Chicken Cooking Basics
From: High Mountain foods
Chicken is a dinnertime favorite: it's highly versatile, family-friendly, and good for you.
Benefits of our Antibiotic Free Chicken
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
No Antibiotics EVER!
No Growth Hormones EVER!
No Artificial Ingredients
No Preservatives
All Vegetable Diet
Not Fed Animal By-products
Raised in Controlled Environments
Minimally Processed
100% All Natural
Chicken is a great source of protein with the added bonus of being low in fat and calories, especially if you don't eat the skin. But like all fresh
meats, it is perishable. Since raw poultry can transmit illness-causing bacteria such as Salmonella and Listeria, use care during handling and
preparation.
Keep It Frozen
Never leave raw or frozen chicken at room temperature. Raw chicken should be stored in the coldest part of your refrigerator and used within two
days. Freeze any chicken that won't be used right away. You can keep it frozen in our packaging.
•
•
•
Frozen chicken can be stored in the freezer for up to one year without sacrificing quality.
When thawing frozen chicken, do so slowly and safely. It will take from 24 hours up to two days to thaw a whole chicken in the
refrigerator, and about 2 to 9 hours for cut-up chicken parts (less for boneless pieces).Our chicken can be defrosted in cold water in
about 10 minutes.
Other approved methods are thawing in a cold water bath or by using the defrost cycle of the microwave.
Keep It Clean
Rinse chicken with cold water, inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels before preparing. To prevent cross-contamination, thoroughly clean
all surfaces, utensils, cutting boards, knives and hands with hot soapy water after handling raw poultry.
Get It Done
The only way to tell if a chicken is cooked properly is to use a meat thermometer--seeing if the juices run clear is not a reliable indicator of
doneness. To test the internal temperature of a whole chicken, insert the thermometer into the thigh, taking care not to touch the bone. Chicken
should reach 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remember that the meat will continue to cook once it's removed from the heat source, so you may
pull it out of the oven or off the grill a few degrees below the target temperature--just keep the thermometer in place and check to be sure the
temperature climbs to a safe heat.
More Chicken Safety Tips
• Marinating or brining? Always let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator, even for a short soak of 30 minutes.
• Do not baste the cooked chicken with the same marinade: either make extra marinade and set aside a portion for basting only, or boil it for two
to three minutes to kill any bacteria that might be present.
• Cooked chicken should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours.
• Properly handled cooked chicken can be stored in the refrigerator for two days.
Cutting Up a Whole Chicken
From: High Mountain Foods
It takes more than one go at cutting up a chicken to become an expert. However, once you've got the hang of it, you can cut up a chicken in very
little time and with hardly any effort at all!
Perhaps the most important reason to learn how to cut up a whole chicken is that it will save you money. Buying a whole chicken is cheaper than
buying pieces, and the leftover parts are ideal for forming the backbone of soup stocks. The same method can be used for cutting up other fowl
like duck or squab.
1. Place the chicken breastbone-side up on a clean, flat cutting surface.
2. Use a standard, sharp kitchen knife to slice off the wing joints. The wings can be set aside and reserved for stock. One breast and leg is
removed at a time. Follow steps 3 through 9 to remove the breasts and legs.
3. Make a shallow incision running along one side of the breastplate.
4. Deepen the incision by slicing into the chicken toward the rib cage. Pull the meat away from the rib cage as you slice down. As you progress
further into the bird, slide the knife off of the rib cage repeatedly to ensure that you are removing any meat attached to the rib cage.
5. Your knife will come to a point, just underneath the wishbone, where the wing joint meets the rib cage. The wing joint cartilage is soft enough
to slice through easily. Slice completely through the joint, stopping only when your knife reaches the cutting surface. At this point, the breast is
almost completely off the bird.
6. Slice through the skin that runs from the tail end of the bird to the point where the leg meets the breast.
7. The breast should come off of the bird with little effort. Pull the breast outwards, away from the bird, being careful not to rip or tear the flesh.
You may need to slice through some still-attached skin to remove the breast.
8. Cut through the leg joint until you reach the point where the leg bone meets the body. This joint can be difficult to cut through, so stop cutting
when you reach bone. Don't try to cut through the leg bone.
9. Grasp the leg and pull it behind the bird, pressing your fingers into the back of the joint until the joint pops loose. You will feel the bone pop
out of the socket. Remove the leg by cutting in and around the joint. Keep cutting until you have freed the leg from the body. Now, turn the bird
around and remove the other breast and leg the same way, following steps 3 through 9.
10. The carcass, along with the wings, can be used for making soup stock. (See our Making Chicken Stock article for tips.)
11. You can debone the final cuts of meat further, or cook them whole, depending upon your recipe requirements. (See our Deboning a Chicken
Breast and Deboning a Chicken Thigh articles.)
12. Put your chicken pieces to good use in these recipes:
Grilling Times for Chicken and Poultry
From: High Mountain Foods
Boneless cuts cook faster than bone-in pieces
Chicken and other poultry should be cooked to 180 degrees F (80 degrees C). Clear juices are not a good indicator of doneness. Depending on the
age of the fowl, the juices might not run clear until the bird is overcooked.
Chicken and Poultry
Cut
Method
Heat
Time
Internal Temp. (minimum)
Whole Broiler or Fryer
----
----
----
----
3 to 4 pounds
Indirect
Medium
60 to 75 min.
