Baked chicken has been a staple all of my life whether it was simply seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic or smothered in BBQ sauce or even marinated in beer, YES Beer! (more to come on that recipe!) You can literally eat baked chicken with anything… a simple salad, some mashed potatoes (or better Duchess Potatoes! More to come on that recipe too!), wild rice or in a sandwich the next day, baked chicken is an easy go to.
This recipe has bold ingredients yet subtle flavors that are PERFECT for an easy Sunday Dinner. This particular recipe is for about 8 to 10 servings depending on how much your guest will eat in one sitting but, what I LOVE about this recipe is that it is perfect for Meal Prep as well. Make a BIG batch of this and you will feed your family for the whole week! Of course, you can cut the recipe in half if you aren’t cooking for an army or for the full week.
Ingredients
- 5 lbs of Chicken Quarters (you can also use thighs)
- 1.5 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
- 12 oz of Orange Juice (real OJ not the fake stuff)
- 1 Shallot (diced)
- 6 to 8 cloves of garlic (crushed or minced)
- 2 Tbsp Rosemary (fresh or dry)
- 1 Tbsp Olive oil
- 2 Lemons (sliced thin)
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 Tbsp each Salt and Pepper
- 1 to 2 Tbsp Butter (for topping chicken prior to cooking)
Directions
- Prepare your chicken by removing some of the excess fat and skin. You do not have to remove all of the skin as this adds a bit of extra flavor to your dish, remove just enough so that it isn’t adding too much fat back in. Season the chicken (all sides) with the salt and pepper. Place chicken in freezer bags or a pan/bowl for marinating.
- Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl (except for butter and be sure to reserve slices of 1 lemon), whisk well. Pour your mixture over the chicken, making sure that the marinade is covering your chicken.
- Place in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes so that the flavors start to develop.
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator at least 10 to 15 minutes prior to cooking so that it comes to room temperature. (This will ensure even cooking times). Preheat your oven to 385° F
- Place chicken into a roasting pan, you can pour in some of the marinade into the pan but, if it is too much liquid, feel free to leave some of it out. Top your chicken with the rest of the lemon slices and with a few pats of butter.
- Cover with aluminum foil, place in preheated oven and bake for 1 hour.
- Uncover and check for doneness. Once your thermometer reads 165°F, leave uncovered, raise oven temperature to 420° F and let the chicken crisp up until it is a golden brown color.
- Remove from oven, let stand for at least 5 minutes. Enjoy!
Tips: Like I mentioned above, this recipe will feed 8 – 10 people and is perfect for meal prep but, if you aren’t feeding that many or don’t want to cook for the week, feel free to cut the recipe in half.
I usually like to marinade meats in freezer bags or in tupperware, depending on how much I’m making. This recipe can be divided into different bags since there is a larger amount of chicken.
I love baking this recipe but, it can also be grilled. Just don’t dump the marinade onto the grill 😉
If the chicken isn’t done after 1 hour, continue to cook for 10 to 15 minute intervals until it reaches the desired doneness of 165°F on your thermometer.