How to make chicken tender? The most popular cooking tips on the internet revealed
In the past 10 days, the topic of "how to make chicken more tender" has sparked heated discussions on major social platforms and food forums. Combining the effective techniques tested by netizens and professional suggestions from chefs, we have compiled a scientific and practical guide to cooking tender chicken.
1. Three core factors that affect the taste of chicken
| factors | Principle | solution |
|---|---|---|
| muscle fiber | Chicken contains 70% water. Overheating will cause the protein to shrink. | Control the cooking temperature to not exceed 75℃ |
| connective tissue | Collagen begins to dissolve at 60°C | Add acidic substances when slow cooking or pickling |
| fat content | Chicken breast contains only 2% fat, while chicken thigh contains 6% | Choose a skinned area or inject oil |
2. The 6 most popular methods for treating tender chicken on the Internet
| method | Operational points | Applicable scenarios |
|---|---|---|
| Salt water soaking method | Soak in 5% concentration salt water for 2 hours, and the cells will absorb water and swell. | Fried chicken/fried chicken steak |
| Baking soda pickle | For every 500g of meat + 3g of baking soda + 1 spoon of water, marinate for 15 minutes | Stir-fried dishes |
| slow cook | 63℃ water bath for 1 hour, precise temperature control | Fitness meal/fat loss meal |
| Beating method with the back of the knife | Beat the broken fibers horizontally with the back of the knife | Chicken steak/chicken breast |
| Starch coating method | Marinate cornstarch + egg white for 30 minutes | Stir-fried/Kung Pao Chicken |
| Fruit enzymatic hydrolysis | Marinate pineapple/kiwi juice for 20 minutes | Grill/Fry |
3. Comparison of tenderization plans for different parts
| parts | Best way to tenderize | cooking time | Tenderness score |
|---|---|---|---|
| chicken breast | Soak in salt water + slow cook at low temperature | 1-1.5 hours | ★★★★☆ |
| Chicken thigh | Knife beating + starch wrapping | 20 minutes | ★★★★★ |
| chicken wings | Fruit enzymatic hydrolysis + rapid frying | 15 minutes | ★★★☆☆ |
| chicken feet | pressure stewing | 40 minutes | ★★☆☆☆ |
4. 3 innovative techniques that netizens have tested effective
1.Yogurt pickling method: Marinate Greek yogurt + lemon juice for 4 hours. Lactic acid bacteria can effectively break down protein, especially suitable for making Indian butter chicken.
2.vacuum massage: Put the chicken into a sealed bag and vacuum it, and use the pressure difference to change the meat structure, which is 3 times more efficient than ordinary marinating.
3.alternating ice and fire method: Blanch it quickly for 30 seconds, chill it immediately, and then cook it normally. This method from a Japanese food store can make the fiber looser.
5. Important reminders from professional chefs
• Meat tenderizer contains nitrite and is not recommended for home cooking.
• The baking soda must be rinsed after pickling, otherwise it will taste bitter.
• Do not enzymatically hydrolyze fruit for more than 30 minutes, otherwise it will turn into paste.
• Bone-in chicken requires 20% longer cooking time
After mastering these techniques, even chicken breasts that are often eaten during fitness can be tender and juicy. It is recommended to choose a combination of 2-3 methods according to the specific type of dishes, such as soaking in salt water and then cooking at low temperature, or marinating in baking soda and then wrapping with starch, which can achieve the effect of 1+1>2.
The secret recipe for air fryer tender chicken that has become popular recently: cut the chicken breast into thin slices, marinate it with 1 spoon of cooking wine + 1 spoon of oyster sauce + half a spoon of honey + minced garlic, coat it with egg liquid and bread crumbs, fry it at 180°C for 8 minutes, flip it over and fry it for another 3 minutes. The measured tenderness is comparable to chicken leg meat!
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