How to Cook Chicken

Roasted chicken is one of the tastiest, most satisfying dishes you can make. Not only that, but roasting a chicken is also one of the easiest ways to prepare a delicious family dinner. Here's a basic roasted chicken recipe. And for 10 different takes on how to cook a classic roasted chicken, here are 10 Roasted Chicken Recipes.

Baked chicken is different from roasted chicken in two ways. First, baked chicken is prepared with chicken parts (i.e., individual drumsticks, thighs, breasts and wings) whereas roasted chicken is cooked whole. Second, baked chicken is dredged in seasoned flour before we cook it, which we don't do when roasting a whole bird. Here's a simple baked chicken recipe. You might also like this Herb Baked Chicken, which is coated in soft breadcrumbs and fresh herbs, then baked in the oven.

Broiled chicken is prepared using a smaller bird called a "broiler" (typically around two to three pounds) which is either split open around the backbone so that it can be cooked flat, or simply halved. Either way, flattening out the chicken helps it cook faster, which is important given that broiling involves very high heat. Here's a tasty herb broiled chicken recipe.

Grilled chicken is always a favorite dish, especially during the summer months. You can grill an entire cut up chicken, which is great because the breasts cook a lot faster than the thighs or drumsticks. Skinless, boneless chicken breasts are especially popular for the grill. For instance, check out this Asian-flavored grilled sesame chicken.

More grilled chicken recipes:

• Grilled Chicken: Step by Step
• Garlic Grilled Chicken
• Lemon & Yogurt Grilled Chicken

Sautéed or pan-fried chicken is really a two-stage procedure that involves cooking in a hot pan with a small amount of fat, and finishing it either in the oven or by simmering it in some sort of sauce. This lets flavors develop while also ensuring that the chicken is fully cooked. Boneless chicken breast cutlets are great for this method, like in this classic chicken piccata.

More sautéed or pan-fried chicken dishes:

• Chicken Breasts Marengo
• Champagne Chicken Recipe
• Chicken in Cream Sauce

Whether you're just poaching chicken breasts or you're poaching a whole chicken, poaching is an easy and delicious method for cooking chicken. Poached chicken is naturally low in fat and always comes out moist and juicy. And as an added bonus, when you're done poaching the chicken, you're left with a delicious, savory chicken broth that you can use for making sauces, soups and all kinds of other recipes.

Braising is a great technique for when we want to cook cheaper or less tender cuts of meat so that they turn out moist and succulent rather than tough and chewy. When it comes to chicken, the toughest meat comes from larger and older birds. Coq au vin is a classic French dish prepared by slowly braising a very large, old chicken (or rooster) in wine.

More braised chicken dishes:

• Caribbean Braised Chicken
• Braised Chicken with Artichokes
• Chicken in Red Wine Sauce

The key to deep-frying is maintaining the oil's temperature between 325°F and 400°F. Hotter than that and most oils will start to smoke. Fried chicken is a great example of the basic deep-frying technique where items are dipped in a simple batter before we cook them, which helps to protect and further seal in moisture. And when it comes to fried chicken, it's all about the batter. Here's a basic southern fried chicken recipe.