Chicken is great to cook, no matter how many different ways you cook it. Chicken is food that people of all age groups relish. There are numerous chicken recipes such as baked chicken, fried chicken etc.
Quick fact about chicken consumption: The per capita consumption of chicken around the world is 97.2 pounds. (Source)
It is, therefore, one of the most demanded dishes in restaurants too. It is because it is one of the tastiest meat and also one of the easiest to cook. Not to mention it is cheaper when compared to other meats.
This is why many people try cooking chicken at least once in their lives. Here are different ways to cook chicken that you must know:
Roasting Chicken
This is one of the popular methods of cooking chicken. This method has been followed for ages and does not lack any admirers either. In this process, a whole chicken would be roasted in the oven at a pre-determined temperature for a fixed period.
The traditional method is to roast the entire chicken. However, now it has evolved into a different way of roasting, such as cutting the whole chicken into smaller pieces. The small pieces of chicken can then be roasted. This way, it is easier to roast the pieces of chicken evenly and more quickly.
The roasting process involves basting the chicken from time to time with a combination of butter and spices, etc. Before roasting the chicken, it is important to coat the chicken with ghee or oil with a brush. For better taste, mix chopped and crushed garlic.
Once the oil has been applied to the chicken, it is advisable to set the oven at a slightly higher temperature than what has been decided as roasting temperature. The roasting temperature of chicken in the oven is usually 375 Fahrenheit, but I suggest keeping it at slightly higher 485 Fahrenheit to get a crispy and golden brown texture. Roast the chicken for 2 hours
Total calories in chicken per 100 gram(Chicken, broiler, meat, and skin, cooked, stewed) is 219 kcal(source)
Pan-Frying
Pan-Fried Chicken is another popular method of cooking chicken. In this, chicken is fried in a cast iron pan on low heat from all the sides to ensure an even cooking process. The pan used to cook chicken is a cast iron pan or stainless steel pan. The temperature of the pan is pre-decided and kept constant throughout the cooking process. The temperature of the pan should be higher than the roasting temperature of the chicken in the oven.
This method is mainly used in restaurants, where it is required to cook a whole lot of chicken at one time. This way, it would take less time and money to serve more people.
Before adding the oil and pan-frying the chicken, heat the pan till it’s red hot. To avoid the chicken from sticking to the pan, apply a thin coat of oil on it. Put in some garlic and onion to enhance the flavour and taste. You can either olive oil or sunflower oil to fry the chicken under the high heat pan for best results.
The most common mistake people make while pan-frying is overcrowding the pan with chicken pieces. This would lower the temperature of the pan and make some pieces of the chicken uncooked.
Baking the Chicken
Baked Chicken is one of the easiest cooking methods that often require less oil and time than other methods. The cooking time required for baking chicken is around an hour. This cooking method is preferred by many people who wish to serve smaller portions at a time, as the whole chicken would not be cooked this way. You can use chicken thighs or chicken breasts.
The taste does not change much whether you bake chicken breasts or bake the entire chicken. However, it depends on the marination process done before baking. Baking is not difficult. Simply preheat the oven at a particular temperature and place the chicken inside after applying some oil. Baked Chicken is perfect for a weeknight dinner.
After baking for an hour:
- Give it a check by piercing the knifepoint into the thickest part of the thigh or drumstick. If you can see pink juices, that means the chicken is completely cooked and is ready to be served.
- If you do not notice any pink juices, return them into the oven for more time, checking every 10 minutes.
- Keep the temperature of the oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Chicken Salad
One of the most healthy and easy ways to cook chicken is chicken salad. This means taking cooked chicken pieces, crushing them, and mixing them with different vegetables like cucumber, tomato, onion, carrot, etc. The salad also contains lesser calories because of the less amount of oil added to the salad.
Also, chicken salad can be used as a filling for sandwiches and burgers. Most sandwiches contain lettuce, onions, chicken pieces, and cheese. The chicken used in the salad is prepared by boiling, roasting, and pan-frying for various taste experiences. The salad can also be packed in small containers and taken to work.
