A toaster oven can be a pretty handy little appliance, especially in a small kitchen. Most models have timers and can be set to bake or broil at certain temperatures; consider these mini-ovens. They're also a good energy-saving option for people who cook only one or two servings at a time. Most toaster ovens may be too small to hold a whole chicken, but you can still roast chicken parts in them, just as you would in a normal oven.
Preheat
Set the toaster oven to bake and preheat it to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Chop
Coarsely chop a small onion and a few cloves of garlic.
Prep
Line the toaster oven tray with foil. Put a layer of onions and garlic on the foil, then lay the chicken on top. Put as many parts from a whole chicken that will fit into the tray without being packed too tightly. Lay the chicken parts skin-side up. Put any remaining pieces of onion and garlic between the chicken pieces.
Season
Drizzle the chicken parts with olive oil, a least 1 teaspoon per piece. Sprinkle on salt, pepper, and fresh or dried herbs like sage, thyme, marjoram, and rosemary.
Cook
Turn the oven down to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and put the chicken in. Make sure chicken isn't touching the walls of the oven and that there's about an inch between the meat and the top heating element. Cook the chicken for about 20 minutes.
Baste
In a separate pan over the stove, melt a few tablespoons of butter and add pepper and a clove of crushed garlic. Olive oil may be used instead of butter. Use this to baste the chicken every 7 minutes while it's cooking.
Baste the chicken with the juices in the tray once or twice during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
Tip
Try other chicken recipes in your toaster oven, adjusting the ingredients if using less chicken than the recipe calls for. Just make sure that the chicken pieces aren't packed in too tightly, that they aren't touching any walls, and that there's adequate space between the meat and the heating elements.
Adjust cooking times according to your own oven and make a note of it next to your favorite recipes so you don't have to guess every time you cook in the toaster oven.