Chicken Recipes

“The Quick From Scratch Chicken Cookbook” will enable you to go beyond boring baked boneless breasts! How does Pecan-Crusted Chicken with Mustard sauce sound? Or Southwestern Tortilla salad or Grilled Chicken with Spicy Brazilian Tomato and Coconut Sauce? Or try a bird of a different type: Turkey Breasts with Mustard Sage Crumbs, or Grilled Cornish Hens with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto. Plus, there are pastas, risottos, sautes, stir-frys, and lots of soup, salad, and sandwich ideas. (more…)

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Here at my house, we love to entertain guests during big sporting events. We look forward to the Superbowl, NBA and NHL Playoffs and the World Series, just so we can throw a party! One of the foods we like to make are chicken wings, because they are inexpensive and easy to prepare.Each of these recipes can easily be doubled depending on the number of guests you will be feeding. You will want to plan on 5-6 chicken wings per guest. You can prepare them a day in advance and keep them refrigerated. Once you are ready to serve your party guests, just reheat them in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.Here are 3 of our favorite recipes.Zesty Wings 24 chicken wings 1/4 cup hot pepper sauce 1/2 cup butter, melted 3 Tbsp. vinegar 2 pkgs. Hidden Valley Ranch ™ mix Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Dip chicken in mixture of melted butter, pepper sauce and vinegar. Place in baking pan. Sprinkle with 1 package dry dressing mix. Bake 20 minutes. Turn wings and add 2nd package of dressing mix. Bake an additional 20-25 minutes or until brown. Sweet and Sour Chicken 24 chicken wings 1 jar of orange preserves 1 bottle of Russian salad dressing 1 pkg. dry onion soup Mix together orange preserves, salad dressing and onion soup mix. Pour over chicken wings and seal container for 2 hours to allow them to marinate in the refrigerator. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes, and uncovered for another 30 minutes.Yogurt Baked 6 oz. plain yogurt 1 tsp. salt 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1/2 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce 1/4 tsp. garlic powder 24-28 chicken wings1 cup dry bread crumbs Heat oven to 350 degrees. Use a baking pan and grease it lightly. Mix yogurt, salt, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, Tabasco sauce and garlic powder together. Dip chicken wings in mixture, roll in dry bread crumbs. Place chicken in the baking pan and bake uncovered for 60 minutes.

One of the most common honey recipes is chicken honey because it is delicious, healthy, and easy to make. This recipe typically consists of chicken and honey combined with other strong or light seasoning. Depending on the type of recipe and your health preference, you can bake, stir fry, broil, barbecue or cook once you have marinated or seasoned the chicken. Baking or broiling is more healthy than frying and most recipes now include a healthier alternative such as skinless chicken, low fat options, and reduced sodium alternatives.

There are many variations of this recipe. Many of them add fruits, vegetables, spices or a special marinades to give this recipe different flavors. Honey chicken is often done with soy sauce garlic, lemon, chipotle, pineapple, and/or ginger. Use other ingredients such as red peppers before you add the honey. Other more exotic spices are used to make it fragrant and delicious and they include cardamom, turmeric, cinnamon, and many varieties of pepper.

It is important to use the right amount and kind of honey. This is because too much of it can really alter the taste and make it too sweet. However, if you don’t use enough and have other strong seasoning or flavors, then you would not be able to get the tangy sweet taste of texture of the chicken honey. A typical amount to use is for every piece of chicken add about use 1 tablespoon of honey. Keep in mind that if your honey recipe has a salty ingredient or you are planning to bake it, then you can add about 1 1/2 tablespoon of honey for every piece of chicken. Always refer to your specific recipe, especially when your recipe has pineapple, lemon or garlic.

Add pineapple, but keep in mind that pineapples are sweet so it will sweeten your overall flavor. When you use lemon in your honey recipe, it will break down the sweeteners in it, so you may need to use more than 1 tablespoon per piece of chicken. Also, garlic, cardamom, pepper, soy sauce, and other spices and ingredients can really add very strong flavors so you may need to adjust your recipe accordingly.

Mix your honey well so that it does not crystallize or use honey crystals, especially when cooking this recipe. Most honey recipes have a way of mixing the honey in with the butter or any other liquid in the recipes, such as water or milk. This is because honey is sticky and can be difficult to handle. Another alternative is to use dry honey or crystallized honey that is dry and can easily be mixed or sprinkled into the chicken honey seasoning.

