Meat Dishes

Chicken Recipes

This article is part of “The Community Issue”, our celebration of what brings us together: Food. We’ll be giving you recipes that you asked for, highlighting some amazing recipes that you’ve shared, exploring what we’ve learned from each other here at KS, and so much more! Join us as we connect with each other through food this month and check out<a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/from-local-to-global-introducing-our-community-issue"> this link</a> for an overview of all our latest stories and recipes from the issue. Don’t forget to follow us on<a href="https://www.instagram.com/kitchenstories_official/" rel="nofollow"> Instagram</a> for behind the scenes, extra community content, and more!

The first thing I noticed were the colors. Which proves again how often we eat with our eyes. But then as I read through the recipe—the poetically named Chicken, Yoghurt, Cucumber, Radishes—I was struck by the attention that the author, dollopsism, paid to each of the few ingredients. But more on that later.

We know dollopsism, as she’s known on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dollopsism/" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a>, from our global community of home cooks. Driven to activity from the first lockdown last year, she’s been sharing her simple, colorful dishes <a href="https://www.dollopsism.org/" rel="nofollow">on her blog</a> and on our app ever since. As to who she is, she’d like to remain anonymous, but did share that she’s a teacher living in the UK who loves to eat well and eat widely. Perhaps her moniker “dollopsism” stems from the word solipsism— or “self centered”? It’s true that many of us were forced into our own company during lockdown and it’s also true that a dollop of this and that ingredient livens up the monotony of both a dish and our current times. We can only sit here and pontificate the meaning—and in the meantime, get stuck into her ‘<a href="https://www.dollopsism.org/" rel="nofollow">recipes from quarantine.”</a>

But what I do know for sure: The recipe wowed everyone at KS who tried it. Our community manager Andreas, chef Hanna, and our photographer Eric were on set to capture—and taste—the recipe. The initial thoughts: “Can a simple dish surprise me?” moved on to, &quot;I love the way each ingredient is treated in the recipe&quot; and ended unanimously in this conclusion: “The marinade was so tasty! I didn&#x27;t know lemon juice could make for such juicy, tender chicken!” “The spicy notes in the chicken are such a good contrast to the yogurt and radishes.&quot; Jenny, our project manager, who was passing by was lucky to pick up a portion. The verdict: “It was soooo good!”

For me, what makes the recipe is the time taken to get the most out of each ingredients:

—The chicken legs are marinated for at least 2 hrs. in a mixture of oil, water, lemon juice, chili and garlic. Once the chicken is seared on high-heat, the marinade helps the outside char and the inside stay juicy. &quot;That smoky, charred note really takes a simple recipe to a new level!,” says Andreas. — The yogurt is mixed with grated cucumber, lemon juice, and salt to create a quick tzatziki, so to speak, and acts as a creamy and fresh base on the plate. — The sharpness of the radishes is tempered by a quick brine made of vinegar, sugar and a little salt. — Salting is done to personal taste, and in each step, creating a rounded finale.

With these few simple tricks, the single ingredients become a whole dish. Take this recipe as your summer tip: Our team loved how fresh it was! The next time, we might serve it with bread, so no “dollops” of yoghurt are left behind.

Chicken, Yoghurt, Cucumber, Radishes.

Do you have a recipe you’d love to share with our global community? May is all about how we can connect—globally and locally—across our international community, because good food unites us all. So <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/faq-lets-talk-profiles-and-uploading-recipes">upload your favorite recipe</a> via our app or website; we can’t wait!

‘dollopsism’ shares a winning summer recipe from her lockdown diaries

Make This Summery Chicken Dish with Minimal Ingredients, Maximum Flavor!

This article is part of “The Community Issue”, our celebration of what brings us together: Food. We’ll be giving you recipes that you asked for, highlighting some amazing recipes that you’ve shared, exploring what we’ve learned from each other here at KS, and so much more! Join us as we connect with each other through food this month and check out <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/from-local-to-global-introducing-our-community-issue">this link</a> for an overview of all our latest stories and recipes from the issue. Don’t forget to follow us on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kitchenstories_official/" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a> for behind the scenes, extra community content, and more!

This month we’re focusing on you, our Kitchen Stories community—giving you the recipes you’re really craving this spring, by going straight to the source! We gave you a choice of five different chicken recipes, you voted, and the winner is... <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/chicken-cordon-bleu-with-creamy-white-asparagus">Chicken cordon bleu</a>! A Swiss (yes, Swiss!) classic which basically takes the idea of a <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/a-global-love-affair-with-crispy-cutlets">schnitzel</a> and one-ups it by filling it first with ham and cheese before coating it in breadcrumbs and frying to melty-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside perfection.

So what is chicken cordon bleu and where does it come from?

Chicken cordon bleu was an early culinary entrant into my life thanks to the convenience of pre-packaged, frozen creations (and chicken kievs, another filled and rolled chicken concoction) that served as an after-school “snack” to tide me over until dinner throughout my high school years. If you aren’t already familiar with it, allow me to elaborate. 

