Cooking Chicken In Toaster Oven
Yummy is what you get when you cook chicken the right way. It involves using a great recipe and the right culinary skill. You can bake the chicken in a full-sized toaster oven when you have a lot of chicken servings to make or in a normal-sized toaster oven for a few servings.
For the purpose of this article, we will look at how to bake chicken in a toaster oven using step by step methods.
Using the toaster oven to bake chicken will not change the taste or nature of the chicken. But you might need to consider the compact size of the toaster. This might mean reducing the size of the chicken or baking it in bits.
Also, you must regulate the temperature of your toaster oven to make sure that chicken breasts are not under or overcooked. This can alter the taste, flavor, and nature of the chicken. What's baked chicken if it is denatured, flavorless or tasteless?
Baked or roasted chicken is a great meal for breakfast, lunch or dinner. You can serve it alone or in combination with other meals or side dishes.
If you prefer learning by video, this article is also explained here.
Ingredients
Two to Four thawed skinless and boneless chicken breasts.
1-2 tablespoons of kosher salt.
Butter or olive oil.
Non-stick cooking spray.
1 onion bulb.
1-2 tablespoons of paprika.
1-2 tablespoons of black pepper.
1-2 tablespoons of garlic powder.
Aluminum foil.
Buttermilk (optional).
Italian dressing (optional).
Note: You can add any other seasoning of your choice.
How To Bake Chicken Breasts – Step By Step Method
Video: How To Bake Chicken Breasts in a toaster oven
This video will show you how to How To Bake Chicken Breasts in toaster ovens step by step.
Chicken breasts can be prepared using this step by step method below:
Brining Process
This is the first step in preparing chicken breasts prior to baking. The taste and nature of your chicken are determined by how well you brine your chicken breasts.
Method
Fill a large kitchen bowl with warm water.
Add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and stir properly until it dissolves completely.
Add thawed chicken breasts to the saltwater.
Leave it to soak for about fifteen minutes (Brining process).
After fifteen minutes, remove chicken breasts from the saltwater.
Rinse chicken breasts using chilled water. This will remove the salt thoroughly.
Dry chicken breasts with paper towels or clean cloth.
Your chicken breast is ready to be baked.
Note: You can brine your chicken in advance by covering your bowl of warm salty water and chicken and refrigerating it for about 5-6 hours until it is ready to be cooked.
Optionally, you can use your own brining solution like buttermilk, Italian dressing or any other solution before cooking the chicken breasts.
Also, some people marinate chicken breasts using their seasoning. The marinated chicken will be left for about 3-4 hours either in a bowl or stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
The brining and marinating process adds moisture and flavor to the chicken and makes it extra juicy. It also brings the chicken to room temperature which makes it cook evenly and prevents it from drying out in the toaster oven.
Note that some chickens sold in the grocery store are already brined. In that case, you don't have to brine anymore; rather, you move on to the next stage.
Coating Process
Line the roasting pan or cooking tray of your toaster oven with aluminum foil. Spray it with a non-stick cooking spray. You can put some slices of onions in the roasting pan for additional flavor.
Place chicken breasts in the cooking tray. Then brush both sides generously, preferably with butter, non-stick cooking spray, or olive oil.
This process gives the chicken a golden-brown crust on the outside and prevents it from gluing to the roasting pan and drying out in the process. It also makes the seasonings stay on the chicken for a great taste and flavor.
Seasoning Process
Mix seasoning recipe (black pepper, paprika, kosher salt, and garlic powder) in a bowl until properly mixed.
Sprinkle the seasoning mixture evenly and generously over both sides of chicken breasts.
You can also coat your chicken breast with Italian breadcrumbs, cornmeal or any other seasoning recipe of your choice.
Baking
Prior to baking, turn on the toaster oven to a temperature of about 375 degrees to 450-degree Fahrenheit.
Place the roasting pan inside. Click on the 'bake' dial of the toaster oven. Bake for about 30-45 minutes or until the chicken is properly cooked (that is until there is a golden brown color on the skin).
Check the temperature of the chicken using a cooking or meat thermometer to know if the chicken is cooked. The ideal temperature of a fully cooked chicken should be at least 165-degree Fahrenheit.
The baking duration depends on the size or thickness of the chicken breasts and how fast you want it to bake.
