how to cook the perfect chicken

by Dr. Stefan Jerde DVM Published 3 years ago Updated 3 years ago

How to cook perfect chicken 8 different ways?

Chicken breast: this tutorial is created for using one pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
Oil: you’ll need some oil for baking & grilling chicken breast. ...
Seasonings: use these chicken breasts as a blank canvas for recipes by just adding salt & pepper to them for baking, grilling & slow cooking. ...

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How to bake chicken in just 2 simple steps?

3 tbsp Dijon mustard, 3 crushed garlic cloves, 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp white wine, 2 tsp salt, 2 cups dry bread crumbs.
Sauté the mustard and garlic in butter for about 4 minutes over moderate heat. ...
Dredge the chicken with breadcrumbs and cook according to the instructions in the previous section.

What is the easiest way to cook chicken?

You can reheat rotisserie chicken in the microwave, stovetop, oven, air fryer, or Instant Pot.
The microwave is the quickest method, but the oven will get you the crispiest skin.
Rotisserie chicken is a versatile ingredient that can be used for fillings, salads, or soups.
Visit Insider's Home & Kitchen Reference library for more stories.

How long should you bake a chicken?

chicken breast at 350°F (177˚C) for 25 to 30 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature is 165˚F (74˚C). How many minutes per pound do you cook a whole chicken? Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Roast whole (thawed) chickens for 20 minutes per pound, plus an additional 15 minutes.

What is the best method to cook chicken?

The Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover sheet pan with parchment paper. Lay out seasoned chicken on parchment. Bake chicken in preheated oven for 20 to 24 minutes minutes, until it's just cooked through.

How do you cook chicken without drying it out?

To start, brine your chicken in a mixture of water and a few tablespoons of salt for about 20 to 30 minutes. This will boost the natural flavor and moisture of the chicken breasts and will leave you with a super tender piece of meat. This is the one step that will really ensure your chicken won't be dry or tough.

What is the secret to cooking chicken?

10 Chef Secrets for How to Cook Chicken Breasts PerfectlyUse Dairy as a Marinade.Season Your Yogurt Marinade.Cut the Breast in Half.Finish it in the Oven.Brine, Baby, Brine!Cook it 'under a Brick'Inject the Chicken with Marinade.Become a Grill Master.More items...•

How long does chicken take to cook perfectly?

Thin cutlets will cook in about 8 minutes; large chicken breasts will need up to 15 minutes. The chicken is done when it registers 165°F in the thickest part of the meat with an instant read thermometer. You can also cut into the chicken to see if it's cooked through.

How do you make chicken soft and juicy?

InstructionsFlatten the chicken breasts. ... Season the chicken breasts. ... Heat the pan. ... Cook the chicken breasts over medium heat for 1 minute without moving. ... Flip the chicken breasts. ... Turn the heat down to low. ... Cover the pan and cook on low for 10 minutes. ... Turn off the heat and let sit for an additional 10 minutes.More items...•

How do restaurants make chicken so tender?

There are actually a few different ways to tenderise chicken the Chinese restaurant way:marinating in a cornstarch/cornflour sludge then deep frying or blanching in water before proceeding to cook in the stir fry.egg whites – sometimes the above method is also done using egg whites.chemical tenderiser.More items...•

Should you wash chicken?

Like all animals, chickens have bacteria in their gut. Pathogens such as campylobacter and salmonella can get on the birds during processing and packaging, and go all the way to your cutting board and utensils. Don't wash raw chicken because it can contaminate your kitchen. Cooking to proper temperature kills bacteria.

What temperature should chicken be cooked in the oven?

You can roast or bake anywhere between 325 and 450 degrees F. When roasting a whole chicken, a nice rule of them is to start at 400 to 425 degrees F and then turn the oven down to 350 after 15 minutes and cook until the internal temp of the chicken is 165 – 175 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.

How does Gordon Ramsay make the best roast chicken?

3:465:44Roast Chicken Dinner Recipe (All Time Best) - Gordon RamsayYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSkin. Because it's so important to make sure you take that tin foil off with half an hour to go.MoreSkin. Because it's so important to make sure you take that tin foil off with half an hour to go. Beautiful pierce that open squeeze it in that delicious gravy mix that into the tray.

Is it better to bake chicken at 350 or 400?

The reason why baking chicken breast at 400 F is better than 350 F is that cooking them at a high temperature will require fewer minutes and will garner more color.

Why does chicken take so long to cook?

Dark meat, such as chicken thighs or legs, will take longer to cook, because they have a higher fat content and density. Boneless thighs will take 20 to 30 minutes to cook at 350F (dependent on size). Bone-in cuts will require an extra 15 minutes in the oven.

How do I cook chicken meat?

Pan-frying To pan-fry chicken breasts, heat a frying pan on medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and allow to heat through. Place the chicken breast in the pan and allow to cook for 7 or 8 minutes or until brown and golden. Turn over and repeat until chicken breast is cooked.

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Pre-Cooking

The process of preparing chicken begins long before cooking. It begins with shopping for the right chicken. We have a whole post that details how to find the right chicken. If you don’t start with a good chicken, you can’t possibly end with one!

Roasting Chicken

An expertly roasted chicken is magic. Done right—something that doesn’t take much—a roasted whole chicken is chicken at its full potential. Start by removing the package of organs from the bird’s hollow. Stuff this hollow with fruit and aromatics, such as a cut lemon, bunches of rosemary or sage, and a half dozen garlic cloves (or more).