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History & Definitions

The chicken is a descendant of the Southeast Asian red jungle fowl first domesticated in India around 2000 B.C. Most of the birds raised for meat in America today are from the Cornish (a British breed) and the White Rock (a breed developed in New England). Broiler-fryers, roasters, stewing/baking hens, capons and Rock Cornish hens are all chickens. The following are definitions for these:

• Broiler-fryer a young, tender chicken about 7 weeks old which weighs 2 1/2 to 4 1/2 pounds when eviscerated. Cook by any method.

• Rock Cornish Game Hen – a small broiler-fryer weighing between 1 and 2 pounds. Usually stuffed and roasted whole.

• Roaster – an older chicken about 3 to 5 months old which weighs 5 to 7 pounds. It yields more meat per pound than a broiler-fryer. Usually roasted whole.

• Capon – Male chickens about 16 weeks to 8 months old which are surgically unsexed. They weigh about 4 to 7 pounds and have generous quantities of tender, light meat. Usually roasted.

• Stewing/Baking Hen – a mature laying hen 10 months to 1 1/2 years old. Since the meat is less tender than young chickens, it’s best used in moist cooking such as stewing.

• Cock or rooster – a mature male chicken with coarse skin and tough, dark meat. Requires long, moist cooking.

Chicken Inspection

All chickens found in retail stores are either inspected by USDA or by state systems which have standards equivalent to the Federal government. Each chicken and its internal organs are inspected for signs of disease. The “Inspected for wholesomeness by the U.S. Department of Agriculture” seal insures the chicken is free from visible signs of disease.

Chicken Grading

Inspection is mandatory but grading is voluntary. Chickens are graded according to USDA Agricultural Marketing Service regulations and standards for meatiness, appearance and freedom from defects. Grade A chickens have plump, meaty bodies and clean skin, free of bruises, broken bones, feathers, cuts and discoloration.

Fresh or Frozen

The term fresh on a poultry label refers to any raw poultry product that has never been below 26 °F. Raw poultry held at 0 °F or below must be labeled frozen or previously frozen. No specific labeling is required on raw poultry stored at temperatures between 0-25 °F.

Dating of Chicken Products

Product dating is not required by Federal regulations, but many stores and processors voluntarily date packages of chicken or chicken products. If a calendar date is shown, immediately adjacent to the date there must be a phrase explaining the meaning of that date such as sell by or use before.

The use-by date is for quality assurance; after the date, peak quality begins to lessen but the product may still be used. It’s always best to buy a product before the date expires. If a use-by date expires while the chicken is frozen, the food can still be used.

Hormones & Antibiotics

No hormones are used in the raising of chickens.

Antibiotics may be given to prevent disease and increase feed efficiency. A “withdrawal” period is required from the time antibiotics are administered before the bird can be slaughtered. This ensures that no residues are present in the bird’s system. FSIS randomly samples poultry at slaughter and tests for residues. Data from this monitoring program have shown a very low percentage of residue violations.

Additives

Additives are not allowed on fresh chicken. If chicken is processed, however, additives such as MSG, salt, or sodium erythorbate may be added but must be listed on the label.

Foodborne Organisms Associated with Chicken

As on any perishable meat, fish or poultry, bacteria can be found on raw or undercooked chicken. They multiply rapidly at temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F (out of refrigeration and before thorough cooking occurs). Freezing doesn’t kill bacteria but they are destroyed by thorough cooking.

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has a zero tolerance for bacteria in cooked and ready-to-eat products such as chicken franks or lunch meat that can be eaten without further cooking.

Most foodborne illness outbreaks are a result of contamination from food handlers. Sanitary food handling and proper cooking and refrigeration should prevent foodborne illnesses.

Bacteria must be consumed on food to cause illness. They cannot enter the body through a skin cut. However, raw poultry must be handled carefully to prevent cross-contamination. This can occur if raw poultry or its juices contact cooked food or foods that will be eaten raw such as salad. An example of this is chopping tomatoes on an unwashed cutting board just after cutting raw chicken on it.

Following are some bacteria associated with chicken:

• Salmonella Enteritidis may be found in the intestinal tracts of livestock, poultry, dogs, cats and other warm-blooded animals. This strain is only one of about 2,000 kinds of Salmonella bacteria; it is often associated with poultry and shell eggs.

• Staphylococcus aureus can be carried on human hands, in nasal passages, or in throats. The bacteria are found in foods made by hand and improperly refrigerated, such as chicken salad.

• Campylobacter jejuni is one of the most common causes of diarrheal illness in humans. Preventing cross- contamination and using proper cooking methods reduces infection by this bacterium.

