The Best Way to Prepare Chicken?

I’m kind of new at this so I’m sure I’m asking a dumb question. And before you make fun of me, yes, I have prepared chicken before just not the healthy way. So any tips? How much do I buy to prepare it for the week? Do I marinate it and if so what in?

I’ve been told coconut oil is the healthiest to cook chicken with in a skillet. Is this true? Is is best to dice it up? I know it’s a lot of questions but I need details! I’m looking to have chicken for both lunch and dinner if that helps. Any tips would be appreciated :slight_smile:

Foreman.

Better yet, Weber.

Cooking on a skillet, on a grill, and in the oven are all fine methods.

Since you mentioned skillet, lets start with that. Preheat the skillet. Use a low temp on a strong element. It will take a few minutes longer, but the meat will be far juicier. Add oil or fat when skillet has heated.

High end extra virgin olive oil, macadamia oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, cocao butter, and plain old butter are all excellent fat choices to cook it in depending on what type of flavor you are trying to impart.

Add the chicken to the skillet and cook each side for several minutes, flipping at least 3 times. The time on each side is determined by how high a heat you have the element set to.

To make sure the chicken is done, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part. 165 degrees fahrenheit is done, 185 for a whole bird.

Here are some cooking times for different portions:

http://www.chicken.ca/DefaultSite/index.aspx?ArticleID=51&lang=en-CA

As for your meal preparation, I suggest you pick two days in the week 3 days apart when you have an hour or two and make 6-8 servings worth in one batch. This will allow you not to have to eat more than 3 day old chicken at most which is about as far as you want to push it anyway.

While you chicken is cooking or roasting, you can wash, chop, and sort out you vegetable intake with those meals or even those days. This way you also never go past 3 days on cut vegetables and the micronutrient value will be the same when you eat it as when you processed it. After about three days these levels start dropping.

Don’t fry things in extra virgin olive oil. Use regular olive oil for frying. EVOO has a lower smoking point and is only supposed to be put on foods after cooking.

“Stubbs chicken marinade” tastes great…and i cook mine off the foreman. I haven’t looked into the nutrition of the marinade…I don’t think that It will make that much of a difference unless you are dieting down for a competition or something…

I had been doing mine on the foremen and recently switched to the oven. I cook it on 350 for 30 minutes or so on foil. By far the easiest during the winter months for me and cleanup is actually easier then the foremen. In the summer I prefer BBQ anytime I can.

I buy my chicken in bulk from a local meat shop, its grain fed and has no hormones added. Free range chicken. The last deal I cut with them was 45lbs for 120$ Boneless and skinless. I wash and bag it myself at about 3 large breasts per bag and freeze it. Each bag lasts around 2-3 days, and I usually come out with about 30 or so bags per batch.

Just to agree with the poster up there, I also prepare and steam broccoli, green beans, peas, potatoes and carrots during the same time which last about 2-3 days aswell.

Buying in bulk is always a better idea much cheaper aswell. I buy my eggs in bulk, my almonds, my frozen fruits (berry mix and strawberries) The only things I buy on a weekly basis are egg whites, spinach, celery, banana’s, kiwi, and milk. I usually spend less then 100 a month on these and under 500 every 3-4 months on bulk items.

Wow! Thanks guys so much for the input. I appreciate it and really needed those tips. I always thought I was supposed to prepare chicken for the whole week and when i was doing that, the chicken was pretty hard to swallow after a few days. Twice a week sounds much better and tastier. Thanks again!

forman, season salt, black pepper, parsley, sea salt.

I’ve been slow cooking mine with a load of red/green/yellow peppers and onions.

I oven cook a whole bunch of breasts at 325 for 20-30 mins depending. I usually check it at 20 mins and if any pink, go another 5 or 10.

I put it all in tupperware and nuke it throughout the week.

If I’m feeling extra motivated, I will marinate it first and then cook. Most of the time I just add some hot sauce or mustard to it when I eat it.

