Organic Chickens Are Healthier for You

Organic chickens simply have more flavor, and are healthier for you. Try this organic barbeque chicken recipe; use organic free range chickens for the best result.

Organic chickens are growing in popularity with farmers and consumers. The demand for organically farmed chickens is driving this industry that is hoping to change how people view their food.

Chickens have been domesticated for thousands of years and the Industrial Revolution set the standard for food production with as much technology as possible. After many years of forcing growth of chickens, farmers are returning to a more natural way of raising chickens.

Chickens grown organically are kept in at least two square feet per bird, while typical supermarket chickens have less than one square foot. Chickens benefit from being able to stretch their legs by developing natural muscle fibers and having less stress on the chicken’s whole system.

Chickens that are farmed organically are not exposed to antibiotics, hormones, pesticides or herbicides at any stage of growth from either the soil or their feed. Organic feed typically contains things you might consider to be recognizable as food: cereals, vegetable protein and a vitamin/mineral supplement. All of the ingredients in the feed must be organic in order for the chicken feed to be labeled as certified organic. Chickens fed organic feed are less likely to be exposed to diseases from meat by-products that are in many standard chicken feeds.

Eliminating man-made chemicals from the environment means that the chicken on your plate has fewer of these compounds. People with sensitivity to foods or allergies to certain medicine can benefit from using organically farmed chicken to reduce stress from trace amounts of chemicals in non-organic birds.

A label sometimes applied to organic chickens is 'free range'. Free range is a term that is less strict than organic. This label only requires that chickens have access to the outside, no hormones in the feed and more space in their housing. Organic free range chicken must meet the requirements for both labels and is more likely to be a chicken that was grown closer to nature.

Organic free range chickens produce meat that is tender and flavorful, but try this barbeque chicken recipe and test it yourself.

Note: Most, if not all of these spices and flavorings are available in a certified organic form - purchase them from an organic or healthy food choice store.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons apple juice
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 whole organic chicken, cut up

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. In a small saucepan over medium heat, mix the first six ingredients to form a sauce. Season to taste with mustard, oregano, chili powder, salt and pepper. Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes.
2. Place the chicken thighs into a baking dish and pour the sauce over them. Cover tightly.
3. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven and then reduce the temperature to 300 degrees F. Bake for one hour. Remove cover. Drizzle pan sauce over chicken and bake uncovered for 15 minutes.

Organic free range chickens provide a delicious flavor, a healthier food, and a bit of ecological awareness as well.

Additional Reading

• Organic Food Recipes

• Organic Food Recipe for Desserts

• Organic Chicken Recipes

• Organic Eggplant Recipes

• Organic Food Recipes Main Courses

• Organic Food Recipes Starters

• Organic Cooking Schools

• Cooking with Spices, Organically

• Cooking with Fresh Herbs, Organically

• Organic Quince Jelly Recipe

• Return from Organic Chickens to Organic Food for Everyone Home Page