How Long Does it Take to Bake Chicken?

Tap to Read ➤ Parul Solanki

Baking is a perfectionist's art. Not everyone who cooks well, bakes well. In the process of baking, there is no space even for minute errors, or the entire dish gets spoiled. Having proper knowledge of the quantity of ingredients required, the temperature at which they need to be baked, and the amount of time required for baking a specific item, helps to a large extent.

Dishes with chicken as a core ingredient are a favorite all over the world. Everyone from children to adults tend to enjoy various food items containing chicken.

For fast food junkies who have to go on a guilt trip each time they have to eat fried food, a healthier and tastier option of baking is good news. Baked chicken recipes are becoming more and more popular all over the globe, with infinite options available according to the choices and tastes in various places.

Baking chicken in an oven is not only an easier and quicker way of cooking chicken, it is also extremely enjoyable for people who love to experiment with their cooking skills. Baking chicken, either whole or cut, brings forth its scrumptious taste and a pleasing aroma. Different kinds of chicken needs to be treated differently, and all of them need to be baked at a specific temperature for a specific period of time.

Baking Bone-in Chicken Bone-in chicken pieces need a longer cooking time than boneless chicken wherein the meat tends to be softer and more tender.

The baking time also depends to a large extent on the type of chicken cut and its size. One needs to keep on turning them around at regular intervals for uniform browning on both the sides. Also, a roaster takes more time to cook than a broiler. Following are the baking times required for different kinds of bone-in chicken cuts.

Thigh (with skin) Quantity: 7 ounces Baking Temperature: 400° F Approx. Baking Time: 40-50 min Approx. Calories: 140 Thigh (skinless) Quantity: 5 ounces Baking Temperature: 400° F Approx. Baking Time: 35-40 min Approx. Calories: 135

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video. Breast (with skin) Quantity: 8 ounces Baking Temperature: 450° F Approx. Baking Time: 35-40 min Approx. Calories: 185 Breast (skinless) Quantity: 6 ounces Baking Temperature: 400° F Approx. Baking Time: 25-30 min Approx. Calories: 150

Leg Quarters (with skin) Quantity: 8 ounces Baking Temperature: 350° F Approx. Baking Time: 40-50 min Approx. Calories: 370 Leg Quarters (skinless) Quantity: 6 ounces Baking Temperature: 350° F Approx. Baking Time: 35-45 min Approx. Calories: 260

Wings (with skin) Quantity: 3 ounces Baking Temperature: 350° F Approx. Baking Time: 20-30 min Approx. Calories: 130 Wings (skinless) Quantity: 2 ounces Baking Temperature: 350° F Approx. Baking Time: 20-25 min Approx. Calories: 85

Drumsticks (with skin) Quantity: 3 ounces Baking Temperature: 350° F Approx. Baking Time: 35-45 min Approx. Calories: 115 Drumsticks (skinless) Quantity: 2 ounces Baking Temperature: 400° F Approx. Baking Time: 25-35 min Approx. Calories: 85

Whole Chicken (with skin) Quantity: 90 ounces Baking Temperature: 425° F Approx. Baking Time: 35-45 min Approx. Calories: 1140 Whole Chicken (skinless) Quantity: 80 ounces Baking Temperature: 425° F Approx. Baking Time: 30-40 min Approx. Calories: 1035

Baking Boneless Chicken Usually, boneless chicken cooks faster than the one with bones. This again depends on the size of the chicken pieces.

The thicker and bigger the pieces are, the more time it tends to take. Sometimes, brining the boneless chicken before baking helps to retain its flavor, while keeping it tender and moist at the same time. Following are the baking times needed for cooking various boneless chicken cuts.

Thigh (with skin) Quantity: 4 ounces Baking Temperature: 325° F Approx. Baking Time: 20-30 min Approx. Calories: 280 Thigh (skinless) Quantity: 3 ounces Baking Temperature: 325° F Approx. Baking Time: 15-25 min Approx. Calories: 175

Breast (with skin) Quantity: 5 ounces Baking Temperature: 400° F Approx. Baking Time: 25-30 min Approx. Calories: 235 Breast (skinless) Quantity: 4 ounces Baking Temperature: 400° F Approx. Baking Time: 25-30 min Approx. Calories: 210

Legs (with skin) Quantity: 5 ounces Baking Temperature: 425° F Approx. Baking Time: 15-20 min Approx. Calories: 390 Legs (skinless) Quantity: 4 ounces Baking Temperature: 425° F Approx. Baking Time: 15-20 min Approx. Calories: 290 Ground Chicken Quantity: 20 ounces Baking Temperature: 390° F Approx. Baking Time: 15-20 min Approx. Calories: 710

Although abiding by all the things mentioned above can help you in baking your chicken to perfection, you still need to check if the chicken is fully cooked or not. Piercing the meat with a toothpick or a fork is a common and most feasible method of checking if the chicken is cooked to perfection.

While in a fully-cooked chicken, the meat will be completely white in color, under-cooked meat will be pink or discolored. Another way to check if the chicken is baked properly is by using meat thermometers. According to Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the USDA, poultry has to be cooked until its internal temperature reaches 165° F (73.9° C).

Baked chicken with this internal temperature is considered to be safe for consumption. Pierce the thickest part of the meat without touching the bone, and leave the thermometer in place for at least 30 seconds to get an accurate internal temperature reading.

You can bake your chicken by marinating it or seasoning it with your choice of spices and herbs to make it even tastier and savory. Generally, herbs such as celery, sage, thyme, basil, mint and oregano are good options to use.

Why Bake?

Baking is a creative art that can lift your spirits whenever you are sad or frustrated. It works as a therapy that may help you cope with your stress and tensions, as Dr. Russ Harris' research shows. But at the same time, it also has numerous other health benefits. Baking is a much healthier and tastier option than frying.

Deep frying your food can be a good idea, but it also means a lot of carbohydrates and fats. Sometimes, while frying leftover food, such as chicken, you need to cover its surface with breadcrumbs in order to avoid chances of burning, which again means extra cholesterol.

This can be avoided if you bake your chicken, because there are almost no chances of burning the surface in the process. It is interesting to note that, over the years, the per capita consumption of chicken has increased at a considerable rate in the U.S.

According to the statistics of the Economic Research Service (ERS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the per capita consumption of chicken has increased from 28 lbs. in 1960 to 48 lbs. in 1980, and from 77.9 lbs. In 2000, 84.4 lbs. In 2011 to 55.4 in 2013.

This number is further estimated to rise up to 91.4 lbs. by the end of 2016, which is almost more than double the per capita consumption in most other countries of the world.