Before you chuck your next batch of chicken tendies in the microwave, ask yourself this:
Did you let them thaw properly?
Have you been cooking them for too long?
Should you get an air fryer?
Watch 'till the end to find out how to keep your frozen chicken from going “fowl!”
Now, have you ever seen a cooking show or even just a movie where someone prepared chicken,
you might have noticed that they tend to rinse their chicken off before cooking it.
And logically, that might make sense.
But at the end of the day, rinsing any chicken before cooking is unnecessary and can even
be dangerous.
In fact, according to the UK's National Health Service…
"Washing raw chicken before cooking it can increase your risk of food poisoning from
campylobacter bacteria."
That's because droplets from the raw chicken can splash all over your sink and kitchen,
increasing the risk of you ingesting residue containing bacteria and getting seriously sick.
Additionally, rinsing the chicken is simply not necessary, as you'll be cooking it anyway.
If it's the juices that freak you out, simply pat the chicken dry with a paper towel before cooking.
If you've ever watched a cooking show, seen someone cook on social media, or found a recipe
on the internet, you probably know that perhaps the most popular cut of chicken is boneless,
skinless breasts.
It's definitely a good-sized chunk of meat, and buying a cut without the bone in does
take some of the work out of eating the chicken.
Additionally, chicken breast without the skin is also relatively low in fat, making it a
solid choice for anyone wanting a healthier protein option.
However, if you've ever cooked chicken breast, you also know that it can be pretty dry and bland.
Not only are boneless, skinless breasts less flavorful than their other chicken counterparts,
but they also tend to be more expensive.
Instead, buy chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on breasts, or wings!
You could also buy a whole chicken and roast the entire bird at home!
Really, the possibilities with frozen chicken are endless — once you stop buying boneless,
skinless breasts.
One of the best cooking tips out there for cooking any type of meat is to marinate your
meat before cooking it.
This involves covering the raw meat in a liquid mixture made up of ingredients such as oil,
vinegar, fruit juice, seasonings, and herbs.
This can both help tenderize a tough cut of meat and imbue it with flavor.
You might think that marinating your chicken while it's frozen is a great way to help the
flavors absorb for longer, but you'd be wrong.
If you marinate your chicken while frozen, there's a good chance that once you cook it,
the texture will be a bit off, and it won't have the delicious, juicy flavor you're looking
to achieve.
In order for a marinade to be absorbed by the chicken effectively and for the flavor
to come out once cooked, you shouldn't marinate frozen chicken.
Instead, defrost your chicken and then – while it's still cold — add your marinade and
put the chicken back into the refrigerator until you're ready to cook it.
Trust us, this will yield a much more flavorful chicken with a more appealing texture.
For the most part, cooking chicken is relatively simple.
Whether or not you're following a recipe, you know to season the meat and cook it until
it's cooked through.
But one thing you might be forgetting to do with your chicken — especially your frozen
chicken — is making like Rocky Balboa and tenderizing it.
Obviously, even if you're working with non-frozen chicken you should tenderize it as well, but
with frozen chicken, it's extra important.
Frozen chicken can lack the same texture as fresh chicken, and when you add in that you
have to defrost it before cooking, you might run out of time to tenderize.
But tenderizing your chicken is such an important step, as it will help your meat hold flavor
better, cook evenly, and make for a much juicer, tender meal.
Seriously, don't skip this step.
With chicken, almost more than any other meat, cooking it until it's the right temperature
is of the utmost importance.
Chicken isn't a meat that can be served raw or to varying degrees of "done" like steak,
and if you don't cook it to at least 165 degrees, you risk becoming very ill when eating it.
However, when cooking frozen chicken, that doesn't mean you need to necessarily double
your cooking time.
Yes, you can cook fully frozen chicken, which is a major time-saver.
But there are certain things you need to keep in mind when you do, and one of those is not
to overcook it.
Specifically, you really only need to cook frozen chicken about 50% longer than you would
the fresh version of whatever cut of chicken you're dealing with.
Additionally, you don't need to crank the heat up too high, either.
That can really dry out your chicken, and when you're cooking it from frozen, higher
temperatures can lead to uneven cooking.
Which increases your risk of eating meat that isn't fully cooked and possibly ingesting
harmful bacteria.
