless chicken breast from the skillet or pan and transfer to an oven roasting pan arranging the chicken breasts in a single layer.

Now is a great time to add some further spices (some salt and pepper perhaps) and even a slice of lemon or orange to bring in some additional flavours. Make up another 4 cups of chicken broth (ideally this should be boiling or just below when you introduce to the roasting tin) and pour over the chicken breasts. Cover with the lid and cook in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes at 400 degrees.

You will now have a beautifully flavoured poached or boiled boneless and skinless chicken breast meal ready in no time. Enjoy!

How Long Do You Bake Chicken Leg Quarters

Chicken leg quarters are a great cut of chicken having a slightly more moist and succulent area of meat than the breast meat for example. But just how long to you bake chicken leg quarters for?

Given the legs are a much smaller area of chicken to cook once detached from the whole chicken the cooking time is drastically reduced. For an average sized pair of chicken legs you will expect to roast them for around 45 to 50 minutes in a hot oven around 220 degrees. Why not make up a home made chicken seasoning to coat your roast chicken legs and give them that extra spice?

Below is one of my favourite chicken seasoning recipes which derives from a Creole/Cajun source and is quick, easy and in most cases you will have the ingredients within your spice cabinet. Simply make up a batch and keep it together in an airtight jar for later use.

Creole/Cajun Chicken Seasoning Mix

* Quarter of a cup of salt

* 3 Tablespoons of Garlic granules or powder

* 3 Tablespoons of black pepper – grind it fresh for maximum flavour

* Half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper (give it some more if you like, this is down to your preference)

* 1.5 Tablespoons of paprika

Simply place you chicken legs in a plastic bag and place a couple of table spoons of the spice in the bag. Blow into the bag softly to inflate whilst closing thereby trapping the air inside like a balloon. Simply shake gently to fully coat your chicken legs throughly, place on a baking tray and bake the chicken leg quarters as above until cooked through.

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