Sautéing Chicken

This method of cooking chicken has the advantage of speed. It is more difficult than roasting or grilling. Some cuts, like legs and wings, are better cooked by methods other than sautéing. Legs can be a real challenge in the sauté pan, as they are shaped so that just a small part touches the hot surface, making heat distribution uneven.

Grilling Chicken

The process of grilling chicken is simple, but there are a few tips to keep in mind. First, all the major chicken parts cook beautifully on the grill. You never need to flip them more than once or twice, making the active process of cooking mostly passive, waiting, anticipating.

Why Breast Meat Is So Tricky (Plus the Most Important Cooking Tip for It)

Chicken breasts — particularly boneless, skinless breasts — are the most popular (and the most expensive) cut of meat on a bird. This is likely because they have a reputation for being healthy (the meat is very lean) and, without any bones, tendons, or skin, they are about as easy to prepare as it gets.

When to Buy Boneless and When to Buy Bone-in Chicken

The question of bone-in and skin-on versus boneless and skinless is really a matter of personal preference. If you’re planning to debone and remove the skin from your chicken anyway, and don’t mind paying the slightly higher cost that comes with having the grocery store’s butcher do it for you, then by all means buy the boneless, skinless meat!

Should You Wash Chicken? No!

If you haven’t heard this before, no, you should not be washing your chicken before cooking it. While plenty of classic cookbooks may instruct you to rinse the chicken before cooking (and you may have grown up watching your own mom do this), the FDA has been warning against it for years ( as have we ).

Why a Roast Chicken Is the Ultimate Fast & Fancy Meal

This section might rightly go under “basics,” as roasting a whole chicken is one of the simplest and easiest things you can do. And yet the resulting meal is so splendidly elegant that it can’t help but feel like a next-level dish.

How to Cook the Perfect Chicken Breast (4 different ways!)

Learn exactly how to cook the perfect chicken breast four different ways! In this step-by-step tutorial for cooking chicken breast you’ll perfect baking, grilling, poaching and slow cooking so that you can use chicken in your favorite recipes. Marinade and recipe ideas included!

Go organic (if possible)

If it’s accessible, I recommend using organic chicken breasts whenever possible. They tend to be much juicier and less “tough,” than non-organic chicken breasts, so when you’re using the chicken as a blank canvas to add to recipes it makes a big difference.

Have fun with marinades & seasonings

As I mentioned, this guide to cooking chicken breast gives you perfectly cooked chicken that acts as a blank canvas you can use in any recipes you’d like. I have tons of seasonings and marinades to try with these methods, too! Get them in these tutorials & recipes:

Four ways to cook perfect chicken breast every time

Alright, let’s get to it! Check out the best four methods for cooking chicken breasts, plus recipes and more:

Use cooked chicken breast in these delicious recipes

Now that you’ve learned exactly how to bake, grill, poach and slow cook chicken breasts so that they’re perfectly juicy, feel free to use the chicken in some of our favorite recipes below:

Freezing & storing cooked chicken breast

After you’ve used any of the above methods for cooking chicken breast, you can either use the chicken right away or store it for later:

How to Cook Perfect Chicken Breast (4 methods!)

A Method That Requires Trust!

This method takes trust; you can’t check the chicken breasts or watch them cooking. The method isn’t searing, sautéing, broiling, frying, or baking; it heats the chicken breasts quickly on the stovetop then lets them essentially poach from the inside out in their juices in a covered pan.

Seasoning the Chicken

This method alone makes plain, simple chicken breasts — a blank slate to be used on top of salads, rice dishes, and tacos. But you can season the breasts any way you like; make them spicy, or flavor them with fresh herbs.

Recipe Notes

Dredge in seasoned flour: You can also dredge the chicken breasts in flour before cooking. Season the flour with spices or fresh herbs and make sure the chicken is golden on one side before you flip it over. This will give your chicken a very subtle crust.

1. Try a Brine

If you’ve ever taken a bite of chicken and felt it almost fall apart from juiciness, there’s a good chance that chicken was brined.

2. Season Generously

Don’t skimp on the salt and pepper if you want to keep your chicken flavorful. While salt and pepper are essentials, there are plenty of great seasonings that you’ll want to apply liberally to baked chicken as well. This is especially true for less forgiving cuts like boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

3. Make Herbs Your Friend

Nothing goes better with baked chicken than aromatic herbs. It’s a classic combination and for good reason. When you bake your chicken, consider working in some fresh or dried herbs into the seasoning. Here are some herbs that pair beautifully with chicken:

4. Add Succulence with High-Temperature Fats

Use a high-temperature cooking fat to keep your baked chicken moist. It’s important if you bake your chicken at high temperatures to use a cooking fat with a high smoke point. Avocado oil, olive oil, and coconut oil are great choices. You can also use rich cooking fats like ghee, tallow, or butter (lower smoke point).

5. Bake It at a High Temperature

Consider baking your chicken at a higher temperature for less time. Many cooks say 375–400°F is the sweet spot for baking chicken. If you bake it for longer at a lower temperature, you risk drying out the meat. Of course, this means you leave less margin for error if you leave it in the oven too long. More on that below.

7. Try a Sauce

Don’t toss those pan drippings! You can make a tasty pan sauce to serve over your chicken. Plus, this is a great solution if your chicken ended up a tiny bit over-baked. Pan sauces add moisture back into the meat, along with plenty of flavor.

Baked Chicken Recipes to Get You Started

With these tips, you’ll be a chicken-baking pro. So, get in your kitchen and start baking. Here are a few recipes we love and recommend: