Vietnamese-Style Baked Chicken Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you cover baked chicken or not? ›

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. Lastly, think about the desired texture and flavor you're trying to achieve.

Chicken breasts must be at room temperature before going in the pan as cold chicken can cook unevenly and tends to be tough. Allow the chicken breast to sit out for 20 minutes. That should do the trick.

Bonus: baking chicken breasts in the oven doesn't require babysitting. No flipping or turning. Just pop it in the oven and forget it—just kidding, we didn't mean that. Be careful to not cook the chicken at an overly high temperature, as the high heat can result in dry chicken.

All poultry should reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F (73.9 °C) as measured with a food thermometer. A whole chicken must reach this temperature throughout the bird. Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.

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.

If you're in a hurry, you'll want to know how long you bake chicken at 400°F: Follow step 1 above, then bake the chicken pieces, uncovered, in the 400°F oven 25 to 30 minutes, until no longer pink or until chicken is done (using baked chicken temperatures above).

Brine. Like a marinade, a brine helps chicken breast soak up as much moisture as possible before cooking. It only requires three ingredients: water, salt, and a pinch of sugar.

A 15-minute sit at room temperature will make the chicken cook more evenly, helping you avoid a brown outside with a raw, undercooked inside. Solution: When you're gathering all of the ingredients for dinner, go ahead and take the chicken (in the plate or dish where it's stored) out of the fridge.

Let it rest

When it's finished cooking, just like a good steak, chicken needs to rest. "Once you've hit 165 degrees, stop the heat and let it rest for few minutes before cutting, so the juices redistribute themselves back through the meat," Robins says.

Bake the chicken breasts uncovered until their internal temperature reaches 165°F. This should take about 20 minutes in a 450°F oven. Loosely cover them with foil and let them rest, then slice and serve. Look how juicy and perfect the chicken turned out!

How long does chicken take to cook in the oven? ›

Here's the shortest answer we can give you: For large boneless, skinless chicken breasts: cook them 20 to 30 minutes in a 375 degrees F oven. For large bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts: cook them 35 to 40 minutes in a 375 degrees F oven.

chicken breast at 350°F (177˚C) for 25 to 30 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature is 165˚F (74˚C).

Cooking chicken drumsticks at 400 degrees for 40 minutes will make them come out nicely crispy and cooked all the way through.

It can also make the meat juicier but with a less crispy skin. Resting your meat uncovered in a relatively warm room will provide up to an hour before it needs to be carved whilst preserving the crispy skin. Always wait at least 30 minutes before carving to allow the temperature to finish rising and begin its decline.