• Listeria monocytogenes was recognized as causing human foodborne illness in 1981. It is destroyed by cooking, but a cooked product can be contaminated by poor personal hygiene. Observe “keep refrigerated” and “use-by” dates on labels.

Rinsing or Soaking Chicken

It is not necessary to wash raw chicken. Any bacteria which might be present are destroyed by cooking.

Liquid in Package

Many people think the pink liquid in packaged fresh chicken is blood, but it is mostly water which was absorbed by the chicken during the chilling process. Blood is removed from poultry during slaughter and only a small amount remains in the muscle tissue. An improperly bled chicken would have cherry red skin and is condemned at the plant.

How to Handle Chicken Safely

• Fresh Chicken: Chicken is kept cold during distribution to retail stores to prevent the growth of bacteria and to increase its shelf life. Chicken should feel cold to the touch when purchased. Select fresh chicken just before checking out at the register. Put packages of chicken in disposable plastic bags (if available) to contain any leakage which could cross-contaminate cooked foods or produce. Make the grocery your last stop before going home.

At home, immediately place chicken in a refrigerator that maintains 40 °F, and use within 1 or 2 days, or freeze at 0 °F. If kept frozen continuously, it will be safe indefinitely.

Chicken may be frozen in its original packaging or repackaged. If freezing longer than two months, over wrap the porous store plastic packages with airtight heavy-duty foil, plastic wrap or freezer paper, or place the package inside a freezer bag. Use these materials or airtight freezer containers to repackage family packs into smaller amounts or freeze the chicken from opened packages.

Proper wrapping prevents “freezer burn,” which appears as grayish-brown leathery spots and is caused by air reaching the surface of food. Cut freezer-burned portions away either before or after cooking the chicken. Heavily freezer-burned products may have to be discarded because they might be too dry or tasteless.

• Ready-Prepared Chicken: When purchasing fully cooked rotisserie or fast food chicken, be sure it is hot at time of purchase. Use it within two hours or cut it into several pieces and refrigerate in shallow, covered containers. Eat within 3 to 4 days, either cold or reheated to 165 °F (hot and steaming). It is safe to freeze ready-prepared chicken. For best quality, flavor and texture, use within 4 months.

Safe Defrosting

FSIS recommends three ways to defrost chicken: in the refrigerator, in cold water and in the microwave. Never defrost chicken on the counter or in other locations. It’s best to plan ahead for slow, safe thawing in the refrigerator. Boneless chicken breasts will usually defrost overnight. Bone-in parts and whole chickens may take 1 to 2 days or longer. Once the raw chicken defrosts, it can be kept in the refrigerator an additional day or two before cooking. During this time, if chicken defrosted in the refrigerator is not used, it can safely be refrozen without cooking first.

Chicken may be defrosted in cold water in its airtight packaging or in a leak proof bag. Submerge the bird or cut-up parts in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes to be sure it stays cold. A whole (3 to 4-pound) broiler fryer or package of parts should defrost in 2 to 3 hours. A 1-pound package of boneless breasts will defrost in an hour or less.

Chicken defrosted in the microwave should be cooked immediately after thawing because some areas of the food may become warm and begin to cook during microwaving. Holding partially cooked food is not recommended because any bacteria present wouldn’t have been destroyed. Foods defrosted in the microwave or by the cold water method should be cooked before refreezing.

Do not cook frozen chicken in the microwave or in a slow cooker. However, chicken can be cooked from the frozen state in the oven or on the stove. The cooking time may be about 50% longer.

Stuffed Chicken

The Hotline does not recommend buying retail-stuffed fresh whole chicken because of the highly perishable nature of a previously stuffed item. Consumers should not pre-stuff whole chicken to cook at a later time. Chicken can be stuffed immediately before cooking. Some USDA-inspected frozen stuffed whole poultry MUST be cooked from the frozen state to ensure a safely cooked product. Follow preparation directions on the label.

Marinating

Chicken may be marinated in the refrigerator up to 2 days. Boil used marinade before brushing on cooked chicken. Discard any uncooked leftover marinade.

Safe Cooking

FSIS recommends cooking whole chicken to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured using a food thermometer. Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. For reasons of personal preference, consumers may choose to cook poultry to higher temperatures.

For approximate cooking times to use in meal planning, see the following chart compiled from various resources.

