Chicken... Chicken... Chicken...

Chicken Chicken Chicken...

Let’s face it everyone, getting meat to taste amazing can be challenging! But hopefully some of the tools here will make that dream taste just a little bit better. Thinking about what is the most versatile and widely used meat, we come up with an astounding CHICKEN, (queue the chick-fil-a cows). You can bring out some amazing, and different flavors with chicken, and that’s what makes it such an exciting meat to try if you are trying to improve your culinary skills.



The first tip in this lesson will be around properly defrosting meat. Let’s face it, freezing meat is convenient and just far too easy to not do, that being said they way you bring your meat from a frozen to a thawed state can affect EVERYTHING! Here are the best ways to defrost your frozen bird.

           -1) Thaw in cold water. Yes, you heard that right, cold water (not hot), placing your frozen chicken in a plastic bag and place it in cool water. Occasionally replace the water with new water until thawed. 

           -2) Use the refrigerator. This method definitely takes the longest but is the safest. So as long as you’re not a big procrastinator this way is best. Place the frozen chicken in the refrigerator and let it sloooowly thaw.

           -3) Use the microwave as a last resort! We have found the microwave, while extremely fast, its speed can work as a disadvantage and resorts to chewy and rubbery chicken. Yuck!
Important!!! Bacteria thrive at room temperature, so don’t let your meat sit at room temperature for too long. Don’t do it!


* TIP of the NIGHT! Take food bore illnesses seriously!! *

After your chicken is thawed to perfection, (we know you did great), it's seasoning time! Now I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that you season depending on what your meal is, but generally there are several spices that are a safe bet for any meal.


-      Salt and pepper (you can’t go wrong)
-      Garlic power
-      Cayenne (a little goes a long way)
-      Ranch power

* Sprinkle the spices and seasonings on the thawed chicken, remember to get both sides.

(your chicken should look similar after seasoning)

Now We Are on to Cooking!

With all of the preparation we are going to do one more thing, preheat the pan. Now you want cook chicken in a lot of different ways, grilled, baked, fried, breaded, and even boiled. But let’s keep it simple and just do grilled. Grab a frying pan or a cast iron pan and preheat on medium heat. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the pan and let it heat up for a few minutes (if your pan is smoking a lot you probably have the heat on a little high).

Okay, now we are on to the cooking! Take the chicken and place it into the pan. Let it cook on each side for roughly 10 minutes (If It turns black you might need to order takeout). Make sure you have a meat thermometer with you when cooking chicken. Bacteria dies in chicken at 165 degrees Fahrenheit; when the chicken looks like it is done stick in meat thermometer in the middle of the thickest part of the chicken, if it reads 165 or above then it’s done, if not cook it a little longer.


Important Note:

Bacteria from meats, (particularly chicken) can be dangerous, harmless if cooked, but potentially harmful when it’s not. That is why it is important to take careful steps to make sure your raw chicken NEVER EVER touches other foods, or things that touch other foods. Whatever touches raw chicken needs to be washed thoroughly before touching other foods (that includes your hands by the way). Be careful, use your nifty meat thermometer and you won’t have to worry.


After your chicken is cooked LET IT REST! Take it off of the heat and let it rest for a few minutes before cutting it. This helps the juices in the meat redistribute and soak in, giving you a much more flavorful chicken that is moist and juicy.

And finally, enjoy! Your hard work has paid off and it’s time to dig in!

When you're ready to tackle some recipes this one is chicken-tastic!!!!

This recipe is amazing! Trust me it is easier than it looks and you will be sure to not only impress others with the outcome, but yourself! Good luck, you are going to do great!

Link: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a47355/grilled-honey-lime-chicken-with-pineapple-salsa-recipe/