If you choose to eat animal protein, chances are you prepare chicken more than any other kind. Chicken’s popularity is not surprising– it is very versatile to cook with, neutral in flavor, low in fat and more budget-friendly than beef or fish. But I think chicken can sometimes be TOO neutral in flavor, i.e. tasteless. And it can be TOO low in fat, such as with the breast meat and thus can end up getting dried out easily, especially when we’re being careful about cooking chicken all the way through. After making mediocre chicken for many years, my life was changed once I learned a few simple tricks to making chicken taste a whole lot better. Delicious, juicy chicken is in your future!
Quality: I have done side-by-side taste comparisons with lots of different kinds of chickens and the best tasting bird I ever cooked was an organic, locally-raised pastured chicken by Healthy Family Farms. There’s definitely a more pure, chicken-y flavor from birds that have been raised out in the open versus in cramped quarters. And if it’s in your budget, I urge you to only buy organic meats. Click here for a more in-depth comparison of the different options you may have for chicken. Most people don’t have access to Kosher, organic, free-range chicken, but if you do, go for it and you can forgo all the pre-seasoning I’m about to recommend since kosher chicken has already been brined.
Salt: The best thing you can do is to pre-season chicken with salt, especially a whole bird or thick bone-in, skin-on pieces. Just sprinkling a little salt on top of your chicken right before cooking it will only season the surface. But seasoning the chicken with salt well ahead of time or brining it in a salt-water solution will draw salt deep into the meat, resulting in a very tasty piece of chicken. But also, and just as important, the salt changes the cells in the chicken meat so that they will draw and hold more moisture than the chicken had before. So not only will the chicken be tastier, but it will be much juicier, too. You kill two birds with one stone! I did not just say that. See below for instructions on how to dry brine and wet brine.
Timing: Well-seasoned chicken needs some advance planning. I sprinkle or dry rub kosher salt on chicken as soon as I get home from the market, rewrap it and put it in the refrigerator until I’m ready to cook it. You can do this as much as two days ahead, but less than 2-4 hours ahead doesn’t produce quite the effect you’re looking for. If you are pressed for time, (e.g. you get home from the market at 4:30 pm and you want to start cooking right away), then a wet brine is the perfect option since you can season bone-in pieces efficiently in 45 minutes. Whole birds take longer.
Basic Wet Brine: For 3 pounds of chicken pieces, in a large bowl dissolve 1/4 cup additive-free kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) in 1 cup hot water. Whisk to dissolve. Add 1 cup ice water and make sure the water is cool. If not, add a few pieces of ice. Place the chicken pieces in the brine and allow to soak for 45-90 minutes. If you’re cooking the chicken right away, you can do this on the countertop. Drain the chicken and pat dry with paper towels before cooking. For a whole bird, use 1 cup kosher salt and 4 cups water. Brine for 2-3 hours in the refrigerator. I don’t normally brine cutlets, but many people do. You only need to soak boneless, skinless cutlets for about 30 minutes.
Basic Dry Brine: Sprinkle 3 pounds of bone-in chicken pieces with 1/2 Tablespoon additive-free kosher salt or sea salt or a heaping Tablespoon for a whole chicken. Wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Do not rinse.
You can apply these tips to any chicken recipe you have (such as one of my favorites, Orange and Rosemary Glazed Chicken pictured above), but you may want to cut back on the salt in your recipe slightly since the chicken will already be salted. Look out for a fabulous recipe next week for Baked Chicken with Artichokes and Capers. So delicious and perfect for Easter or Passover!
FAQs
It's best to marinate your chicken overnight to give the flavours plenty of time to infuse. A faster way to add flavour is to simply brine your chicken in salty water prior to cooking. This will help tenderise the meat and add extra flavour.
What makes fried chicken taste rubbery? ›
Overcooking chicken and buying woody chicken breast are two of the main causes behind rubbery chicken. You can stop this from happening by: buying “slow-growing” chicken. cooking your chicken in moisture.
What kind of salt is best for chicken? ›
Sprinkle sea or kosher salt evenly over the entire surface of the meat or poultry. For poultry allow it to air dry (for amazingly crisp skin) or, if crispness isn't a concern, loosely wrap in plastic wrap.
What enhances chicken flavor? ›
Brining your chicken is a foolproof way to not only add flavour to your roast but also to ensure you don't overcook the meat. Essentially a mix of salt, sugar and water, we love adding herbs, garlic or whole spices such as fennel and cumin to flavour the brine.
How do chefs get chicken so tender? ›
Low and slow cooking methods like braising, stewing, or smoking are most effective when trying to create tender, succulent chicken.
How do restaurants make chicken soft? ›
Ever notice how the chicken in stir fries at your favourite Chinese restaurant is incredibly tender? It's because they tenderise chicken using a simple method called Velveting Chicken using baking soda. It's a quick and easy method that any home cook can do, and can also be used for beef.
What is the secret to cooking tender chicken? ›
The best tenderizer though, is a salted yogurt marinade. The salt has the same effect as in a regular brine, but the lactic acid in the yogurt further tenderizes the meat. A 15-minute marinade with one cup of yogurt and one teaspoon of salt makes for the most tender chicken breasts imaginable.
How do you fry chicken without it being chewy? ›
1) Marinate the chicken in water, wine, or other liquids for up to an hour before cooking. This will tenderize the meat and add flavor. 2) Slowly cook the chicken on low heat with a lid on top for about 15-20 minutes per pound of chicken. The lid prevents the chicken from drying out too much.
Why is my chicken never tender? ›
As mentioned above, overcooked chicken is the most common reason for rubbery chicken because the chicken loses moisture as it cooks. Checking the internal temperature of the chicken is the best way to avoid this.
Why does my chicken taste so tough? ›
The only possible answer to such a broad question is: "Because you're cooking it wrong". That being said, if chicken is coming out tough, then two things are almost certainly true: (1) you're cooking chicken breasts, and (2) you're using too much heat.
Brining is the process whereby chicken (or other meat) is submerged in a salty liquid (“brine”) and left to marinate to add flavour, tenderise AND add moisture so the chicken stays juicier when roasted.
Which salt is best for high blood pressure? ›
Try to avoid table salt specifically in raw form. Better to go for Himalayan salt or rock salt instead of it. That cutting down on sodium in your diet is the best way to maintain your BP? Even a small reduction in the sodium in your diet can improve blood pressure by about 5 to 6 mm Hg.
What kind of salt does Chick Fil A use? ›
Waffle-cut potatoes cooked in canola oil until crispy outside and tender inside. Sprinkled with Sea Salt. Nutrition information is calculated using standard product formulations and incorporates multiple data sources.
How do you increase the flavor of chicken? ›
Spices: Garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, and cumin add savoriness and flavor to the chicken. Spices like paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and Cajun seasoning add heat and smokiness to the chicken.
How to add flavor to cooked chicken? ›
Just because the chicken is already cooked doesn't mean it can't benefit from a rub. Before reheating, make a custom blend of your favorite spices like paprika, cayenne, onion or garlic powder. Mix in dried herbs or a bit of sugar for beautiful caramelization, then sprinkle it evenly over the skin.
How to fix bland chicken? ›
some moisture and my go tos are always lemon juice. and good olive oil, i then add flavor with grated garlic, some seasoning, salt and pepper and I like a little. Dijon or coarse mustard because it kind of helps hold.