Boiling is the easiest way to prepare the chicken used in salads as it requires less time. Boil the chicken pieces for five to ten minutes in a pot full of boiling water, stir it occasionally so that all pieces are cooked. Once it’s boiled, split the larger pieces into smaller ones using hand. Sprinkling some salt on the shredded chicken and mix them with salad and serve.
Grilled chicken
Grilling is a very healthy way to cook chicken and it tastes great. In this, chicken is directly grilled or cooked on a barbecue grill over the gas flame. As much as it is healthy and requires almost no oil to cook the chicken, you still need to apply some oil for the flavour.
Grilling is done by applying the masala over the full chicken and starting grilling them. There is no specific time for grilled chicken because it is cooked for several hours and served when required. The chicken can be spiked with iron rods and slowly roasted with gas flame pointed directly over the chicken, and the chicken iron rod must be slowly rotated evenly for hours. You can shred the chicken after grilling them. Sprinkle some salt or any pepper over the shredded chicken.
We can know the chicken grill is ready when the oil from the fat starts to accumulate on the surface of the chicken and slowly starts dripping. This means that all pieces are fully cooked, and they taste great with bbq sauce or white mayonnaise.
Boiled Chicken
This cooking method via boiling is a popular option for gym people and diet freaks. Because there is no additional oil and other ingredients, those consuming only the chicken will get protein calories. The chicken will be cooked in water which is boiling. The piece used in the boiling method is skinless chicken breast because it contains less to no fat, which is a much healthier option.
Cut the chicken breast into small pieces and boil them for five to ten minutes till cooked. This can also be done in a pressure cooker with saltwater, but it will take less time. It is your choice to boil the chicken in a boiling pan or pressure cook. Once the chicken is boiled, filter out the boiled water and place the chicken aside for some time to cool. Now sprinkle some salt like salt bae along with some pepper on the shredded chicken after boiling.
If you have any doubts related to boiling chicken, check out this link on our website
Fried Chicken using Oil
This is one of the many ways to cook chicken. KFC chicken is famous for fried chicken. The chicken pieces are first marinated in different spices and then deep-fried. Generally, the whole chicken is used in this method, but some restaurants offer only the breast, wings, and thighs. It is also a very simple way to cook tasty and juicy chicken if you have a deep fryer or an electric fryer.
But to cook the chicken in a frying pan, you will need oil for deep frying. The oil for deep frying should be heated at a high temperature. This will take several minutes because you have to deep fry them to get crispy from the outside and soft from the inside. In this, a large amount of oil which can be sesame or mustard oil for a better taste depending on your choice is used for frying the chicken pieces.
When both sides of the chicken are cooked, filter out the oil from the frying pan. The chicken should be taken out carefully so that you don’t get hurt. The fried chicken can be cooked to golden brown color if you want. Place the fried chicken in a bowl with parchment paper. This helps to absorb the excess oil from the chicken.
Once you have selected your favorite part for frying, marinate it with salt and bbq sauce. If you want, you can add some spices to the marination for a different taste.
If you have any doubts related to frying chicken, check out this link on our website
Air Fried Chicken
This method does not require any oil or very little oil to cook the chicken. You can air fry almost all kinds of food, but chicken has a better taste when cooked in an electric deep fryer. Also, if you are working with fat-free food, then deep air-fried foods are good for you.
To do this, take some salt and pepper according to your taste. After that, sprinkle some cornmeal on top of the pieces before placing them in the deep-frying basket for air frying. The best thing about this method is that there is no need for too much time to cook it because they will be done after 10-15 minutes, depending on how much chicken you have used.
The best part about air-fried chicken is that it tastes better than oil-fried chicken minus the oil. The texture is also similar to the chicken, which is fried using oil. For those who are health conscious, cooking the chicken using an air fryer is the best option. Serve the air-fried chicken with garlic mayonnaise.
Is roast chicken healthy?
Roast chicken is a healthy option. Since Roast chicken is cooked in an oven, no oil is required which is good for the heart. Also, it is tasty as well at the same time.
Conclusion
So, these are the different ways to cook chicken. We hope our readers would love cooking, trying out all these options, and then giving us their feedback. It is a great way to have fun while learning something new in this process.
Let us know which method interests you the most and why! Please feel free to leave your comments below!!
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