The following is not any specific recipe, but rather a jumping off point. A guide to different ways you can cook chicken. {Hint: it’s a lot!!!!} I did not include bone-in chicken, partially because we do not eat it that often and partially because that should be a whole other post.
Shallow Fry (A.K.A. Mommy Chicken)
Slice chicken in half lengthwise so you have two equally-sized pieces. This is sometimes called butterflying or filleting. Go slow and watch your fingers and palm.
For ‘Mommy Chicken,’ I set out 3 shallow bowls, filling them with flour, whisked up eggs with a little water, and breadcrumbs. You can season the flour with garlic powder or whatever sounds good to you. You can use plain or seasoned breadcrumbs, crushed up corn flakes, Ritz crackers, or even panko breadcrumbs.
Dip each chicken breast half in flour, then eggs, then breadcrumbs – set aside on a large plate or baking sheet. Heat up about 1/2 inch or so of oil in a shallow pan or skillet. You want it hot but not boiling. Slowly add 2-3 prepared breasts to the pan and cook them 6-7 minutes per side. The oil will spit and spatter. You can jiggle it around so it doesn’t stick, but there is no need to repeatedly flip the breast. And, obviously, thinner breasts will take less time and mondo breasts will take longer. I always check by cutting one in half to ensure it is cooked thoroughly. No pink!!
Cube (A.K.A. Chicken Bits)
Chicken bits are also shallow fried. I cut a chicken breast into long strips and then into cubes. They have a tendency to puff up a bit as they cook so I err on the smaller side. Once all the meat is cut, I spread the pieces into a single layer on my cutting board and heavily sprinkle black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Lawry’s seasoning salt.
Place in a skillet with about 1/2 inch of pre-heated oil and do not stir. Leave everything alone so it gets nice and crispy, then stir. I never pay attention to how long this process takes. Once things look cooked, I cut the bigger pieces in half with the spatula. Once everything is no longer pink on the inside, I remove the chicken from the pan and drain it on some paper towel before serving.
I use chicken bits most often for salad, but they can also be used for a quick dinner with white rice and your favorite Panda sauce. You can also throw them in this casserole.
A Note About Oil: When frying, you want to choose vegetable oil, peanut oil, or even a combo of oil with some butter (for flavor). This is not the time to use your good olive oil. It can’t handle the heat.
Slice Thinly
Another option is to slice the chicken breasts into thin strips and marinate it. I do this with taco seasoning for chicken and cheddars, but it can work for fajitas or a stir fry.
Place the sliced chicken in a Ziploc with your marinade and let it sit in fridge for an hour or more. When you are ready to cook, heat up your pan. You do not need any oil. Just dump your chicken in the hot pan. The marinade will be enough liquid to cook with. Like the chicken bits above, cut things in half with your spatula to check on the progress. With a hot pan and thin slices, the chicken should cook in a few minutes.
Mom Tip: You can make your own marinade or use a packet. We love the McCormick fajitas seasoning packet but I add 2 TB or so of red wine vinegar. It used to say to do so on the packet, but they removed that verbiage. Trust me – it makes a huge difference. Add it!!
Deep Fry (A.K.A. Daddy Chicken)
Every year we deep fry a turkey and re-use the oil to make 20+ pounds of deep fried chicken strips A.K.A. Daddy Chicken. You can do the same thing on the stove, using a deep pot for the oil, or with a Fry Daddy-type of appliance. Just cut the chicken in to equal sized strips and use the recipe below:
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup buttermilk (or 7/8 cup regular milk topped off with vinegar)
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Soak the chicken in the mixture for up to 4 hours. In the meantime, mix the breading:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
Remove each piece of chicken from the buttermilk mixture and coat thoroughly in breadcrumbs. Set each piece aside on a cutting board or baking sheet. Heat oil up to about 375* (hot. but not crazy boiling) and slowly drop a few pieces of chicken in. Do not let oil overflow.
Cook until golden brown, juices run clear, and NO pink! This is trial and error every time. The first piece is always an experiment to see how long it is going to take. Make extras; they freeze well!
Crockpot
Chicken in the crockpot is my favorite way to go. You just put whole breasts in and a quart of chicken broth. Leave it alone for 7-8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. You can even throw the breasts in 100% frozen!
Sometimes I remove the cooked chicken and make chicken salad, chicken spaghetti, or that chicken, cheese, and yellow rice dish. Sometimes I add veggies while the chicken cooks and make soup.
Crockpot – Dump & Go
Another easy chicken recipe for the crockpot is the dump and go. Simply put a raw chicken breast or two in the crockpot and dump any of the following on top.
- Jar of salsa
- Jar of pineapple salsa and some crushed pineapple
- Jar of pepperoncini (juices and all)
- Frank’s red hot sauce with an equal amount of melted butter
- Favorite BBQ sauce
- Store bought Butter Chicken Sauce
- Jar of pesto
Cook for 7-8 hours on high or 4 hours on low. Easy-peasey!
Poach
Poaching is cooking the chicken breast in a pan on the stove. I don’t do this often as it ends up like crockpot chicken and — to me — that’s easier. You do you – xo
Grill
Stuff
Bake
Baked Nuggies or Strips
I made these chicken nuggets/strips so many times when you guys were little that I thought I’d go nuts! They’re easy, though. Instead of dipping in the classic flour-egg-breadcrumbs, my variation substitutes Ranch dressing thinned out with a little water for the eggs. Very kid-friendly.
Ground Chicken
Ground chicken is a nice change from ground beef and turkey. I like to make chicken burgers and chicken meatballs. You need to add either Parm cheese or breadcrumbs or both because, like turkey, ground chicken is a little too moist.
OK – I’ll try to add more later, but that should give you lots of ways to get started cooking chicken. Luv you!!