Scared of Bone-In Chicken

[Schadenfreude]

So yeah. I finally bought a huge Costco-sized tray of bone-in chicken quarters to have enough attempts to get it right and I need help.

I've tried grilling bone-in breasts, but they took so much longer than I had assumed, and by the time the juices ran clear, the skin was burned. I've tried tossing some bone-in quarters in a glass baking dish, coating with spices and into the oven for 45 minutes...nope. More like 2 hours until they were done and by then I had served the side dishes to my hungry boyfriend.

So I shy away from bone-in, but it tastes so much better than boneless. Help me!

Tips on doneness (I have a brand new thermometer, but I don't think it's working right?).
General grilling times for drumsticks? Quarters? Breasts?
Baking times for the same?
Is the only indicator of doneness clear juice?

Thank you!

[PA Baker]

Welcome to DC! When I bake bone-in chicken breasts I usually do it for 45 minutes at 350F. It definitely shouldn't take you a couple of hours. Be sure to check your oven temp.

I'll dig through my chicken recipes in a bit and see what tried-and-true bone-in recipes I have. I'll post them in the chicken forum for you.

[foodaholic]

If I sear off a chicken breast (halved) bone in in a frying pan for a few minutes and then in the oven it generally takes me about 14 to 16 minutes to cook @425.

[GB]

Originally Posted by Schadenfreude

Is the only indicator of doneness clear juice?

Thank you!

You can also tell by touch, but that takes some practice. The best way, IMO, is with a thermometer. It sounds like you have one, but it may not be accurate. I say spend $20 and get yourself a new one if this one is not working. Get a probe thermometer. They are designed to stay in the food while you cook it. You can set an alarm to go off when it hits the desired temp. This will take all the guesswork out of it.

Moved to Chicken forum.

[Schadenfreude]

Thank you for the replies, and PA Baker, I look forward to the recipes.

I'm going to conquer this! I'm tired of fretting over my chicken...if I overcook, it's too dry...but if it comes out moist, I'm terrified that I haven't cooked it enough and convince myself I'm giving my guests salmonella.

[GB]

Something else you may want to consider is brining your chicken first. That basically means letting it sit in a salt water solution for a few hours before cooking. That will help with the dryness, even if you overcook it. Do a search on this site for brining and you will find a ton of great info.

[amber]

I cook mine at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes to an hour. To lock in moisture, I use foil for about half an hour, then remove until the skin is brown (for a whole chicken that is). You might want to try a whole chicken with a pop up thermometer. As for chicken legs, those are pretty inexpensive, so throw a bunch in a baking pan, and cook until the skin is browned and bubbly, then cut one open to see if it's cooked throughout.

[licia]

I think I would get an oven thermometer to make sure the temperature was correct, also. Good luck.

[auntdot]

I have to agree with those who advocate an oven thermometer.

Had an apartment once, many years ago, with an oven that was either off or heating at full tilt.

Learned that when a twelve pound turkey was done in an hour or so.

Came out very tasty and juicy by the way.

Turns out we learned many ovens do not work properly.

Two hours for bone in chicken breasts suggests a problem with the oven.