10 Foolproof Tips for Perfect Chicken

What can chicken be used for?

This may seem like a silly question, but we’re here to give you ideas! Chicken is a staple in our kitchens. We love cooking some up at the beginning of the week to use in various meals such as topping salads, stir fry or any chicken dish you want! This is a huge help with our kids preparing their own meals, and we call that a #momwin. 

Some of our favorite chicken recipes

• Honey Lemon Chicken & Green Beans
• Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs
• Smothered Chicken Enchiladas
• Chicken Alfredo Pasta
• Slow Cooker Spicy Curry Chicken

Tips for cooking yummy chicken

1. To keep breast area of chicken from drying out during roasting, place a piece of foil over this area. Remove during last 30 minutes of roasting time to allow the skin to brown properly.
2. To make the cutting of chicken into thin strips easier, place chicken in the freezer for about 3/4 to 1 hour to firm up. If the chicken was frozen, cut it into the thin strips before it is completely thawed.
3. Reduce added fat by seasoning chicken in marinades that are low-fat or fat-free. Use ingredients such as low-fat yogurt, juices, wine, herbs, and spices.
4. If using a marinade for basting, set some aside before placing raw chicken into the marinade. Never reuse marinade that chicken was marinated in for basting.
5. Roasting chicken on a rack, broiling, and grilling are cooking methods that allow fat to drip away from the meat. Poaching, steaming, and microwaving are methods of cooking where no additional fat is used. All provide for less fat content in the meat when it is done.
6. Cook chicken to the proper temperature, because under-cooking the chicken will cause it to be tough and overcooking the chicken causes loss of moisture, making the chicken drier.
7. Let roasted chicken rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving to allow juices to be distributed throughout the meat. Standing the chicken up with bottom end up allows more juices to run into the drier breast area.
8.  Do not overcrowd chicken pieces when cooking. Leaving space between them will allow them to brown and cook more evenly.
9. When frying or browning chicken in a pan, use a nonstick skillet, which requires less added fat, or use a nonstick skillet with a fat-free nonstick cooking spray to reduce the amount of used fat.
10. Cutting meat across the grain will produce shorter fibers, resulting in more tender pieces.

Adapted by: https://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t–155/chicken-tips-and-techniques.asp

Comments