It's preferable if you bake at a very high temperature and for a shorter time. This gives the chicken a crusty look on the outside and a soft juicy inside. However, care must be taken to avoid burning the chicken breasts.
Serving
Before serving and digging into the freshly cooked chicken breasts, allow it to rest for about five to ten minutes. This helps to finish the cooking process and lock-in all the juices and softness of the chicken.
Allowing your freshly cooked chicken breasts to rest makes it softer and taste even better. It is advisable to cover it with aluminum foil in a bowl to lock-in the heat while it rests.
After that, you can cut into the chicken and serve.
How To Serve Baked Chicken Breasts?
Chicken breasts are better served fresh and warm. It can be served alone or incorporated as slices into other recipes such as chicken parmesan baked ziti, chicken enchilada casserole, creamy chicken marsala soup and so on.
Tips
Use thawed chicken breasts all the time and not frozen chicken. Chickens are better off at room temperature before they are cooked. This makes them evenly cooked as compared to the frozen types. If they are frozen, cover in a bowl until it gets to room temperature.
If you want a browner and crispy chicken, you can broil chicken at a high temperature for an additional three to five minutes. But make sure it doesn't get overcooked or burned.
You can try other chicken recipes but ensure that the chicken pieces are not tightly packed in the roasting pan or too close to the heating element in the oven.
You can also adjust cooking time according to your oven and not necessarily follow the time mentioned in this recipe.
Seasoning Variants
For the sake of variety, there are other seasoning variants that are good for seasoning your chicken breasts apart from paprika, garlic, and black pepper seasoning recipe. These are simple seasonings that you can make at home. They include:
Curry Seasoning
Recipe: Curry powder
Taco Seasoning
Homemade Recipes
1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.
Half teaspoon of dried oregano.
One tablespoon of chili powder.
1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper.
One teaspoon of paprika.
Half teaspoon of onion powder.
One teaspoon of garlic powder.
One teaspoon of ground cumin.
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt.
Method
Mix all ingredients in a jar and stir properly.
You can use this to prepare your chicken breast before baking and store the remainder for future use.
Cajun Seasoning
Homemade Recipes
One tablespoon of ground black pepper.
One tablespoon of dried oregano.
Half tablespoon of dried thyme.
Two tablespoons of garlic powder.
Three tablespoons of paprika.
Two tablespoons of kosher salt.
One tablespoon of Cayenne.
One tablespoon of ground white pepper.
One tablespoon of onion powder.
Method
Combine all ingredients together in a jar or bowl till they are properly mixed.
Use immediately or store in a tightly sealed container for future use.
Za'atar Seasoning
Homemade Recipe
One tablespoon of sumac.
One tablespoon of ground cumin.
Two teaspoons of dried marjoram.
One teaspoon of freshly grounded black pepper.
One tablespoon of dried thyme.
One tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds.
One teaspoon of kosher salt.
Method
Mix all ingredients in a jar or bowl and stir till properly mixed.
Use immediately or store in a tightly sealed container for up to 3months.
Italian Seasoning
Homemade Recipe
Half teaspoon of dried basil.
One teaspoon of dried marjoram.
Half teaspoon of dried rosemary.
One teaspoon of dried thyme.
1 ½ teaspoon of dried oregano.
Half teaspoon of dried sage.
Method
Combine all ingredients together in a jar or bowl until properly mixed.
Use immediately or store in a tightly sealed container for future use.
Bagel Seasoning
Homemade Recipe
1 ½ tablespoon of dried minced garlic.
One tablespoon of flaked sea salt.
Two tablespoons of poppy seeds.
1 ½ tablespoon of dried minced onion.
Two tablespoons of sesame seeds.
Method
Mix all ingredients together in a jar or bowl until properly mixed.
Use immediately or store in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 months.
How To Store Baked Chicken Breasts
You can store baked chicken breast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about three days. Freezing chicken is a better option if you want to store it for a longer period. To do this, cut the chicken into slices or shreds for easier use.
Side Dish Recipes
Here are side dishes that can be served with baked chicken:
Final Note
You can share your recipe, questions, and comments. We will love to hear from you.
Cooking Chicken In Toaster Oven
Source: https://zimtoasters.com/how-to-bake-chicken-in-a-toaster-oven/
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