[quote]Peter Orban wrote:

This will allow you not to have to eat more than 3 day old chicken at most which is about as far as you want to push it anyway.
[/quote]

I ate some chicken, beef, and turkey sausage yesterday that I had cooked 8 days prior, and it was fine. I’d say you most meat will last for at least a week. After that, I’d give it a whiff to make sure it’s still edible.

[quote]boyscout wrote:
I’ve been slow cooking mine with a load of red/green/yellow peppers and onions. [/quote]

From frozen or fresh?

I thought boiling was the healthiest way to prepare meat. Do the nutrients get boiled out of the meat or something?

The baking def works best 4 me. I take a thawed breast or two season them w/ creole seasoning, a thick slice of monterrey jack cheese, a couple of Tbl spoons of cream of mushroom wrap the breasts individually in foil throw them in for half an hour @ 375 degrees. No cleanup, just unwrap, put on a plate and eat. Again NO cleanup just throw the used foil away. add a low carb veg and <That is pretty good meal!

[quote]eggers wrote:
Peter Orban wrote:

This will allow you not to have to eat more than 3 day old chicken at most which is about as far as you want to push it anyway.

I ate some chicken, beef, and turkey sausage yesterday that I had cooked 8 days prior, and it was fine. I’d say you most meat will last for at least a week. After that, I’d give it a whiff to make sure it’s still edible. [/quote]

I prefer fresh. Bacteria from after cooking can spread, this is why most recommendations are to eat meat relatively soon. I have eaten week old stuff too, but it is not as palatable as a couple days old.

As for the not cooking with extra virgin olive oil like someone suggested, sure if temps are high, but one the first things I said was cook at a lower temp. Of course turning up the heat on it is bad, but that does not mean all or nothing when using to cook. Learn to cook and you will be fine.

[quote]Peter Orban wrote:
eggers wrote:
Peter Orban wrote:

This will allow you not to have to eat more than 3 day old chicken at most which is about as far as you want to push it anyway.

I ate some chicken, beef, and turkey sausage yesterday that I had cooked 8 days prior, and it was fine. I’d say you most meat will last for at least a week. After that, I’d give it a whiff to make sure it’s still edible.

I prefer fresh. Bacteria from after cooking can spread, this is why most recommendations are to eat meat relatively soon. I have eaten week old stuff too, but it is not as palatable as a couple days old.

[/quote]

It’s also recommended to not eat much red meat or eggs because it will kill you.

Just sayin’.

[quote]msd0060 wrote:
Peter Orban wrote:
eggers wrote:
Peter Orban wrote:

This will allow you not to have to eat more than 3 day old chicken at most which is about as far as you want to push it anyway.

I ate some chicken, beef, and turkey sausage yesterday that I had cooked 8 days prior, and it was fine. I’d say you most meat will last for at least a week. After that, I’d give it a whiff to make sure it’s still edible.

I prefer fresh. Bacteria from after cooking can spread, this is why most recommendations are to eat meat relatively soon. I have eaten week old stuff too, but it is not as palatable as a couple days old.

It’s also recommended to not eat much red meat or eggs because it will kill you.

Just sayin’.[/quote]

Actually, I just read that eating kills you. You guys are fucked!

[quote]Peter Orban wrote:
High end extra virgin olive oil, macadamia oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, cocao butter, and plain old butter are all excellent fat choices to cook it in depending on what type of flavor you are trying to impart.[/quote]

I also have to disagree (as another poster above did) with recommending olive oil to cook with. Others, however, such as the author in the link below, recommend it.

The main point is that, if you’re going for health (which I would hope most people who are reading this site are), you really need to pay attention to the smoke point of whatever oil/fat you are using. At least be aware of it and make the decision for yourself.

Here’s a useful list for the smoke point of pretty much every oil you can think of.

Spectrum brand cooking oils are also very good for this; they list right on the jar what temperature ranges the specific oil is good for.