When I want a delicious and healthy meal where the oven does most of the cooking, these baked chicken dinner ideas are always my go-to recipes to feed my family!
Below, you’ll find the recipes as well as my tips for making sure your baked chicken, especially if you’re cooking chicken breasts, comes out of the oven juicy and never dry!
How to Make the Best Baked Chicken
Baking chicken that comes out juicy, tasty, and tender is quite simple; it’s all about seasoning it and keeping an eye on the temperature of the oven and the chicken. While chicken breasts, thighs, and legs can be baked at oven temps of 350-375F, the cooking time will vary depending on what part of the chicken you are baking.
If you don’t want dry, overcooked chicken -I know you don’t- then checking the internal temperature with a meat thermometer is key.
Bone-in meat, like chicken thighs and legs or split chicken breasts, is less likely to be overcooked. Once they reach 175F internal temperature, you know they are done.
For baked boneless chicken breasts, the meat will be fully cooked and safe to eat when the internal temperature reaches 165F. In this case, the cooking time will be shorter, and you’ll get the delicious baked chicken!
Baked Chicken Recipes for Families
These easy recipes solve weeknight dinners with minimal work! Even if you forgot to thaw the chicken, you can cook an epic meal by seasoning or quickly marinating the meat and baking frozen chicken. BOOM! Dinner is ready. While the oven does all the hard work, you can prep your favorite sides or even roast veggies for the ultimate effortless meal.
Best Sides for Baked Chicken Dinners
Whatever you serve with chicken, you can’t go wrong! Chicken pairs amazingly well with pasta, rice, veggies, salads… everything! While it’s baking in the oven, I like to prep spicy green beans, cheesy cauliflower rice, simple sautéed cabbage, or an easy corn and tomato salad.
When I want the oven to cook dinner from start to finish, roasted veggies are the thing to make! Balsamic beets, caramelized carrots, delicious potatoes and broccoli, or roasted frozen vegetables are quick, easy, and ridiculously tasty sides!
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