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ugh chicken you are so hard to cook just right


mollycase

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I think I'm done with chicken.

 

It's either too dry or not cooked enough.

 

Or else i think it looks fine and the thermometer into the middle of the thickest part says it's fine, but when I go to eat later, it's pink in places and that grosses me out.

 

I just opened my lunch at work and was all ready to eat some chicken and boom - yep there it is looking pink.

 

I use the method from well fed - put it on the oven with some spices.

 

I've tried all different thicknesses, even getting thing chicken tenders, but then those get too dry too quickly.

 

Am i gonna lose something nutritionally by not eating chicken? Is sticking to eggs, turkey (ground), beef, and pork (mostly in the form of compliant bacon) ok?

 

I'm tired of throwing away money on chicken.

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Is your chicken with bone in our deboned?  Cooking times will vary here.  Also altitude will matter as well.  So if you are living in a high altitude place temperture and time will vary.

 

Okay chicken cooking basics in the oven.  Sorry no BBQ instructions here.

 

Oven at 375 to 400 degrees F

 

Boneless chicken thighs - cook for 25 to 30 minutes

Boneless Chicken breasts - cook for 30 to 35 minutes.

 

Bone in chicken pieces - at least an hour.

 

You could try this recipe - it's in a crock pot and it comes out perfectly!  http://www.plaidandpaleo.com/2013/10/paleo-spicy-mustard-crockpot-chicken.html

just use apple juice instead of the chicken broth and honey (it takes the place of both)

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You won't lose anything from choosing not to eat chicken.

 

Here are some chicken tips from me.

 

Pound a chicken breast to about 1" thickness. Dredge it in some compliant dijon mustard and then in crushed walnuts.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake at 375 for about 15 - 20 minutes.  The fat in the walnuts keeps the chicken moist.

 

I do boneless, skinless chicken thighs on a cookie sheet at 435F for 25 minutes.  

 

You could also try spatchcocking (cutting out the spine and cracking the breast bone, super easy, youtube it) a whole chicken.  Dry it off, rub coarse salt all over it and bake it at 435 for 90 minutes, checking at 75 minutes for doneness.

 

If you want to avoid eating just plain cooked chicken, check out the Pina Colada Chicken recipe or this Buffalo Chicken one.

 

This "Shake N Bake" chicken was created by a friend of mine and is DELICIOUS!!  

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carlicanni -

 

boneless, skinless.

 

i do exactly what you have listed above. but they only rarely come out right.

when i take them out of the over, i cut open the thickest part, if it's still pink i put back in for 5-10 minutes until it's not pink.

 

but sometimes, when i go to reheat later, i'll cut into a piece and there it is all gross and pink instead of white.

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i think i'm just gonna stop eating chicken if it's not a loss nutritionally.

 

i am just way too squeamish about it. i don't have a problem eating it plain - i actually ike it when it's cooked just right!

 

 

thanks for all the suggestions tho!

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carlicanni -

 

boneless, skinless.

 

i do exactly what you have listed above. but they only rarely come out right.

when i take them out of the over, i cut open the thickest part, if it's still pink i put back in for 5-10 minutes until it's not pink.

 

but sometimes, when i go to reheat later, i'll cut into a piece and there it is all gross and pink instead of white.

Are you opening up the chicken thigh and laying it flat? Or cooking it sort of "rolled up" like it comes from the store?

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i'm using chicken breasts. thighs make me queasy after i eat them.

 

i lay them as flat as they will go. if they are really thick i will cut them.

 

i think it's just a personal thing and that i am too squicked out by chicken.

 

i think the only way i can cook that i like it is in a slower cooker. then it's really really cooked.

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There is a hierarchy in the nutritional density and value of animal proteins. The top of the hierarchy is beef and lamb. The bottom of the hierarchy is chicken and pork. Fish is closer to the top than the bottom. The reason people think chicken is healthy is because chicken producers have spent more money on advertising and various groups have managed to make anti-beef propaganda mainstream. 

 

I have nothing against eating chicken, but I cook a chicken less than once per month lately, but I slow cook a roast almost once per week. By the way, you might want to try slow cooking a chicken in coconut milk and curry spices with chopped onion and ginger for about 6 hours. It will taste wonderful and be moist and good. 

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Maybe it's because I'm eating so many eggs every day - but I no longer want chicken in any form.  I used to enjoy it but for almost a year, I've avoided it.  I have no idea why but my palate has completely changed.   I used to love roasting turkeys and don't do that very often either.  I think your palate does change once you get rid of all of the highly engineered foods and foods with antibiotics. 

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Do you brine your chicken? When I roast a chicken I try to plan ahead and brine it the day before. That way it stays more juicy if I overcook it (I'm lousy at cooking chicken, too!). I just stick the bird in a giant bowl with a bunch of salt (3-4 Tbsp, maybe?) and fill it with water until it's covered. It's seriously the best. There's also an amazing brine recipe on The Clothes Make the Girl that I've used a lot that's awesome :The Best Chicken You Will Ever Eat. Ever ...