When cooking frozen chicken, the most ideal way to cook it is to have it defrosted before
you start the cooking process.
This allows the chicken to cook more evenly, which ensures the whole cut is fully cooked
through and eliminates bacteria.
However, the defrosting process for frozen chicken can seem a bit daunting.
But rest assured that it doesn't have to be, and more than that, it might not take as long
as you think it does.
For starters, it's important to note that the safest way to defrost chicken is to simply
put it from the freezer into the refrigerator.
This allows the chicken to slowly thaw while keeping it at a safe temperature and prohibiting
any bacteria from growing.
However, it typically shouldn't take longer than 24 hours to defrost your frozen chicken
— unless you're defrosting an entire chicken, of course.
So if you've been letting your chicken thaw for longer than 24 hours before cooking, then
you're missing the prime freshness window and also wasting some time.
When it comes to frozen chicken, there is definitely a ton of variety out there.
There are frozen chicken breasts, wings, thighs, entire chickens, tenderloins, and more!
Then there are frozen chicken products that have already been cooked and just need to
be defrosted and heated up.
In fact, that last kind might even be more popular than raw frozen chicken, because it's
definitely a lot easier to cook and prepare.
However, even if you typically purchase cooked frozen chicken, it's still important to read
the label.
For example, you might not realize that some frozen chicken you've bought actually isn't
the pre-cooked kind you usually buy.
In this instance, you may only cook it for twenty minutes or so, and wind up eating undercooked chicken.
This could lead to food-borne illness and a lot of unnecessary hassle during mealtime.
So, be sure you are following all instructions and reading the labels carefully when you
work with frozen chicken.
Obviously, any time you cook meat of any kind, it's important to make sure that it's cooked
to the proper internal temperature.
But when it comes to chicken — especially frozen chicken — that correct temperature
is of the utmost importance.
Cooking chicken fully protects you from getting seriously sick.
As well as help to make sure the chicken actually tastes good.
No one wants raw chicken!
This is unless your name happens to be Melissa McCarthy…
"Don't judge me, it's so good!
My body needs it!
I am not an animal!"
Unfortunately, unless you have a food thermometer, it can be hard to know whether or not your
chicken is cooked properly.
And a lot of the time if you cook frozen chicken, it can look totally done on the outside but
be completely raw on the inside.
So, aside from making sure that the juices run clear, investing in a good food thermometer
is a great way to make sure your chicken is safe and delicious.
Keep in mind that every oven, stove, or air fryer cooks differently.
Therefore cooking might take a little more time than expected, which is exactly why a
food thermometer is a smart choice.
One of the best things about frozen chicken is that it's convenient, and can save you
a lot of time in the long run.
That said, no matter how you choose to heat up your frozen chicken, there's no denying
that sometimes it just doesn't taste as good as fresh chicken.
Well, that's because you might be making the mistake of forgetting that quality still counts
even in frozen chicken.
Take for example frozen, breaded chicken tenders.
They are a great option for when you want a quick and easy meal but want something a
little healthier and cheaper than fast food.
However, that doesn't mean you should just buy the cheapest frozen chicken tenders you
can find.
Spending just a little more money will yield you a higher quality piece of chicken with
better flavor.
Trust us, your tongue will thank you!
Now, if you're at all aware of the latest cooking trends, you've probably seen or heard
of the latest and greatest kitchen appliance: the air fryer!
The air fryer is a great way to get a crispy finish on your chicken without using much
oil, and this handy device allows you to walk away and trust that your food won't burn down
the house.
"Seymour!
The house is on fire!
No mother, it's just the Northern Lights!"
Basically, an air fryer is essential for cooking chicken, especially if you want to cook frozen
chicken.
Believe it or not, most air fryers actually come with instructions for how to cook frozen
chicken, tenders, wings, or any other cut.
And if you aren't cooking your frozen chicken in the air fryer, then it's a huge mistake.
This is honestly the easiest way to cook frozen chicken, and you can ensure that it won't
overcook by setting the suggested time on the timer.
In the end, you'll get chicken that's crispy on the outside, but juicy on the inside.
Seriously, it's a great way to lock in flavor and save a ton of time and energy.
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