9 Awesome Chicken Recipes

If you're searching for your next favorite chicken recipe, I got you! In fact, I got 9 Awesome Chicken Recipes for you to discover. After that, check out my 9 Awesome Ground Beef Recipes!

This list of recipes includes some cooking basics, such as how to bake a moist chicken breast and how to make fried chicken. It also includes a great smokey marinade that makes bone-in cuts taste like they were done in a smokehouse... without the smoker!

At the end of the list of recipes is some good information about preparing raw chicken and cooking tips. Use the jump-to list below to skip to whichever part you like!

Jump to:

• 9 Awesome Chicken Recipes
• Mesquite Grilled Chicken
• Browned Butter Chicken with White Bean Hummus and Spiced Cauliflower
• Chicken Alfredo Soup with Tortellini
• Chicken Thighs on Schmaltzy Cabbage
• Fried Chicken Sandwich
• Chicken Kale and Potato Soup
• Baked Thin-Sliced Chicken Breast
• Hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Hasselback Chicken Cordon Bleu
• Kitchen tips for preparing raw chicken
• Cooking temperatures
• After cooking chicken
• Food safety
• Side dishes for chicken
• 💬 Comments

9 Awesome Chicken Recipes

Here are 9 Awesome Chicken Recipes for you to explore!

Kitchen tips for preparing raw chicken

Thawing chicken

There are three ways to safely thaw raw meat, including chicken. If you are not thawing it in the refrigerator, be sure to cook it the same day you have thawed it. If you've thawed it in the microwave, cook it immediately after.

• Place chicken in a dish in the refrigerator. Depending on how much you're thawing, this could take up to 2 days, so plan accordingly. I usually leave my chicken in the packaging for this, but open is okay, too. For safety, I would still lay a piece of plastic wrap over the top.
• Running the package of chicken under cool water. Place the package of chicken in a large bowl and run a constant slow stream of water at 70°F or cooler into the bowl. Depending on how much you're thawing, this could take 2-5 hours. Do not run water over unpackaged chicken. If you've already discarded the packaging, put it in a Ziploc or water-tight bag to thaw under the running water.
• Defrost frozen chicken in a microwave. I only recommend this in a pinch, as I do not feel it yields good results, and you must cook it immediately.

To rinse or not to rinse?

Rinsing the chicken before cooking has long been a question mark. I did it for years before understanding why it's not necessary and can actually be harmful. Here's why you can safely skip this step. There are usually two main reasons why folks decide to rinse off the chicken before cooking.

1. Eliminate Germs-Many people wash raw chicken because they believe it might contain germs or bacteria that need to be removed before cooking. However, it's important to remember that chicken should always cooked to a temperature that kills all harmful germs. So as long as you're doing that, you're fine.
   
   Also, food poisoning often occurs due to cross-contamination, such as when raw chicken fluids are spread on a surface (possibly during rinsing) and then ready-to-eat food is placed on that same surface. Therefore, rinsing actually increases the risk of spreading germs.
2. Remove Blood - Have you ever wondered about the pink or red liquid found in raw chicken packaging? A common misconception is that it's blood, when in fact, it's a protein called myoglobin which supplies oxygen to the muscles. No matter what it is, it's easily removed by patting dry with paper towels rather than rinsing. And if your chicken is going into another liquid right away, drying with a paper towel isn't necessary either. Read on about how to safely prep the chicken for your needs.

Safely cleaning and/or drying the chicken

While myoglobin isn't the worst thing in the world, some cooking applications work best when the chicken flesh and skin are very dry. Other times it doesn't matter.

• If you're putting the chicken directly into the cooking vessel with liquid, like in a crock pot style recipe, then drying the chicken isn't really necessary. However, it's always good to check prepared chicken for bone shards.
• If you are, seasoning, breading, or pan-frying your chicken (or all of the above), you need to dry it with a paper towel. I start by setting up a large dish or bowl lined with paper towels. Then open the package of raw chicken nearby or in the dish, and put the chicken directly on the paper towels, using a few more to dry the top side of the chicken.

Cooking temperatures

Another safety precaution I take with chicken is temping it before pulling it from the heat. Not only is it important to avoid undercooked chicken so it won't make you sick, but over-chicken is dry, tough, and unpleasant. Who wants that?

Over time, you'll get an idea of how long it takes to cook different pieces of chicken in your kitchen. But I still find it a good habit to check the temperature.

• Chicken breast, whole chicken, bone-in chicken wings: Cook to 165°F
• Bone-in or boneless thighs or legs: Cook to 170-185°F (bone-in can handle the higher end of those temps)
• It's ok to pull it from the heat 5 degrees early as it will continue to cook (called carryover cooking.)

After cooking chicken

Always let the chicken rest off the heat for at least 10 minutes before slicing into it. The juices are right at the surface when the chicken is still extremely hot from the cooking vessel. So, if you slice into it, the juice runs out, leaving the rest of the piece dry and chewy.

Resting the chicken for 5 minutes after removing it from the heat allows the juices to redistribute. This will ensure that the whole piece of chicken is moist and juicy when you eat it.

Food safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

Side dishes for chicken