Approximate Chicken Cooking Times

Type of Chicken Weight Roasting

350 °F Simmering Grilling

Whole broiler fryer+ 3 to 4 lbs. 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 hrs. 60 to 75 min. 60 to 75 min*

Whole roasting hen+ 5 to 7 lbs. 2 to 2 1/4 hrs. 1 3/4 to 2 hrs. 18-25 min/lb*

Whole capon+ 4 to 8 lbs. 2 to 3 hrs Not suitable 15-20 min/lb*

Whole Cornish hens+ 18-24 oz. 50 to 60 min. 35 to 40 min. 45 to 55 min*

Breast halves, bone-in 6 to 8 oz. 30 to 40 min. 35 to 45 min. 10 – 15 min/side

Breast half, boneless 4 ounces 20 to 30 min. 25 to 30 min. 6 to 8 min/side

Legs or thighs 8 or 4 oz. 40 to 50 min. 40 to 50 min. 10 – 15 min/side

Drumsticks 4 ounces 35 to 45 min. 40 to 50 min. 8 to 12 min/side

Wings or wingettes 2 to 3 oz. 30 to 40 min. 35 to 45 min. 8 to 12 min/side

+ Unstuffed. If stuffed, add 15 to 30 minutes additional time.

* Indirect method using drip pan.

Microwave Directions:

• Microwave on medium-high (70 percent power): whole chicken, 9 to 10 minutes per pound; bone-in parts and Cornish hens, 8 to 9 minutes per pound; boneless breasts halves, 6 to 8 minutes per pound.

• When microwaving parts, arrange in dish or on rack so thick parts are toward the outside of dish and thin or bony parts are in the center.

• Place whole chicken in an oven cooking bag or in a covered pot.

• For boneless breast halves, place in a dish with 1/4 cup water; cover with plastic wrap.

• Allow 10 minutes standing time for bone-in chicken; 5 minutes for boneless breast.

• The USDA recommends cooking whole poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured using a food thermometer. Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. When cooking pieces, the breast, drumsticks, thighs, and wings should be cooked until they reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F. For reasons of personal preference, consumers may choose to cook poultry to higher temperatures.

Partial Cooking

Never brown or partially cook chicken to refrigerate and finish cooking later because any bacteria present wouldn’t have been destroyed. It is safe to partially pre-cook or microwave chicken immediately before transferring it to the hot grill to finish cooking.

Color of Skin

Chicken skin color varies from cream-colored to yellow. Skin color is a result of the type of feed eaten by the chicken, not a measure of nutritional value, flavor, tenderness or fat content. Color preferences vary in different sections of the country, so growers use the type of feed which produces the desired color.

Dark Bones

Darkening around bones occurs primarily in young broiler-fryers. Since their bones have not calcified completely, pigment from the bone marrow can seep through the porous bones. Freezing can also contribute to this seepage. When the chicken is cooked, the pigment turns dark. It’s perfectly safe to eat chicken meat that turns dark during cooking.

Pink Meat

The color of cooked chicken is not a sign of its safety. Only by using a food thermometer can one accurately determine that chicken has reached a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F throughout. The pink color in safely cooked chicken may be due to the hemoglobin in tissues which can form a heat-stable color. Smoking or grilling may also cause this reaction, which occurs more in young birds.

Color of Giblets

Giblet color can vary, especially in the liver, from mahogany to yellow. The type of feed, the chicken’s metabolism and its breed can account for the variation in color. If the liver is green, do not eat it. This is due to bile retention. However, the chicken meat should be safe to eat.

Fatty Deposits

Chickens may seem to have more fatty deposits or contain a larger “fat pad” than in the past. This is because broiler fryer chickens have been bred to grow very rapidly to supply the demand for more chicken. Feed that is not converted into muscle tissue (meat) is metabolized into fat. However, the fat is not “marbled” into the meat as is beef or other red meat, and can be easily removed. Geneticists are researching ways to eliminate the excess fat.

Trisodium Phosphate

Food-grade trisodium phosphate (TSP) has been approved by FSIS for use in poultry slaughter as an antimicrobial agent. When immersed in and/or sprayed in a dilute solution on chickens, it can significantly reduce bacteria levels. TSP is “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) by the FDA, and has been safely used for years, particularly in processed cheese.

Irradiation of Poultry

In 1992, the USDA approved a rule to permit irradiation of raw, fresh or frozen packaged poultry to control certain common bacteria on raw poultry that can cause illness when poultry is undercooked or otherwise mishandled. Irradiation at 1.5 to 3.0 kilo Gray, the smallest, most practical “dose,” would eliminate more than 99 percent of Salmonellae organisms on the treated poultry.

Packages of irradiated chicken are easily recognizable at the store because they must carry the international radura symbol along with the statement, “treated with irradiation” or “treated by irradiation.”

