Baked Chicken With Sweet Onions

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 05/5/22
Baked Chicken

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 80 mins
Total: 100 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings

This baked chicken is not only easy to prepare and cook; it's also easy on the budget. You can use chicken thighs or whole legs in the dish, but it is excellent with split chicken breasts as well. The simple seasonings don't hide the great flavor of the chicken, and the sweet onions are complementary.

This easy baked chicken is dredged in flour seasoned with a little salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. The chicken is browned, then baked with sweet onions to crispy perfection. Use sweet Vidalia onions if they're in season.

It's a very easy dish to fix with chicken parts. Use two quartered chickens or about 4 to 5 pounds of thighs, legs, or bone-in chicken breasts. 

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Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Heat the oven to 350 F. Grease a large, shallow baking pan or roasting pan.

  2. In a bowl, food storage bag, or pie plate, combine the flour, salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder.

  3. Toss chicken pieces with the seasoned flour until thoroughly coated.

  4. Place a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat; add the olive oil. Working in batches, add chicken pieces to the hot oil. Cook for about 5 minutes total, turning to brown the chicken pieces on all sides.

  5. Arrange the browned chicken pieces in the prepared baking pan.

  6. Add the onions to the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, just until softened and coated with oil.

  7. Arrange the sweet onion slices around the chicken.

  8. Bake the chicken for about 45 minutes, or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.*

Tips

  • Chicken must be cooked to at least 165 F / 73.9 C. Check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat, not touching bone or gristle.
  • Add sprigs of fresh herbs to the chicken in the baking pan. Scatter a few sprigs of rosemary or thyme around the chicken and onions. 
  • Add some carrot sticks or baby carrots to the skillet along with the sliced sweet onions. Roast the carrots and onions together along with the chicken pieces.

Recipe Variation

  • Add 2 to 3 cups of unsalted or low sodium chicken broth to the roasting pan. Drizzle with 4 to 6 tablespoons of melted butter or olive oil. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes to 1 hour, or until the chicken is tender and tests fully cooked.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
389 Calories
20g Fat
23g Carbs
29g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 389
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 26%
Saturated Fat 5g 23%
Cholesterol 86mg 29%
Sodium 397mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 23g 8%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 29g
Vitamin C 6mg 29%
Calcium 43mg 3%
Iron 2mg 14%
Potassium 412mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)