Chicken and veggies - covered or uncovered?

amother

OP ↓

Fri, Sep 06 2024, 9:29 am

Anon bc I am wayyyy too embarrassed to ask this under my sn. Hiding

I am not a new cook but somehow I haven’t been able to get this to come out consistently good. I feel like if I make it covered, there’s a ton of liquid and the chicken and veggies are always underdone, and if I bake it uncovered, it dries out or burns on top but doesn’t actually get cooked underneath. Help! Thanks everybody.

amother

Glitter

Fri, Sep 06 2024, 9:32 am

Depends on what type of chicken and veggies, and your oven.

But have you tried cooking it covered for the first 2/3 of the time and then uncovered for the rest?

ra_mom ↓

Fri, Sep 06 2024, 9:42 am

I use a double size pan (sterno size, like the size of 2 9x13s) and spread everything out in one layer. Nothing underneath, everything bakes evenly uncovered. 375 for 1 hour and 20 minutes (bone-in chicken legs and veggies).

amother

↑ OP ↓

Fri, Sep 06 2024, 9:51 am

ra_mom wrote:

When you make it, the chicken is not on top of the veggies? It’s like a sheet pan with veggies on one part of the pan and chicken separate? I was always baking it with the chicken on top of the veggies but maybe that’s the problem.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Fri, Sep 06 2024, 9:53 am

amother Glitter wrote:

Depends on what type of chicken and veggies, and your oven.

But have you tried cooking it covered for the first 2/3 of the time and then uncovered for the rest?

Bone-in legs and potatoes, onion, carrot, sometimes zucchini or turnip or parsnip. I have tried the method of starting it covered and then uncovering it 2/3 of the way through the cooking time but somehow I still have the same issue.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Fri, Sep 06 2024, 10:12 am

amother Vanilla wrote:

What temp are you cooking it on and for how long?

Usually 375, sometimes 350. It usually is in the oven for 3-4 hours.

tweety1

Fri, Sep 06 2024, 10:22 am

amother OP wrote:

Anon bc I am wayyyy too embarrassed to ask this under my sn. Hiding

I just want to tell you, I consider myself an experienced cook. I cook and bake well. My siblings all call me with their questions. I have absolutely no problem coming on here to ask for help. There's no shame or embarrassment whatsoever. You don't have to know everything. It's OK to not know even what seems like pretty basic.

amother

↑ Vanilla ↓

Fri, Sep 06 2024, 10:24 am

amother OP wrote:

Usually 375, sometimes 350. It usually is in the oven for 3-4 hours.

3-4 hours at that temp would definitely dry out everything. Do a lower temp for a few hours or else higher temp for shorter.

amother

Seablue ↓

Fri, Sep 06 2024, 10:27 am

Maybe try laying a piece of parchment on top but not closing it tight
I use a pyrex and cover with parchment and foil and uncover the last 20 minutes
350 for 2hrs45min and then uncover until it look golden
I lay my chicken in between the veggies not on top

IMHO- food comes out yummier cooked in a pyrex

amother

Plum ↓

Fri, Sep 06 2024, 11:03 am

amother OP wrote:

Usually 375, sometimes 350. It usually is in the oven for 3-4 hours.

Why are you keeping chicken in the oven for 3 hours? That’s twice as long as it should be cooked

↑ ra_mom ↓

Fri, Sep 06 2024, 11:17 am

amother OP wrote:

The chicken is not on top of the veggies. It's side by side. It's like a sheet pan size, but the sides of the pan are as high as a regular 9x13 baking pan.

Last edited by ra_mom on Fri, Sep 06 2024, 11:37 am; edited 1 time in total

amother

↑ OP ↓

Fri, Sep 06 2024, 11:20 am

amother Vanilla wrote:

3-4 hours at that temp would definitely dry out everything. Do a lower temp for a few hours or else higher temp for shorter.

I’ve also tried doing it at 250 for a few hours but it wasn’t cooked through What

amother

↑ OP ↓

Fri, Sep 06 2024, 11:21 am

amother Seablue wrote:

Sounds like a good suggestion, thank you!

amother

↑ OP ↓

Fri, Sep 06 2024, 11:22 am

ra_mom wrote:

The chicken is not on top of the veggies. It's side by side. It's like a sheet pan size, but the sides of the pan are as high a regilar 9x13 baking pan.

Oh interesting. They both cook evenly that way?

amother

↑ OP ↓

Fri, Sep 06 2024, 11:22 am

amother Plum wrote:

Why are you keeping chicken in the oven for 3 hours? That’s twice as long as it should be cooked

It’s not done enough otherwise What

like it still tastes raw if cooked less than 2.5 hrs

↑ ra_mom

Fri, Sep 06 2024, 11:37 am

amother OP wrote:

Oh interesting. They both cook evenly that way?

Yes, everything bakes really nicely.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Fri, Sep 06 2024, 11:39 am

tweety1 wrote:

Thank you for this! I just feel so silly for having trouble with such a basic dish.

amother

↑ Vanilla

Fri, Sep 06 2024, 11:44 am

amother OP wrote:

I’ve also tried doing it at 250 for a few hours but it wasn’t cooked through What

250 is too low. I would try 325 for 3-4 hours.
I personally do 360 for 1.5- 2 hours, but as others have said you also need to spread everything out a bit.