The secret to tender chicken is learning how to tenderize the meat. Tenderizing is a process that evens out chicken’s texture and makes it juicier. Learn how to tenderize chicken efficiently and effectively.
What Is Tenderizing?
In cooking, tenderizing (sometimes called velveting) is a method that creates an even thickness and texture in the meat. As a home cook, the time it adds to your prep time in the kitchen pays off in your final dish’s increased crispy, succulent texture, and consistency.
Tenderizing chicken involves marinating and evening out the thickest parts of the chicken to result in a far softer, more flavorful dish. Tenderization occurs before you cook the chicken, whether you plan to grill it, heat it on a stovetop, or place it in a slow cooker or the oven.
Why Tenderize Chicken?
Certain types of chicken recipes–like a stir-fry, for instance–explicitly call for tender chicken breast meat or thigh meat. Still, the flavor and mouthfeel of nearly any dish for which you cook chicken–such as buttermilk fried chicken, grilled chicken thighs, or something else entirely–can benefit from the tenderizing process because it evens out the chicken’ texture and makes it juicier.
4 Steps to Tenderizing Chicken
Tenderizing chicken doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are four simple steps you can follow to make your chicken dishes as juicy, flavorful, and tender as possible:
- 1. Debone the pieces of meat. To tenderize chicken pieces, you must remove any bones left in the heart. You can leave the chicken skin on or remove it depending on your preference or any specific recipe instructions. Alternatively, you can purchase boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs to skip this step and shave a few minutes off your cook time.
- 2. Pound the poultry. Place your raw chicken on a cutting board or paper towel, cover it with plastic wrap, and take your chosen meat tenderizer to it. This can be a meat mallet, a rolling pin, or any other implement that can beat and even out the poultry. Avoid a tough chicken texture and ensure an even, juicy consistency.
- 3. Marinate your chicken. Marinating your chicken in something overnight can help make it all the more juicier and tender. You can use a gluten-free, acidic marinade (like olive oil and lemon juice) or something breadier (like baking soda, egg whites, and buttermilk). Adding spices like garlic powder and black pepper during this process phase is sometimes called bringing the meat.
- 4. Cook at an adequate temperature. Your chicken shouldn’t be undercooked or overcooked but just right instead. Tenderized chicken often cooks best at high heat– from about 325 degrees Fahrenheit to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. As the chicken heats up, check the internal temperature of the poultry with a meat thermometer to help you avoid burning it or serving it still raw. The meat’s internal temperature should reach roughly 160 degrees Fahrenheit before you remove it from the heat source.