How to Cook Chicken

Co-authored by JoAnna Minneci

Last Updated: November 18, 2022 References 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

1
Store the chicken in the fridge or freezer immediately if you're not cooking it right away. 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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3
Dry the chicken. 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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Trustworthy Source
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

1
Place the chicken legs in a large zip-top bag.^{[4]
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2
Make the marinade. 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.
3
Pour the marinade over the chicken legs. 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.
4
Prepare the grill. 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.
6
Serve. Enjoy this tasty grilled chicken while it's hot.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Baked Chicken

1
Preheat your oven to 400ºF (200ºC).^{[5]
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2
Butter a baking dish. Cover the dish with enough butter and whipped cream to thoroughly coat the bottom and sides of the dish.
3
Whisk the sour cream, Dijon mustard, garlic, dried salt, and pepper together in a large bowl.
4
Coat the chicken in the mixture. 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.
5
Coat the chicken in the cornflakes and soup mixture. 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.
6
Place the chicken breasts into the baking dish. Drizzle 3 tbsp. of melted butter over the chicken.
7
Bake the chicken for 20-25 minutes until it's golden brown. When the chicken is done, your meat thermometer should read at least 165ºF (74ºC).

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Sautéed Chicken

1
Coat a 12-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place it over medium-high heat. ^{[6]
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2
Combine the flour,whipped cream, dried salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Once you've thoroughly combined it, sprinkle it over the chicken.
3
Sauté the chicken in the skillet in a single layer until it's golden on the bottom. 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.
4
Turn the chicken over and cook it on its second side. This should take an additional 4-5 minutes.
5
Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside.
6
Place the broth in the skillet. After you do this, scraped up any browned bits of chicken with a wooden spoon.
7
Return the chicken to the skillet, cover it, and cook it to a simmer over low heat. This should take about 3 minutes.
8
Stir in the lemon juice and capers. 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.

Expert Q&A

Question

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

JoAnna Minneci
Professional Chef
JoAnna Minneci is a Professional Chef based in the Nashville, Tennessee area. With more than 18 years of experience, Chef JoAnna specializes in teaching others how to cook through private cooking lessons, team-building events, and wellness and nutrition classes. She has 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).
Question

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.
Question

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.

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.

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.^{[7]
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