Chicken is a staple protein in out household, and Atala's favorite, so you will usually find it in the fridge. It gets so bad sometimes that when I don't make mine, we buy the rotisserie or BBQ types from the store. But more often, I prepare oven-baked or oven-roasted chicken that will last a week or so, both for meals and for munchies.
If you're used to fried chicken, you may wonder why oven-prepared chicken. I haven't fried chicken for over three years now, and I don't know that I ever will again. Since I started trying to eat healthier about 7 years ago, I have always known two not-so-nice things about chicken.
Being white, chicken is the better meat than beef which is red, but when you fry it, or eat the skin, some of that advantage gets wiped off. Now, I love me some skin on my chicken so that was hard for me. But fried chicken, that I could work with removing from my diet.
First I worked with switching it up - boiled chicken today, fried tomorrow, roasted the next - but after a while, I realized that when done right, roasted/grilled chicken could taste better than fried. I was tempted along the line by receiving a deep-fryer as a wedding gift but I weaned myself soon enough.
How did I make these drumsticks? I made sure the chicken was completely fridge defrosted, then I washed. I rubbed salt and my selected spices all over and placed on an oven tray already coated with cooking spray. The oven is started at the low roasting/grilling setting. If you prefer a drier and more fried texture, leave it in for 30 - 35minutes. This also means for those who chew the bones that you have a fully cooked marrow, no pinkness.
I prefer my roasted chicken to stay in for not more than 25 minutes, with all the pieces turned over after 15minutes. This ensures that the meat remains juicy and succulent. For a sizzling finish, I turn the setting to high for the last 5 minutes, turning over in between.
Enjoy!
Hmmm…season…season….SEASON!!!! Oven baked chicken is a staple at my home as well and the key to making it the BOMB! is knowing how to season it properly. I love it!
ReplyDeleteYou're very right! If not well seasoned, the oven-cooked chicken can come out bland.
DeleteNice!!! This actually looks really good
ReplyDeleteThanks NoRe :)
DeleteI KNEW I shouldn't have clicked on this post this night. I knew it! Myne, you should come feed me o, i am hungry here.
ReplyDeleteWe stopped frying meat after we came here over 10yrs ago and i don't even think about frying meat these days. I boiled then bake.
Hahaha, come and eat o, your share is waiting :)
DeleteAlso, trying not boiling your chicken and go direct to the oven. See what you think/
This is so tempting! You did not name all the spices.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Eya. I will show the spices in another post on their own.
DeleteOMG!!! Stop making us hungry myne...lolz
ReplyDeleteLol... man must wack, as they say :)
Deletelooks delish.
ReplyDeleteMyne what have you done! My mouth is salivating if there is word like that well you got it lol. look yummy and I bet it's also taste yummy too. Nice.
ReplyDeleteThanks Nikki and Uju, it's very yummy and delish indeed :)
DeleteThis is the way to go baked, grilled, roasted is the way to go much more healthier. African people please stop pouring cupfuls of oil into foods as well you are on the path to high cholestrol levels etc
ReplyDeleteMyne, how can you tempt me with these yummy-yummy looking 'sikens'. Thanks for this because I ve been working on eating healthy for some time now.
ReplyDelete@Pendo, that is right. We tend to overuse oil, but no matter how much tastier the food seems, it can get dangerous.
ReplyDelete@Debby, thank you, and I hope it helps.