Some people find cooking perfect chicken a bit of a challenge, and their biggest complaint typically has to do with the chicken ending up too dry despite all efforts. However, there are easy-to-follow strategies one can utilize to prevent this from happening. Most people are aware of the fact that chicken must be cooked to a minimum temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit in order to be safely consumed. This presents one of the first pitfalls with regard to cooking chicken to perfection. In an effort to avoid undercooked poultry and the associated health dangers it can cause, many cooks become overzealous in this endeavor, and the result is unappetizing, dried out chicken.

A Helpful Tip for Any Cooking Method

There are numerous ways that chicken can be cooked, including roasting or grilling. However, regardless of the recipe or cooking method one selects, a never fail strategy for turning out moist chicken is to seal and poach the chicken for several minutes in a small amount of liquid before beginning the cooking process. Not only does this cooking method prevent the chicken from becoming overly dry, it enhances its flavor considerably.

Roasting a Perfect Chicken

Roasting a chicken is one of the hardest cooking methods to perfect. However, producing a tender, moist chicken can be accomplished by any cook who follows a few basic recommendations. One should begin by melting a small amount of butter in a microwave or on the stove top. The melted butter should be evenly spread across the skin of the chicken. The chicken should be placed on the roasting rack sideways and then placed in the roasting pan. It should be cooked 20 minutes on each side to a minimum temperature of 165 degrees. The chicken should then be cooked for an additional 20 minutes on its back, with the breast meat facing up. The cooking time should be adjusted based on the size of the bird, however, the general rule is 20 to 25 minutes cooking time for each pound of poultry.

Tips for a Tasty Grilled Chicken

The key to successfully grilling chicken is to allow the solid fat to cook away without splashing onto the grilling flames which will result in the chicken becoming scorched. Once this has happened it cannot be remedied, so the key is to keep the heat low when first beginning the grilling process. If a gas grill is used, it works well to set one side on high, and the other on low, or even off. The objective in positioning the settings this way is to keep one side of the grill relatively cool. The grill should then be covered in order to allow the heat to circulate and keep it inside the grill.

The chicken should be placed skin-side up on the grill’s coolest side, and then turned after one is assured that a good portion of the fat has been rendered. After 20 minutes, or when the skin no longer appears raw and most of its fat has been cooked away, the chicken should be placed on the hot side of the grill. By then, the poultry will be thoroughly cooked, and one must simply brown it on each side in order to serve a perfectly grilled chicken every time.