Baked Chicken Breasts

Boneless, skinless chicken is an easy dish to bake as well as delicious to taste.

INGREDINETS:

Chicken Breasts – 2 nos

Montreal Chicken Seasoning – 2 tsp  (Montreal chicken seasoning Ingredients: Garlic, Salt, Onion, Black Pepper, Parsley, and Red Pepper, Orange Peel, Paprika, Green Bell Peppers, and Sulfiting Agents)

Red Chilly powder – 1 tsp

Black pepper powder – 1/2 tsp (optional)

Olive oil – 2 tsp

Preparation Method:

• Make Masala Paste: Take the Chicken Seasoning , Black pepper powder  and  Red Chilly powder in a small mixing bowl. Make a thick paste by adding 1  or 2 Tsp of water. Check for salt. If needed, add salt and  keep it aside.
• Defrost the chicken if you are using frozen chicken:

  Place frozen chicken in the refrigerator the day before you plan to cook it. This is the safest way to defrost it.

  Thawing chicken in a microwave is a quick method but is not recommended because of the difficulty in determining the proper defrosting time.

  Thawing the chicken in cold water is a faster method than thawing in the refrigerator.

• Rinse chicken breasts : Place the chicken  breasts in a bowl, set in the sink and let COLD water run over it. The water does not have to be turned on full blast, just a steady stream. Rinse them well under cold running water.

** Hot water on raw meat will cause bacteria to grow and cause a person to get sick.**

• Pat dry them with a paper towel. Discard the paper towels immediately and clean up any chicken juices promptly.
• Cut each chicken breast into 4 pieces. ( you will get 8 good sized pieces from 2 chicken breasts)
• Carefully cut small crosswise slits down the length of each chicken pieces, being careful not to cut all the way through. This will help the marinade penetrate  the chicken better, help it to cook evenly, and it also looks nice when the chicken pieces are cooked.
• Rub the surface of the chicken pieces with 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Because boneless, skinless chicken is low in fat, it can dry out very easily in the oven.
• Now marinate the chicken  pieces with spicy thick paste. Rub the marinade all over , coating all the chicken pieces  well.
• Place them in a plastic container or a large resealable plastic bag and let the chicken sit in the marinade for two to eight hours  (or even overnight) in the refrigerator to absorb flavors.
• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Prepare a baking pan :: Line a baking pan or dish or cookie sheet with aluminum foil, and coat the foil with a non-stick cooking spray. This not only makes removing the finished chicken breast from the pan easier, but it will also speed clean-up.

• Place the marinated chicken pieces  in the pan. Arrange them  in a single layer in the pan. Make sure that none of the pieces are overlapping. They should be laid flat and spaced evenly throughout the pan.
• Baking: Bake chicken pieces , uncovered, for about  30 minutes or  bake them until the juices from the chicken run clear. Do not overcook but allow chicken to become a beautiful golden crisp color.
• Remove the pan from the oven when chicken pieces are fully cooked. Let the chicken sit for 5 – 10 minutes before plating. The chicken will still cook for a bit after you remove it from the heat.
• Transfer to a plate and Serve : Place the baked spicy chicken breasts pieces on a plate and Serve.

Note:

• You may use a substitute for olive oil, such as canola oil, coconut oil, or another cooking oil.
• Raw chicken should be rinsed and patted dry with paper towels before cooking. 
• As a general guideline, bake boneless chicken breasts at 325-350° F for 20-25 minutes and bake bone-in chicken breasts at 325-350° F for 30-45 minutes.
• Use meat thermometer to make sure that the chicken is fully cooked . Insert the thermometer horizontally into center of  a chicken piece. For a completely cooked chicken, the thermometer should read between 160 and 165 degrees Fahrenheit (71 to 74 degrees Celsius).
• Cooking time for baking chicken depends on the temperature of the chicken,  how hot the oven is, the thickness of the chicken breasts.

Warning :

• Chicken should never be thawed out on the kitchen counter.
• Raw chicken is a common carrier of salmonella bacteria. Fortunately, the bacteria can be killed with complete cooking, but take care to always wash your hands after touching raw chicken. If bacteria are transferred to work surfaces, utensils, or hands, they could contaminate other foods, as well as the cooked chicken, and cause food poisoning. With careful handling and proper cooking, this is easily prevented. So immediately dispose of any marinade or brining solution,  Cutting boards and knives must be washed in hot sudsy water after using and hands must be scrubbed thoroughly before and after handling raw chicken . Wash well  all the utensils used on the raw chicken. Wash down your preparation area and sink with a cleaning solution.
• Never rinse Raw chicken with warm or hot water. Hot water on raw meat will cause bacteria to grow and cause a person to get sick.

 

I got most of the tips and very good preparation method  from the site http://www.wikihow.com/Bake-Chicken-Breast

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