Chicken Again? Yes, When the Recipes Are This Good! (2024)

FAQs

Is this chicken cooked enough? ›

All poultry should reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F (73.9 °C) as measured with a food thermometer. A whole chicken must reach this temperature throughout the bird. Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.

Regardless of what type of protein dinner happens to be, make sure to keep your marinating period under 24 hours. And when we say under 24 hours, we're also talking way under 24 hours. Marinating chicken, lamb, pork, or steak for just 15 or 20 minutes actually makes a huge difference.

The moisture that seeps from the chicken while it's waiting for you to buy it mixes with that old rascal myoglobin, causing the pink “juices” that you see pooling around the packaged bird—it's called myowater, FYI.

You should always start with a layer of flour. This helps absorb moisture on the surface of the chicken, which would keep the breading from sticking and make a mess in the hot oil. The flour also gives the egg something to cling to—otherwise it would slide right off the chicken.

If you don't have a meat thermometer, you can touch the surface, and if it feels like it's giving resistance. and it feels a little bit firm, then that's a good indication that it's ready. When you slice the chicken, it should be opaque and ivory in color. and no longer pink in the center.

If you eat undercooked chicken, you can get a foodborne illness, also called food poisoning. You can also get sick if you eat other foods or beverages that are contaminated by raw chicken or its juices. CDC estimates that every year in the United States about 1 million people get sick from eating contaminated poultry.

Too much salt in a marinade can cause the chicken to dry out, even if it's been marinating. Salt draws moisture out, and if you add too much, it may counteract the benefits of a marinade. If using a salty ingredient, such as soy sauce, wait to add it in during the last hour of the marinating process.

Chicken Marinade Ingredients:

Soy sauce: a great flavor enhancer in marinade recipes. I use it in my steak marinade as well. Oil: Use canola or vegetable oil, which also help flavor the meat.

Marinades generally consist of cooking oil, an acidic liquid, such as vinegar, wine, tomato, or citrus juice (or a natural enzyme, such as ginger or pineapple), and flavorings, including garlic, molasses, honey, fresh or dried herbs, and spices.

The white stuff coming out of chicken as it cooks is simply extra protein that dissolves in water and is forced out of the meat by heat. Food scientist Topher McNeil, PhD, explains, “The [chicken] muscles themselves actually contract and squeeze out the liquid that's in between muscle cells.”

Why is Costco chicken pink? ›

Costco chickens are thoroughly cooked and temperature checked. There are many factors involved in cooked chicken with a pink tinge. The most likely source is the food that they're fed. Costco raises its own chickens so they're diet has a great deal to do with the color after they're fully cooked.

Many people think the pink liquid in packaged fresh chicken is blood, but it is mostly water that was absorbed by the chicken during the chilling process.

"Dredge" means lightly coating food with a dry ingredient, such as flour, cornmeal, or breadcrumbs. Often, you'll dredge foods before frying. Note: Many recipes call for food to be dredged, then dipped in a liquid (such as eggs or buttermilk) followed by a seasoned coating. This process is breading—more on that below.

Dip some of the chicken pieces into the milk. Then place in the bag and shake to coat evenly. Arrange the chicken pieces in the fat, making sure not to overcrowd. Fry the chicken until outside is golden brown and crisp, about 15 to 20 minutes, turning once to brown both sides.

The United States Department of Agriculture does not recommend eating or tasting raw or undercooked poultry. Poultry may contain harmful bacteria. Thorough cooking is important to kill any bacteria that may be present in the food.

Though the USDA names 165°F (74°C) as the doneness temperature for chicken, cooking it to a lower temperature and holding it at that temperature for an appropriate time will result in juicier, tastier chicken.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), chicken is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 °F (73.9 °C). If the temperature of your chicken thigh falls below this threshold, then it's undercooked.

Rubbery chicken can result from a cooking error or the overall quality of the chicken you buy. Fortunately, strategies such as moist cooking and buying slow-grown chickens can prevent you from having a chewy meal. And always make sure your chicken isn't undercooked!