 

Also, my chef brother told me to watch for the juices until they run clear. But it has to be RIGHT when they turn clear or you overcook it, so it's sort of a waiting game. I just found this out this weekend, so I haven't tested this yet.

 

But honestly, you could live your whole life not eating chicken and be just fine! It's just another source of protein :)

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i have to chop left over chicken in to small tiny pieces. I have tried to leave it whole and i get grossed out. BUT if It's chopped small it's not so bad. I

If we're talking chicken aversion, I cannot (CANNOT) eat drumsticks.  Gag.  There's not much I won't eat and I keep trying them and I always end up with the same result: dinnertime drama.  Blech.

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Sometimes I cook a whole chicken in my crock pot.... set it and forget it, several hours later you have tender, moist, falling-off-the-bone delicious chicken.

 

Last night I cooked (bone-in) chicken thighs in my oven and it was super easy. Just put them in a casserole dish, season, put it in the oven at 375 for 50 minutes. After 50 minutes I took them out and cut down into the center of the thickest one to make sure they were finished cooking (they were).

 

I've also had luck with boneless and skinless chicken cooked in a covered pot on the stove. As long as you don't cook it too quickly or for too long, it stays moist. Dry chicken is just the worst!

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 By the way, you might want to try slow cooking a chicken in coconut milk and curry spices with chopped onion and ginger for about 6 hours. It will taste wonderful and be moist and good. 

This is exactly how I do mine, except that I add lime - a half inside the chicken along with some fresh chilli, and a quarter stuffed into the crease of each leg.

Perfect every time.

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If we're talking chicken aversion, I cannot (CANNOT) eat drumsticks.  Gag.  There's not much I won't eat and I keep trying them and I always end up with the same result: dinnertime drama.  Blech.

 

The only way I can do drumsticks is off a rotisserie chicken. Our local grocer throws naked chickens into their roaster and they are delicious. The drumsticks are actually my favorite part. But cooking my own drumsticks at home? I just can't eat them. I've tried, but there's something about the texture that kills me. They're cooked just like they should be, not dry or anything, and the husband goes nuts for it, but my brain and my stomach just want nothing to do with it. I have similiar (worse) issues with chicken thighs.

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The only way I can do drumsticks is off a rotisserie chicken. Our local grocer throws naked chickens into their roaster and they are delicious. The drumsticks are actually my favorite part. But cooking my own drumsticks at home? I just can't eat them. I've tried, but there's something about the texture that kills me. They're cooked just like they should be, not dry or anything, and the husband goes nuts for it, but my brain and my stomach just want nothing to do with it. I have similiar (worse) issues with chicken thighs.

Ya....I've gagged during dinner more than once when it's drumsticks.  I keep trying but no matter how long I cook them for, they always seem raw to me.  I just can't do it. So funny though, because if it's a grocery store rotisserie, I do not have that problem.  

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I totally agree on the cracklings chicken it's great

If you don't like thighs you can find or ask the

Butcher for skin on boneless breasts

Yes brine them in 3/4 tsp salt per pound overnight in fridge

(Recommended) cover with water

If your oven gets hot an enamel pan works just fine

Skin side down oil the skin first

I also use split chickens from the poultry farm

In the same manner seasoned with s p garlic powder and paprika let sit 2 hrs or so refrigerated

BBQ grill at 500* skin side down IN a broiler pan for 10 mins then lower the heat to 375*

Amazing! Close the grill gets smoky takes 30/40 minuites let rest covered 15 mins will be cooked through test!

Another thing Is if your chicken is too cold it won't cook properly

It needs to be 30 mins room temp preheated oven

So the mess is in the oven not on your cooktop or sink! Use gloves to handle it if you are squeamish then bleach all surfaces wipe clean

Just a suggestion :)

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Molly, regarding the thermometer, define fine.

 

I do the medium high pan thing, a minute on each side, then cover the breasts with thinly sliced tomato, into a 425 oven until the thermometer reads 155.  Shut the oven off, take them out at 165.  Cover them with foil, let them sit 5 minutes so the juice can stabilize back into the meat rather than gushing out onto your plate when you cut in.

 

I usually use blackening spice or a rub.  I like my chicken roasted mostly sans goo, so no deep sea diving in mush making crockery.  Chicken is every third day in my family's rotation, so I sorta had to nail this chicken breast thing.  From the tomato blankets, you can wander off in 70 directions.  Tikka masala is one of my favorites, and I blow off the overnight marinade.  I use the Against All Grain cashew based version, minus the almond milk because California drought.

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I've had much better luck with chicken since I started using a Thermapen. I was terrible at feeling the doneness, judging the clearness of the juices, etc., and frequently over or undercooked chicken. 

 

This recipe is also a good guide. I don't usually fiddle with the jus (especially if I'm doing a whole 30), but the technique is great, and every time I've done a spatchcocked bird like this it has come out great. I usually go for smaller ones (3-4 pounds), and they are sometimes done in only 45 minutes. 

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 By the way, you might want to try slow cooking a chicken in coconut milk and curry spices with chopped onion and ginger for about 6 hours. It will taste wonderful and be moist and good. 

So how does that work exactly? How much coconut milk do you put in? 

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