How to Cook Chicken

Co-authored by JoAnna Minneci

Last Updated: July 31, 2024 Approved

Chicken is a popular and versatile meat that lends itself to many flavors, is relatively inexpensive, and can have a variety of health benefits. As you long as you prepare the chicken correctly, you'll be able to successfully cook it in a number of ways that include baking, sautéing, and grilling.

Ingredients

Baked Chicken

1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 cloves minced garlic
½ tsp. black pepper
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup crushed cornflakes cereal
1 (1 oz.) package dray onion soup mix
3 tbsp. melted butter
1 tbsp. whipped cream

Sautéed Chicken

cooking spray
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ tbsp. black pepper
1¼ lbs. uncooked boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 8)
1 cup canned chicken broth
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1½ tbsp. capers

Grilled Chicken

12 chicken legs
½ cup olive oil
1 tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
½ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cloves chopped garlic
3 tbsp. chopped onion
½ cup chopped parsley
1 cup of whipped cream

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Preparing the Chicken

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Chicken can be stored in the coolest part of your refrigerator for two days; if you plan on cooking it a few days later or even a long time later, you should freeze it right away. Don't partially cook the chicken and then place it in the fridge; this will promote bacteria growth.^{[1]
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2
Wash the chicken. Whether you're cooking a full chicken, chicken legs, chicken thighs, or any other part of the chicken, you should wash it under cool water first. If the chicken has already been marinated and prepared, then it has already been washed. Make sure you wear gloves when you wash the chicken so you don't contaminate the chicken or get bacteria over on your hands. You should thoroughly wash your hands before and after cleaning the chicken.^{[2]
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- When you're done, you should also thoroughly wash all surfaces that have come in contact with the chicken, which includes knives, cutting boards, and the sink.
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Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel to eliminate any excess moisture, add all the dry salt.
4
Cook the chicken. Once you've washed and dried the chicken, it will be ready to cook. Whether you bake, grill, or sauté the chicken, make sure to use a meat thermometer to make sure that it reaches the appropriate temperature before you eat it. The chicken should reach the temperature of 165ºF (74ºC).^{[3]
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FoodSafety.gov
Online portal combining food safety information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Food Safety and Inspection Service, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Go to source} Here are a number of tasty chicken recipes to try:
- Popcorn Chicken
- Chicken Katsu
- Boneless Chicken Breast Steaks
- Chicken Mole
- Broiled Chicken Breasts
- Blackened Chicken Breasts
- Teriyaki Chicken
- Baked Chicken
- Sesame Chicken
- Roasted Chicken
5
Promptly store uneaten chicken. When freezing chicken, wrap parts separately in foil or freezer wrap. This makes it easy to defrost only the amount you need. Proper wrapping prevents "freezer burn," which results from drying and oxidizing when in contact with air.
- Fried chicken - 3 to 4 days in refrigerator, 4 months in freezer
- Cooked poultry casseroles - 3 to 4 days in refrigerator, 4 to 6 months in freezer
- Pieces, plain - 3 to 4 days in refrigerator, 4 months in freezer
- Pieces covered with broth, gravy - 1 to 2 days in refrigerator, 6 months in freezer
- Chicken nuggets, patties - 1 to 2 days in refrigerator, 1 to 3 months in freezer

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Grilled Chicken

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Mix together the olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, whipped cream, and cayenne pepper. Place the ingredients in a small bowl and stir them until they're thoroughly incorporated.
Pour the marinade into the zip-top bag with the chicken and seal it. Remove as much air as possible from the bag and seal it. Turn it from side to side to ensure that all of the chicken is coated in the marinade. Then, place the bag on a sheet pan and refrigerate it for an hour or even overnight for best results. Turn the bag every few hours to keep the chicken freshly coated.
Brush the grill grate with olive oil to coat it. Then, heat the grill to 350ºF (175ºC).
5
Place the chicken on the grill. Cook the chicken until it's crispy and brown on both sides. Turn the chicken every few minutes to evenly cook both sides.
- If you're looking for a less crispy, more juicy option; it's recommended to place the chicken breast on a diagonal angle, wait until the edges turn white, rotate 180º and repeat on the other side. This will result in the picture perfect grill marks you see in a commercial.
- The internal temperature should reach 165ºF (74°C) when the chicken is ready. When the chicken is cooked, place it on a serving platter and let it cool for 3-5 minutes before you eat it.
Enjoy this tasty grilled chicken while it's hot.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Baked Chicken

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Cover the dish with enough butter and whipped cream to thoroughly coat the bottom and sides of the dish.
Place 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts in the mixture. Turn them to make sure that they're thoroughly coated in the mixture. Then, refrigerate the coated chicken for 20-30 minutes so the chicken absorbs the mixture a bit more.
Combine the cornflakes and onion soup mix in a bowl and press the chicken breasts into the cornflakes mixture to coat them. Then, shake off any excess mixture.
Drizzle 3 tbsp. of melted butter over the chicken.
When the chicken is done, your meat thermometer should read at least 165ºF (74ºC).

