How are you liking these recipes? I assume that you like them much if you keep coming here monthly to get them. This month we will make a simple baked chicken recipe with a twist.
Ingredients
- White rice or Yellow Rice
- Chicken Thighs (or your preferred cut of chicken meat)
- Soy Sauce (La Choy or Kikoman)
- Butter or Margarine
- Salt (or seasoning salt) and pepper
This is a relatively easy recipe. First, start with the cuts of chicken meat that you prefer. I love chicken thighs. I used to be a breast only type of gal when I was younger; but, now, I have morphed into the dark meat world. There is a debate in the chicken world on whether you should wash the chicken or not wash the chicken. I’ve done both and I’m still alive and no one in my family has been poisoned, so I presume it’s up to you. I actually nip the debate in the bud by simply washing the meat with white vinegar. You could probably use apple cider vinegar but the flavor of the vinegar may clash with the soy sauce in this recipe, so, it would be wise to stick with white vinegar if you have to “wash” your chicken.
Salt and pepper the chicken. Then prepare it in either a cast iron skillet or a ceramic baking dish. I put the chicken pieces in and dash it with some soy sauce each piece. Cover up the dish with a top or aluminum foil and cook it for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the covering and add another dash off soy sauce. Flip the meat over and let it finish cooking for another 30 minutes or until it is done. I usually cook my chicken on 375 in the oven so that it can be juicy and tender. Sometimes I may cook it even lower. A friend once told me that when it comes to meat, “low and slow is the way to go.” Therefore, I keep this in mind while cooking certain meats so it won’t be tough or burned. Also, at this time, you can start preparing the rice. As I said before in a previous article, invest in a rice cooker! It makes the perfect rice every time. But if you haven’t yet, simply prepare the rice on the stove. Usually the ratio of water to rice is 2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice. But stick with whatever the instruction on the rice package tell you to do. I usually like to prepare this meal with yellow rice because it adds an extra layer of flavor but you can also choose to do white rice.
One more tip. You don’t have to do this but 10 minutes before the meat is done, you can add a small dollop of margarine or butter to the top of the chicken. This adds a little more flavor and helps to brown it a little more for me. However, you can skip this part if you like.
Once the baked chicken is finished, remove it from the oven and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes. This resting period for meat seems to always add a little more tenderness to my meat when I do this; however, if you can’t wait, go ahead and dig in.
I hope you like this segment of my blog. Check back for more monthly food ideas. If you have any questions about preparing this meal, leave them in the comments section or contact me directly here. To get more meal ideas, click here.
Image courtesy of ID 2519577 © Rohit Seth | Dreamstime.com
Mel Childs is the author of this article and the owner of Move Me To Atlanta. She also owns her own writing company in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. Additionally, she has written freelance for various publications, including Bob Vila, This Old House, Lawnstarter, WikiLawn, Homelight, Fixr, LeadsForward, Upscale Magazine, Black EOE Journal, Ancient Origins, and many more.
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