Solar Sun Oven: Baked Honey Buttered Garlic Chicken

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Have you ever tried Solar Oven cooking? Well if you haven’t, you just may want to give it a try.

Since this summer here in Wisconsin has been on the hot side this year.

The solar oven has come in very handy.

For one, you take advantage of the sun’s energy. Secondly, you’re not heating up your home with a hot stove or oven.

Best of all, it cooks your food perfectly and it taste much better than on the stove. From moist tender meats to crispy baked bread.

You name it, you can cook, bake, boil, steam and Pasteurize Water in it!

Your also able to dry things out. So basically it also turns into a mini dehydrator.

Cooking or Baking in a solar oven is a lot of fun. With its glass widow your able to keep a close eye on things. It also comes with its own oven thermometer so you will know how hot your oven is at all times.

The cooking temperature in the Sun Oven will reach 360 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

The temps will vary depending on the brightness of the sun and how often the oven door is opened. It’s a good idea to add-on an extra 10-15 minutes, each time the door is opened.

As far as the cooking times, they are close to those as a conventional oven.

Whats really great about the Sun Oven is it’s almost impossible to burn your food, plus it doesn’t dry out.

Solar cooking doesn’t require special pots or baking pans. But it’s best to use very dark and thin cookware, such as Granite Ware.

The dark pots or pans help to hold in the energy of the sun, keeping them hotter. Glass casserole dishes with lids work well also. Most everything you cook should have a lid on it. This helps to keep the steam in so it’s not overly fogging up your glass door.

Avoid using shiny or aluminum pots or pans. This will reflect the heat away, so your food will not cook properly.

When baking baked goods like cookies, use dark cookie sheets. The same for bread, use dark bread pans. Baked goods don’t need to be covered when baking.

If you want to learn more about the Sun Oven, just click on the link.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Now that you’ve got some Idea what a solar oven is all about. The chicken recipe that I’m going to share is easy and only takes a couple of minutes to put together.

You don’t need a solar oven to bake your chicken. Your conventional oven will work, even an Instant Pot.

What you’ll need:

• 1 whole organic free range chicken
• 1 stick  butter
• Weber Honey Garlic Rub  (I purchase this at Sam’s Club) or any rub of your choice
• 1 cup diced onion
• 2 Tablespoons of minced garlic
• A pot to bake it in

Once you’ve taken your whole chicken out of its packaging remove the gizzard, heart etc from the cavity.

Look the chicken over for any thing that may need to be removed. Dry the chicken off  with a paper towel so it’s ready for a butter rub down.

Take 2 Tablespoons of butter or more if you need it, and melt it. Brush the chicken with the melted butter on all sides.

Before I rub down the chicken with the Weber Honey and Garlic. I stuff the chicken with half a cup of onion and 1 Tablespoon of garlic. Also add a pat or two of butter.

Now you can begin rubbing your chicken down with your chosen rub.

If your going to cook the chicken in a solar oven. A way to help it brown up, is to add a little sugar to your rub if it doesn’t have any in it. The honey garlic rub doesn’t need the added sugar.

When the chicken is covered on all sides with the spices.

You can now place it in a pot.

Add the rest of your onion and garlic on top of the chicken and around it. With the left over butter cut it up into pieces and place it on the chicken.

There is no need to add any liquid to this because the chicken will make its own, will cooking in the solar oven.

Make sure you use the lid that came with the pot so it will keep the moisture and heat inside your pot.

If your cooking this in a conventional oven, it may require some chicken stock.

Before placing the chicken in the solar oven. Make sure it’s at least 350 degrees.

The glass door will be very hot so make sure you have hot pads handy.

Once you’re at the right temperature. Put the pot in the solar oven and let it cook for 4-5 hours.

Depending on the heat of the sun and if there are any clouds going by.

If your oven gets to hot you can prop the door open a bit to let out some of the heat.

Try not to be tempted to open the door every hour. Because it will add 10-15  minutes extra to cook each time you open the door.

When I feel my chicken is done. I always test it with a meat thermometer just to be on the safe side.

The chicken should come out perfect and the meat falling off the bone.

Cooking chicken in my solar oven is my absolutely favorite way to cook my chicken, it’s delish!