The cold of winter keeps us away from the outdoor grill for the most part. When warmer weather hits, we all rush outdoors and immediately light up those grills. We all want to re-experience that beloved smoky and slightly singed taste that signals warmer weather has finally arrived.
But what if I told you that you could somewhat simulate that taste through a baking technique? You’d think I was crazy, wouldn’t you?
After some research, I discovered a method for baking chicken that can slightly simulate the flavor of grilled chicken.
The instructions are simple.
1.) Marinate your chicken (breasts, legs, and/or thighs) in your favorite marinade, or put your favorite rub on them.
2.) Place your oven rack to the upper middle position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
3.) While your oven is warming, line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil so the chicken juices won’t ruin your baking sheet through the baking process. Once you have lined the pan, place a wire rack (a bread or cookie cooling rack) into the baking sheet.
4.) When the oven is warmed, arrange your chicken on the wire rack and place in the oven. Bake the chicken for about 15 to 25 minutes. Ideally, you want your breasts to be at around 125 degrees and your legs and/or thighs to be around 130 degrees when you place a thermometer in the thickest part.
5.) Remove the baking sheet and chicken from the oven and turn on your broiler. Allow your oven to heat for 10 minutes. Then place the baking sheet and chicken back in the oven.
6.) Broil the chicken for approximately 8 to 15 minutes. Ideally, you want the thermometer to read 165 degrees for breasts and 175 degrees for legs and thighs.
7.) Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
