Baked Whole Chicken Recipes

Whole chicken makes up for an undeniably delicious meal. Cut it in parts or bake the whole chicken as it is, the meat provides high nutrition. Although there are several ways to cook whole chicken, baking it makes it fat-free and retains its original succulent flavor. Cleaning the whole chicken is the most important part of making any baked whole chicken recipes. It's a little difficult and a tricky process, as the big portion cannot be cut into pieces. So let's see how to clean chicken, before its cooked into a delectable meal.

Cleaning Whole Chicken

If you've bought frozen chicken, remove the packet of giblet from its tail end. Allow the meat to thaw completely. Rinse in cold water and pat dry with paper towel. Check the cavity of the chicken for its kidneys. They are dark red in colored and towards the tail end. If they aren't removed, push them out with your fingers. Rinse them with cold water once again. Check the tail area of the meat for unwanted fat and remove it with a knife. Pat dry the chicken with paper towel, so that its ready to marinate.

Marinade and Stuffing for Whole Chicken

Grilled Chicken Marinade
Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup sherry
• 1 teaspoon garlic
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Mix all these ingredients in a big bowl and let them soak for 30 minutes. Stuff some of this mix inside the chicken and pour the remaining outside. Allow the marinade to sit for 3 - 4 hours, so that the meat absorbs the flavor. Next, grill the chicken in an open grill or in a preheated oven. Serve it hot with coleslaw.

Basil Parmesan Chicken Marinade
Ingredients

• One 14 oz bottle of Kraft extra virgin olive oil basil
• Parmesan Vinaigrette
• 1/2 cup green onions, sliced(stem as well)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6-8 chicken breast

Directions
Combine vinaigrette, onions, garlic powder and salt in a bowl. Pour this marinade over chicken and allow the meat to soak it for about 4 hours. When the chicken is ready to be cooked, throw away the remaining marinade and set the meat in a preheated oven to bake for an hour. Poke in toothpicks to see if the chicken is baked well. If the toothpick comes out clean, then the job is done well!

Roasted Tuscan Chicken
Ingredients

• 1/8 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large shallots quartered
• 2 tablespoons butter, cubed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces goat cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted
• 4 large fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon quartered
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• Basil leaves, for garnish
• Lemon slices, for garnish
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper for taste

Directions
Grind the tomatoes, fennel seeds, basil, lemon juice, cheese and salt in a paste. Stuff this paste and shallots inside the chicken. Be generous with your stuffing and spread it evenly. Make a few shallow slits on top of the chicken and pour and rub some olive oil on top. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on top and let it roast in a preheated oven at 375 degrees. When the chicken will give out clear juice, the roasting will be complete. Remove the chicken from heat and garnish it with basil (or you can use any other herb) and lemon slices.

Barbecued in Beer Chicken
Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups beer
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 cups bottled sweet barbecue sauce
• 1 small onion, chopped 1
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions
Saut onion and garlic in oil till they wilt. Add lemon juice, beer, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce and salt to the pan. Mix all the ingredients well till it bubbles. Remove from heat and allow it to cool down. Pour half of the mix inside the whole mix and the remaining on top. For marinating the meat better, make a few slits on top before pouring the sauce. Let it sit for 3 - 4 hours and then bake in a preheated oven.

So these were some of the whole backed chicken recipes. You can either bake the whole chicken or bake chicken wings and legs separately for the purpose of convenience. Marinades and stuffing accentuate the juicy flavors and the intoxicating aromas of the meat. They provide high nutrition and give it a distinguishing taste. You can use various herbs and vegetables to make different kinds of stuffing. Hope these recipes help you bake a finger licking meal.