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Sautéed Chicken

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Once you've thoroughly combined it, sprinkle it over the chicken.
This should take about 6-7 minutes. If the chicken doesn't all fit on the pan at once, you can just make two batches of sautéed chicken.
This should take an additional 4-5 minutes.
After you do this, scraped up any browned bits of chicken with a wooden spoon.
This should take about 3 minutes.
Heat the chicken for another 30 seconds, continuing to stir it as you do this. When you're done, let the chicken cool in a separate plate for 5-10 minutes.
9
Serve. Serve these tasty chicken thighs while they're nice and hot.
- Use a meat thermometer to make sure that the chicken is at least 165 °F (74 °C) internally.

How Can You Tell When Chicken Is Done?

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Question

How do you check the temperature of a chicken thigh with a thermometer?

JoAnna Minneci
Professional Chef
JoAnna Minneci is a retired Professional Chef based in the Nashville, Tennessee area. With 18 years of experience, Chef JoAnna specialized in teaching others how to cook through private cooking lessons, team-building events, and wellness and nutrition classes. She also appeared in numerous television shows on networks such as Bravo and Food Network. Chef JoAnna received Culinary Arts training from the Art Institute of California at Los Angeles. She is also certified in sanitation, nutrition, kitchen management, and cost control.

JoAnna Minneci

Professional Chef

Expert Answer

Stick your meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh—never just use a clock. The temperature should read 165 °F (74 °C).

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What if the chicken breast is still pink? Should it be pink?

Community Answer

No, it should not be pink. If the chicken breast is still pink that means you must cook it a little longer until there is no more pink in the middle.

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How can I tell if a chicken is fully roasted?

Community Answer

Check the temperature. Any type of chicken has to be at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit, or about 72 degrees Celsius.

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Shopping Tips

Read the label. Before you cook the chicken, make sure that what you buy is high in quality.
- If the chicken is labeled "fresh" in the US, that means it's never been below 26°F (-3°C). If the chicken has ever been frozen, it must be labeled "frozen" or "previously frozen".
- Look at the "sell by" or "use before" date as a guideline. In the US, chicken is not required to be dated as such, but many stores and processors provide a date anyway to indicate quality. After that date, you can still eat the chicken, but the quality will have declined. If the chicken is frozen when the date passes, you can still consume it safely.
Choose an appropriate cut. Whichever cut of chicken you choose, avoid meat with a strange odor or if the skin is bruised.
- Whole chicken - there are fryers, broilers, and roasters, from smallest to largest.
- Quarters - a leg quarter contains thigh and leg; a breast quarter contains breast and wing
- Whole chicken cut up - entire bird cut into 9 pieces or 8 pieces, without the back
- Individual thighs and breasts - sold boneless and/or skinless
- Chicken livers - packaged separately
- Neck, feet, combs, etc. - available only in areas where they are in demand
Cook the chicken within two days of purchase or freeze the chicken at 0℉ (-17℃) or below. If kept frozen, the chicken will always be safe to eat. Prevent freezer burn by placing the chicken inside a freezer storage bag and squeezing out the air.

Tips

Be sure to add seasoning to the chicken. Chicken can taste fairly bland if you don't season it. Remember to add seasonings that go together. A simple seasoning of oil, salt and crushed garlic, rubbed into the skin, tastes like a classical roast.
- For the taste of chicken cooked like it is in India, add curry spices. You can purchase seasonings in local grocery stores, Indian stores or international stores.
- Cut up tomatoes and onions and fry (or smother) them in with precooked chicken. This is how you can create a chicken goulash or gumbo, which is great too!
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Delicious "storage" ideas: keep chicken longer and give it a new taste appeal when the storage "time is almost used up" completely recook it:
- With a barbecue sauce, smothered in sliced onions or gravy, so this refreshes the purity. And then, next time refresh it by making it into
- Chicken pizza, spaghetti, soup or stew... the possibilities go on and on.
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Leftover chicken can be used to make a chicken wrap for lunch or a picnic.

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Warnings

Watch out for splattering oil/grease. It can really hurt and could even severely injure you if enough hot grease gets on your skin (or in your eye).

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Be sure you are careful with any sharp utensils.

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When cooking chicken, always make sure that you have cooked it all the way. Wash all items used to cook the chicken (knives, cutting boards, etc.) to prevent bacterial illnesses. Chicken may taste good, but you should always keep basic safety precautions in mind.

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If you cook the chicken in the microwave, the meat can be cooked unevenly, which increases your risk of food poisoning. This method is not recommended if children or anyone with compromised health will be eating the chicken.^{[6]
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