Storage Times

Since product dates aren’t a guide for safe use of a product, how long can the consumer store the food and still use it at top quality? Follow these tips:

• Purchase the product before the date expires.

• Follow handling recommendations on product.

• Keep chicken in its package until using.

• Freeze chicken in its original packaging, overwrap or re-wrap it according to directions in the above section, “How to Handle Chicken Safely”.

With over 125 recipes and 70 photos from Betty Crocker’s Rotisserie Chicken Cookbook there’s plenty of variety without lots of fuss–and with no messy roasting pans cleanup is easy! System Requirements:8MB RAM 20MB Hard Disk Space CD-ROM drive Format: WIN 9598MENT2000XP Genre: REFERENCE / LIFESTYLE Age: 615029001022 UPC: 615029001022 Manufacturer No: 102

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Why is it, when someone can’t identify a particular new flavor, they say it tastes “just like chicken”? For example, if someone tastes rattlesnake meat, they invariably say it tastes “just like chicken”. Or it might be alligator meat they say tastes “just like chicken”, even though technically an alligator is a reptile, and a chicken is part of the fowl species.

 When the first chicken was ever consumed remains a mystery. It is thought to be a descendent of the wild Red Junglefowl found in India. From its eventual domestication centuries ago, there are now more than 24 billion chickens on earth. This constitutes chickens as the most populous bird in existence.

Has it ever occurred to anyone that a chicken is the only animal of which we eat the whole? Not only do we eat all appendages, such as legs, breasts and thighs, we eat what comes from it, which of course are eggs.  We even use the carcass to make stock. Stock is the base component in many recipes such as soups, stews and sauces. There are hundreds of recipes for both, though eggs tend to be solely a breakfast item.

 Recipes that involve chicken are quite plentiful, from those served in restaurants to those made in our own homes. They range from simple barbeque chicken to salads, to Greek Chicken Souvlaki and Coq Au Vin. It is even the principle ingredient in the popular home remedy of chicken noodle soup, a staple when it comes to the common cold. Gourmet Chefs use it in an abundance of their recipes. Truly, it is the one animal from which we utilize the whole of its parts.

The newest cookbook in Good Housekeeping’s best-selling “100 Best” series focuses on a favorite food: versatile, low-calorie chicken. These easy-to-prepare, triple-tested dishes–from Lemon-Rosemary Roast Chicken to Arroz con Pollo to New Chicken Cordon Bleu–will please even the most discerning palate. The editors at Good Housekeeping keep the delectable recipes coming with their fifth entry in their popular “100 Best” series. This time, chicken–always a favorite–is the star (more…)

Chicken is one of the most popular meats to be eaten in the world. Everyday, millions of people consume chicken in a variety of ways. They may choose to grill, bake, smoke, or fry it, or use it inside another dish such as a casserole, salad, soup, or pasta. Fast food restaurants here in the USA alone thrive on their sales of chicken related dishes, such as sandwiches, nuggets, wraps, and salads. With so many people consuming the meat, there must be hundreds of recipes out there, wouldn’t you agree?

Recipes for chicken dishes can vary greatly in many ways. Some are simple, five minute recipes that can be prepared for just a couple of people after a long day at work. Others may take all day to cook, and combine a number of ingredients with the chicken. The complexity of these recipes can vary as well. A salad, for example, would just comprise of cooking the chicken and tossing it with some vegetables. Other dishes, such as chicken and dumplings, would require the cutting of the meat and the dough, and then allowing both to cook in a pot for hours.

I personally like to prepare my chicken in a variety of ways. My recipe box is full of hundreds of chicken based creations that I could not possibly choose one favorite! Grilling chicken outside is always fun when you are having a family cookout. Warm chicken soup is very nice to eat in the cold of the winter. Chicken wraps make for a quick, healthy lunch. I would guess that I love chicken so much that I consume it almost daily. The best thing about cooking chicken is that the possibilities are endless…You could cook chicken every day for a year, and never eat the exact same meal twice!

Grilled Ginger Apricot Chicken Breasts 
 
3 chicken breasts, split (with bone in)
1/3 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Prepare a medium-hot fire in grill.
In a small saucepan, warm preserves, lemon juice, ginger, mustard, salt and
pepper over medium heat, stirring, just until preserves melt, about 2 minutes.
Grill chicken, skin side down, 10 minutes.
Turn and grill 5 minutes.
Brush with some of glaze and continue to grill, turning occasionally and
brushing with more glaze, until chicken juice run clear when pricked with a
knife, 15 to 20 minutes longer.
Stop basting about 5 minutes before chicken is done.

Serves 6