Chicken meat contains a large amount of nutrients, a small amount of fat and some carbohydrates. The protein included in its composition is easier to digest than pork or beef protein. Chicken is not only part of the diet menu, but is also present in the diet of almost every person. Therefore, it is important to know how to cook it correctly in order to preserve its taste and get maximum beneficial properties in the finished dish. Cooking time varies depending on whether the meat will be cooked whole or in parts, and also on which part will be used.
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.
Recommendations
Now you know how and how much to cook chicken for soup, salad and main course. Try each of the proposed options to prepare your own culinary masterpieces.
Cook the chicken for the required amount of time, periodically checking the product for doneness. To do this, pierce the pulp with a fork or knife and pay attention to the color of the juice that comes out. If it is light, clean and transparent, then the bird is ready.
Try to always add salt while the chicken is cooking, not after it is cooked. Otherwise, the bird may turn out dry and tasteless.
Curry seasoning is perfect for cooking chicken meat. It will add piquancy to the product and give it a special alluring aroma.
Cook with pleasure and treat your guests and relatives to your masterpieces. Good luck in your culinary endeavors!
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 will cook a little longer, but store-bought broiler will cook faster. 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.
Cooking in a saucepan
Let's take a closer look at the cooking process.
- First, the bird must be rinsed well with running water, seared if necessary, and placed in a suitable pan.
- Pour enough water into the container so that the carcass is completely covered.
- Then wait until it boils and remove the resulting foam with a slotted spoon: this way your broth will turn out transparent.
- After the water has boiled, you can reduce the heat and leave the bird to cook under the lid.
To determine the readiness of chicken, it must be periodically pierced with a knife or fork. If you feel that the metal penetrates the meat easily, then your dish is ready.
Keep in mind that boiling chicken is not like boiling eggs, where the cooking time is known down to the minute. Cooking time is individual and depends on the size of the piece, as well as its characteristics.
For example, it may depend on the age of the chicken, whether it is home-grown or from a store, and even on what it was fed. The younger the bird, the faster it cooks and the softer its meat.
Older, country hens are more suitable for broths, and although their meat is tougher, the broth they make is rich and rich in flavor.
To make your dish more interesting, I recommend putting not only poultry in the pan, but also various vegetables and spices: carrots, onions, black pepper beans, celery. In addition, the broth should be salt and pepper.
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.
Benefits of chicken broth
The broth contains cysteine, an amino acid that causes sputum thinning and effectively helps improve the condition of a person suffering from diseases of the bronchi and lungs. In addition, the broth contains large quantities of iron and magnesium, copper and calcium, selenium and vitamin B. They help improve the functioning of the central nervous system and normalize metabolism, thereby increasing the human body’s resistance to negative factors.
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.
Vitamins
Vitamins | Quantity | Norm |
Vitamin A | 17.7 mcg | 900 mcg |
Retinol | 0.016 mg | ~ |
beta carotene | 0.008 mg | 5 mg |
Vitamin B1 | 0.04 mg | 1.5 mg |
Vitamin B2 | 0.122 mg | 1.8 mg |
Vitamin B4 | 105.71 mg | 500 mg |
Vitamin B6 | 0.871 mg | 2 mg |
Vitamin B9 | 8.286 mcg | 400 mcg |
Vitamin C | 1.29 mg | 90 mg |
Vitamin E | 0.286 mg | 15 mg |
Vitamin PP | 13.5471 mg | 20 mg |
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 “Cooking” 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.
Fragrant broth with spices
If you want to make chicken broth not just tasty and healthy, but also aromatic, then you can add special spices to it. Let us describe one of the recipes for preparing a spicy broth.
So, for this you will need the following ingredients:
chicken;
- water;
- salt;
- carrot;
- bulb;
- one bay leaf;
- half a teaspoon of thyme;
- two dried cloves;
- three peas each of white and black pepper.
You can also add fresh herbs to the broth if desired. It certainly won’t ruin the dish, but will only decorate it.
And this is how the cooking process goes.
- First, the meat is placed in the pan, then, as in the case described above, it is filled with cold water. After this, the dishes with the contents are placed on the stove and the heat is turned on medium. After a few minutes, the water will heat up to 100 degrees and begin to boil.
- Then it needs to be drained and the chicken rinsed well. Having done all this, you can add another portion of cold water and continue cooking. As a result, when the broth is ready, it will acquire transparency and a golden hue.
- But before this happens, after the second portion of water boils, a film will appear on the surface of the dish being prepared, which should be removed.
- Then you can continue to cook the meat. And as soon as 60 minutes have passed since the second portion of water began to boil, the remaining ingredients are added to the broth, that is, vegetables and selected spices. It is also important not to forget to add salt. After this, cooking should continue for about 40 minutes.
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.
From legs
In the photo we often see a beautiful golden broth made from chicken legs. By following the recipe directions, you too can prepare this dish. Ham broth is an excellent base for soups. Before starting cooking, it is recommended to soak the meat in cold water for an hour. To reduce the amount of fat, remove the skin from the legs.
Ingredients:
- chicken legs – 1 kg;
- salt – 5 g.
Cooking method:
- Place the bird in a saucepan and add water. Wait until it boils, remove the foam, add salt.
- Cook the legs over low heat for about 90 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat.
Chicken drumstick
Chicken drumsticks are great for making rich, golden broths. You can use the finished meat in other dishes, or divide it into small pieces and leave it in the soup.
Take at least 3 legs; any less, the taste will not be strong enough. To remove excess fat and reduce calories, remove the skin before heat treatment.
Ingredients:
- chicken drumstick – 4 pcs.;
- salt – 5 g;
- bay leaf – 2 pcs.;
- allspice – 5 g.
Cooking method:
- Fill the drumstick with water. Wait for the foam to appear, remove it using a slotted spoon.
- Salt the water and add spices.
- Let the broth simmer for 1 hour on low.