How and how much to cook chicken! 8 useful tips

The benefits of chicken meat can hardly be exaggerated. Its high protein content makes it a staple in most diets, and its B vitamins help combat cold symptoms. In addition, chicken contains potassium, iron and phosphorus, so it is healthy even for babies. Cooking delicious poultry at home is not at all difficult, especially if you know a few tricks.

How to choose delicious chicken

First you need to buy a good carcass. It is best to choose chicken without plastic wrap to be able to evaluate the meat. Externally, the carcass should be without damage, elastic, light, without foreign odors. The meat is slightly pinkish and dense. Since old chicken will take a long time to cook until it becomes tender, it is best to avoid birds that have a yellowish tint. Broiler cooks faster, but homemade chicken produces a richer broth.

When the chicken is finally packaged, gently press the carcass with your finger. If the trace immediately disappears, it means the meat is fresh and not loose. What to do if the bird is frozen? Carefully study its color and expiration dates indicated on the packaging. In addition, it is important to ensure gentle and gradual defrosting afterwards in order to preserve the taste of the meat.

How to properly cut a chicken

There is a standard by which poultry is cut. To begin, place the chicken on a cutting board and prepare a sharp knife. Carefully cut the skin on the legs, turn the leg to the side and cut off. Divide the leg into the lower leg and thigh along the cartilage. Then cut off the wings. Carefully cut off the back and cut the breast in half. As a result, you will get 1 back, 2 fillets, wings, drumsticks and thighs.

How to cook properly

Depending on what exactly you plan to cook, you should choose both the bird itself and how to cook it. If you want to get delicious chicken meat, place the bird in boiling water, add salt and spices and cook over medium heat. If you need the most saturated chicken broth (as a base for another dish or just a healthy drink), then you need to put the bird in cold water and, after boiling, simmer over low heat.

Separately, I would like to dwell on the question of which part makes the best broth. To make it rich and healthy, be sure to choose meat on the bone. Preliminary removal of the skin will help reduce fat content. If you cut up the chicken yourself, be sure to use the back for the broth. If you bought separate parts, thighs, wings or drumsticks will do. The broth from one fillet will be too neutral and almost not rich.

How long does it take to cook chicken after boiling, both whole and cut?

The cooking time will depend on the type of chicken, the size of the pieces (carcass) and the selected heat intensity. Homemade chicken must be cooked for at least 2-2.5 hours. But a store-bought broiler is faster, one hour is enough. The cooking time for legs is a little longer than for wings, for example. So it is better to examine each case separately.

Since it takes longer to cook a whole chicken in a pan, and the volume of the pan must be suitable, most often the bird is pre-cut. But if you want to cook a whole carcass, then after boiling, time it for 1 hour for a medium chicken and about 1.5 hours for a large one. After this time, you can check readiness and, if necessary, continue the process or remove from heat.

Quick and tasty cooking in pieces is a great option for busy housewives. In addition to poultry, you can also add spices to taste, vegetables or roots to the pan. You can cut off the skin and excess fat from the thighs and legs if you want to get a diet broth.

How long to cook chicken breasts

A large breast, whole, bone-in and skin-on, will be ready in about half an hour after boiling. And if you cook fillet, 15 minutes is enough. It is important not to overcook the breast so that the meat does not become rubbery.

How long to cook chicken lids

Wings are often used as a base for soup. They are quite lean, so the skin is often not removed. And although there is not too much meat in them, due to the presence of a bone, it will take about 30 minutes over medium heat until fully cooked.

But how long to cook chicken wings for broth over low heat is up to everyone to decide for themselves. You can add another 10 to 20 minutes to 30 minutes.

How long to cook chicken legs

The leg is the largest part of a cut carcass. If you cook them whole, time them for at least 40-45 minutes. Cut into thighs and drumsticks, they will be ready a little faster, in about 30-35 minutes.

How long to cook chicken giblets

Giblets, although not the most attractive ingredients, are healthy and tasty. The stomachs will take the longest to cook – about 1.5 hours; about an hour will be needed to boil the hearts. But the liver will be ready after 15-20 minutes. If you are making soup and want to use all the giblets at once, place the gizzard in cold water and cook for about an hour after boiling. Then add the heart, and after 15 minutes the liver.

Chicken and cooking gadgets

Kitchen appliances cope with cooking chicken with a bang. If cooking in a pan requires control and attention, then everything is even simpler here. You can make a rich broth or a diet dinner without any hassle.

Cooking broth in a slow cooker is a great option. Thanks to simmering and the absence of intense boiling, it will be amazingly tasty. Use meat on the bone for the base and cook the broth for about 1 hour on the “Cook” or “Soup” mode. If desired, you can add peeled vegetables and your favorite spices.

To prepare a healthy and tasty lunch or dinner, you can use a double boiler. The chicken must first be salted, seasoned with spices, or even marinated. The thighs will take about 45 minutes to cook, the drumsticks will take 40, and the fillets will be ready in 25 minutes.

Cooking in a pressure cooker will save time. Under pressure at maximum power, chicken fillet will cook in just 10 minutes, drumsticks and thighs in 20, and legs in 25-30 minutes.

Three interesting recipes to note

Now you know all the intricacies of the process and you can safely move on to the most interesting part – cooking.

How to cook chicken soup

Light and flavorful, this soup is perfect for lunch.

Ingredients:

• Chicken fillet – 1 pc.;
• Potatoes – 4 pcs.;
• Onion – 1 pc.;
• Carrots – 1 pc.;
• Rice – 2 tbsp. l.;
• Vegetable oil – 1 tbsp. l.;
• Salt and spices – to taste;
• Basil and parsley – to taste.

Wash the fillet, cut into medium cubes and place in boiling salted water. After 10 minutes, add the diced potatoes. At the same time, peel and chop the onions and carrots, fry in a frying pan with vegetable oil. Place vegetables and washed rice in the pan. Add spices and salt to taste. Simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes. At the end, add chopped herbs and serve chicken soup to the table.

How to cook chicken aspic

Aspic can be prepared not only for the holiday table, but also for lunch or dinner. You can add broccoli for extra flavor and color.

Ingredients:

• Chicken (drums, thighs) – 700 grams;
• Broccoli – 200 grams;
• Onion – 1 pc.;
• Carrots – 1 pc.;
• Gelatin – 20 grams;
• Salt, spices, garlic and herbs – to taste.

Peel the carrots and onions, wash the chicken. Place chicken, vegetables in a pan, add salt, spices and herbs. Pour in cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 1 hour. Soak the gelatin in cold water according to the instructions. Then strain the broth, add gelatin and stir until smooth. Cut the carrots into small slices. Separately, boil the broccoli, divided into florets, in salted water. Cool the meat slightly and separate from the bone. Place the meat on a serving plate, add chopped garlic, carrots and broccoli. Carefully pour in the broth and leave until completely set.

How to cook chicken with potatoes

This dish can be served for lunch as a soup or cooked for dinner, for example.

Ingredients:

• Chicken – 500 grams;
• Potatoes – 500 grams;
• Onion – 1 pc.;
• Butter – 1 tbsp. l.;
• Salt, spices and garlic – to taste.

Melt some butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place the washed and dried chicken and fry over high heat until lightly browned on both sides. In a frying pan, fry the chopped onion and garlic separately. Transfer the fried onion to the chicken, add water and bring to a boil. Cook for about 15 minutes over medium heat. Meanwhile, peel and cut the potatoes into medium pieces. Place potatoes in a saucepan, add spices and salt. Cook for about half an hour until fully cooked. At the end, add chopped herbs.

Do you have any proven secrets on how to cook chicken? Share your experiences in the comments!