If you love chicken, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most versatile and popular ingredients. While you may have tried and tested techniques for cooking it, ensure you’re making the most of the meat by checking out our top tips, from roasting and grilling to making hot wings.
From breasts to thighs, almost every cut of chicken works well when paired with bold flavors. You can’t go wrong with lemon and herbs such as thyme, rosemary and sage. Sticky honey-mustard sauces add a gentle kick. Plus, there’s no end to the ways you can ramp up the heat, whether you prefer the smoky taste of harissa or powerful jerk seasoning.
Before you season chicken, remove excess moisture from the surface by patting it with a paper towel. This will help the outside brown up, giving you better flavor and crispier skin.
Marinades help to tenderize meat and pack in flavor. Even twenty minutes makes a difference and a couple of hours is more than enough as acidic ingredients such as lemon, buttermilk, yogurt and vinegar start to affect the meat’s texture.
Looking for a no-fuss chicken recipe you can prep in advance and don’t need to watch while it cooks? The answer is a tray bake. Load chicken breasts with the Italian flavors of taleggio soft cheese, pesto and basil, and surround with cherry tomatoes and small cubes of potato for a sophisticated but simple dinner.
Another great way to seal in flavor and moisture is to stuff chicken breasts with a soft cheese, then wrap them in bacon or Parma ham. Perfect for a fancy dinner, it looks impressive but couldn’t be easier.
A whole roast chicken is great for feeding a family or if you want leftovers for the week. Get the skin crispy by rubbing it with olive oil or softened butter before it goes in the oven and be generous with your seasoning. Add spices such as ground ginger and smoked paprika, plus a squeeze of lemon, to give it a twist – this combination pairs well with ginger mayonnaise.
If you’re cooking chicken breasts that aren’t evenly sized, they won’t cook evenly. To prevent this, pound them with a meat mallet or rolling pin. Not only will it make them flat, it will help them to cook faster. This technique is great for shallow-fried dishes such as chicken schnitzel. Covering the chicken in plastic wrap before thinning them will prevent any germs from spreading around the kitchen too.
Before cooking chicken, marinate the meat in buttermilk to make it ultra-juicy. Two hours is enough time to make a difference. Then coat it in a mix of flour, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt and pepper and bake it in the oven for a healthy take on a chicken burger.
The jury’s out on the perfect fried chicken coating. Some cooks swear by breadcrumbs, a few include cornstarch and others opt for flour liberally seasoned with herbs and spices. Whether or not you dunk the chicken in egg before you coat it is also controversial. Ultimately, it’s a matter of personal taste.
For a healthier option, try making Indian-spiced chicken nuggets that are coating-free. They use flavorful chicken thigh blended in a food processor and are fried with just a spray of cooking oil.
No barbecue is complete without juicy, smoky chicken – and there’s no end to the recipes you can try. But before you start, it’s important to get your grill in good order. It may look clean, but you might be surprised how much residue can build up. Give it a once over so you don’t compromise your chicken’s flavor and the meat doesn’t stick to the shelf.
Forget about drumsticks and wings for a moment, you need to try this great method for barbecuing a whole chicken. After seasoning, place a half-empty can of beer in the cavity and put it on the grill. This will keep the meat succulent as it cooks. It should take around an hour and a half on a preheated, closed-lid barbecue at about 347°F.
Whether you’re cooking on the grill or in the oven, a spatchcocked chicken will speed up the cooking time. This means the bird has had its backbone removed and is flat – you can ask your butcher to do this. If your grill doesn’t have a lid, this will be particularly helpful to ensure your meat cooks through.
You can’t beat a spicy Buffalo wing, but it’s all too easy to be a little generous on the chili as you baste. A classic blue cheese dip is a great way to cool things down.
Chicken livers are one of the few remaining cheap meats and they can be delicious if prepared correctly. Just don’t overcook them or they will become bitter-tasting and grainy. If you’re not sure where to start, try creamy chicken livers and mushrooms on toast.
Who says a great chicken dish has to contain chicken? Chicken substitutes such as seitan (made from wheat gluten), Quorn and tofu are great alternatives. In dishes like fried chicken and waffles, a chicken burger or nuggets you can barely notice the difference.
Don’t cook it from frozen
Chicken shouldn’t be cooked from frozen. It’s best to defrost it in the refrigerator overnight or microwave it on low to defrost immediately before cooking.
The belief rinsing chicken before cooking it kills germs isn’t true. In fact, it actually spreads them. When you wash chicken you run the risk of splashing contaminated water onto work surfaces and clean cooking equipment.
It’s never safe to serve chicken rare. Always ensure the juices run clear and the breast meat is an even white color or use a thermometer to check the internal temperature has reached 165°F.