180 F (80 C)
Whole Roasting Hen
----
----
----
----
5 to 7 pounds
Indirect
Medium
18 to 25 min./pound
180 F (80 C)
Capon
----
----
----
----
4 to 8 pounds
Indirect
Medium
15 to 20 min./pound
180 F (80 C)
Cornish Hens
----
----
----
----
18-24 ounces
Indirect
Medium
45 to 55 min./side
180 F (80 C)
Breast
----
----
----
----
6 to 8 ounces
Direct
Medium /High
10 to 15 min./side
180 F (80 C)
Boneless Breast
----
----
----
----
4 ounces
Direct
High
6 to 8 min./side
180 F (80 C)
Legs or Thighs
----
----
----
----
4 to 8 ounces
Direct
Medium /High
10 to 15 min./side
180 F (80 C)
Drumsticks
----
----
----
----
4 ounces
Direct
Medium /High
8 to 12 min./side
180 F (80 C)
Wings
----
----
----
----
2 to 3 ounces
Direct
Medium /High
8 to 12 min./side
180 F (80 C)
Recipe Conversion Basics
From: High Mountain Foods
We want to help cooks around the world prepare All recipes favorites.
All of the recipes at Allrecipes.com use volume measurement for ingredients. Any recipe can be converted to metric measurements by selecting
the Metric button located under the Servings and Scaling information and clicking the "Change" button.
What's in a Name?
What many cooks may not know is that "standard" measurements--cups, teaspoons, quarts--differ between countries. One cup in the United
States is different than one cup in the United Kingdom or in Australia and New Zealand.
•
•
•
In the U.S., one cup (8 fluid ounces) = 237 milliliters
In the U.K., one cup = 227 milliliters, or .96 U.S. cups
In Australia, one cup = 250 milliliters
(Note that an Imperial Pint = 2.5 Imperial Cups, while in the U.S., a pint is only 2 cups).
Standard Measures
Need a refresher on how many cups are in a quart, or teaspoons in a tablespoon?
Taking Temperatures
In degrees Fahrenheit, water freezes at 32 degrees and boils at 212 degrees (at sea level). In degrees Celsius, water freezes at 0 and boils at 100
degrees.
Baking on High
High elevations can cause problems when baking. Learn how to adjust your ingredients for high-altitude baking.
Volume vs. Weight
The saying, "A pint's a pound, the world around" may hold true for water, but don't think it works for every ingredient in your recipe. A cup of
flour, sugar, butter and salt all weigh different amounts.
Roasting Chicken
From: High Mountain Foods
Never underestimate the power of a perfectly roasted chicken. An example of the beauty of simplicity, roast chicken has the power to comfort, to
satisfy and to impress.
More Roast Chicken Recipes
•
More How-Tos
Don't want to roast the whole chicken? Cut it into manageable parts with our Step by Step articles.
Roasting a chicken takes a little longer than some other cooking methods, but it actually requires very little preparation time.
Since roasting two chickens is just as easy as roasting one, any leftover cooked chicken can be used in chicken enchiladas, soup, chicken salad,
pasta dishes, or sandwiches. As an added bonus, it's economical, too: pound for pound, whole chickens are much cheaper than a package of
chicken breasts, thighs, or legs.
Skin is In
Crispy, fragrant roast chicken skin is absolutely delicious; some fans insist it's the best part of the bird. Since it contains a great deal of fat, many
people remove it in order to avoid the extra calories. Whether you choose to eat it or discard it, always leave the skin on during the roasting
process, as it holds in moisture and prevents the meat from drying out.
Divine Brine
One secret to really flavorful, juicy roast chicken is brining: soaking in salt water. (Kosher chickens are already brined; this is one of the
reasons why kosher birds tend to taste better than conventional chickens.) To brine a non-kosher chicken,
•
•
•
Dissolve _ cup kosher salt (or _ cup table salt) in two quarts of water. Immerse the chicken in the solution and place immediately in
the refrigerator.
You should let it soak for at least 1 hour, but no longer than five or six hours.
Pour off the brine and rinse the chicken under cold running water and pat it dry with paper towels. For extra-crispy skin--and if you
have the time--return the bird to the refrigerator and let it air-dry for another hour, or overnight, before roasting.
If you decide to forego the brining step, just remove the chicken from the package, rinse it with cool water, and then pat it dry with paper towels.
Rinsing removes residue and some surface bacteria, and drying off the chicken ensures that the skin will brown.
Dress It Up
A chicken roasted with nothing but salt, pepper, and butter is very tasty indeed, but it's also easy to build on these flavors. Chop up fresh herbs
and tuck them under the chicken's skin along with a few pats of butter, or stuff sprigs into the chicken cavity along with quartered onions and
cloves of garlic. Wedges of aromatic fruit such as lemons or oranges will perfume the bird as it roasts, infusing the meat with extra flavor.
Rub It Down
Many cooks use a dry rub: a blend of dried and ground spices, rubbing them under the chicken's skin and inside the cavity. Since they're under
the skin, the flavorings won't burn; plus they'll infuse the meat. This is a great way to add some spice if you'll be discarding the skin.
•
•
•
For a Southwestern flavor, try chili powder or pureed fresh chilies, cumin, and sage.
For an Indian-inspired bird, mix together equal parts ground coriander and cumin, plus turmeric and a pinch or two of cardamom or
garam masala.
To give the chicken a Thai flair, try a paste of ginger, lemongrass, green chilies, cilantro and lime juice.
A Bird You Can Truss
If you choose, you can truss the bird before roasting it--that is, tie it with butcher's twine to keep the legs close to the body. This is not an
essential step; however, it does make the chicken slightly easier to handle, and it helps hold the stuffing in if you've stuffed the chicken.
•
•
•
•
•
To truss a chicken, cut about a 3-foot length of heatproof butcher's twine.
Lay the chicken on a clean surface with the breast facing up.
Hold one end of the string in each hand, and loop the center of the string underneath the chicken's tail.
Catch the ends of the legs inside the string, then cross the string over the chicken's breast, making an X.
Loop the string under and around the wings, and then tie the string snugly in a knot across the middle of the breast. Make sure that the
ends of the wings are tucked in.