Cordon bleu is French for “blue ribbon” and stems from a specific light blue ribbon worn by the highest order of knighthood in France, L&#x27;Ordre des Chevaliers du Satin-Espirit or the Order of the Holy Spirit. In culinary terms, according to the <a href="https://www.foodtimeline.org/foodmeats.html#cordonbleu" rel="nofollow">Food Timeline</a>, cordon bleu as we know it today is a more recent culinary creation from the 1960s. While something like a cordon bleu almost certainly existed before that time, what we’ve come to know and agree on in its current form is a Swiss recipe that takes a cutlet (veal, pork, chicken, or even beef) wraps it around another meat (typically ham) and cheese, before being rolled, breaded, and fried (or baked).

I cannot claim to be a cordon bleu-making expert (although I did develop this <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/5-ingredient-cordon-bleu-style-chicken-with-green-beans">“cordon bleu-style”</a> recipe), so I turned to our chef Christian to ask, “What does one need to know when making a cordon bleu?” His take? Even if you’re <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/eggplant-cordon-bleu-with-tomato-and-bread-salad">making it with eggplant</a> instead of chicken, make sure you use really nice ham and good cheese. Don’t go for the pre-packaged stuff, instead visit your butcher counter and get nice thick slices of ham and really nice slightly aged gouda or Swiss cheese. Other than that? Just follow <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/chicken-cordon-bleu-with-creamy-white-asparagus">our recipe</a> and you’re golden!

What can you serve with chicken cordon bleu?

When it comes to serving a cordon bleu, there are tons of options you can choose from to round out your meal. Classic choices are simply prepared vegetables, like green beans or mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli or roasted cauliflower. Christian’s take makes a simple, saucy ragout of in season white asparagus, but if you can’t find white asparagus, don’t like it, or want to make this dish when it’s not in season, swap it out for something else—really any veg will do—and enjoy!

Chicken cordon bleu with creamy white asparagus

If you love schnitzel, you need this cordon bleu

Our Recipe for Crispy, Cheesy Chicken Cordon Bleu

How many chicken recipes have you cooked or eaten throughout your life? Probably too many to count, right? As a girl born and raised in China, we tried to make the most of every part of the chicken, which leads to dozens of different ways to cook and serve it. Don&#x27;t get me wrong, I’m into chicken and avoiding food waste, but we don&#x27;t have to be too extreme. Chickens are one of, if not the most, versatile meat in the world. Almost 50 billion chickens are consumed each year, but we can hardly begin to put a number on the many chicken dishes from countries around because nearly every cuisine features this tasty, nutritious, and adaptable ingredient. As home cooks, we’ll always keep creating new chicken dishes because our love for it is just that deep.

Thanks to the mild, savory flavor of its meat, chicken takes well to lots of spices and other flavors imparted in different dishes to reach perfect harmony. From <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/sweet-and-sour-chicken">sweet and sour chicken</a> to <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/chicken-cacciatore">chicken cacciatore</a>, from chicken-studded <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/mexican-chicken-and-rice-casserole">casseroles</a> to simple chicken <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/bavarian-roast-chicken">roasts</a>, it’s amazing to see how well chicken fits within so many different cuisines, cooking methods, and other ingredients. But with this wide variety can come a difficult decision: Which ones are truly worth trying?

We’ve selected 22 of our favorites from around the world, so which one will you make first? Let us know in the comments below!

East African-style coconut chicken

Spicy chicken sandwich with avocado cream

One-pan chicken with zucchini

Chicken malai boti

Grilled chicken piccata

Chicken noodle soup

Chicken and broccoli stir-fry

Mexican chicken and rice casserole

Chicken enchiladas

Chicken fajitas

Easy chicken ramen

Chicken pilaf

Chicken Francese

Chicken Marbella

Piri-piri chicken

Easy sour cherry and balsamic roasted chicken with creamy polenta

Make grilled chicken lettuce wraps with Devan

Toast with chicken and ricotta cream💚

Pollo al Limón

Creamy keto chicken korma

Braised chicken with fennel and apples

Chicken Tamales

Chicken recipes from around the world

22 Recipes That Showcase the Versatility of Chicken

Whatever your personal opinion might be, let’s face it: chicken breast is one of the most popular proteins...However, it’s maybe also the most confusing and wrongly cooked one and has more of a reputation for being healthy than delicious, a status that may have inspired Julia Moskin’s words for <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/25/dining/chicken-francese.html" rel="nofollow">NYT Cooking</a>: “Finding a higher purpose for boneless, skinless chicken breasts is a lifelong mission.” One easy solution is to start shopping for <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/the-only-guide-to-meat-you-ll-ever-need/">skin-on and bone-in chicken breasts</a>, as the skin adds fat which prevents the protein from drying out. But in reality what we encounter more often is boneless and skinless chicken breast (BSCB). Luckily, you are not in this fight alone.

1. Safety first: Is your chicken breast cooked?

I strolled into the test kitchen armed with one question and zero context: “So <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/users/christian">Christian</a>, what is the best way to cook chicken breast?” He didn’t think much before he answered (standard), “Don’t overcook it.” Which brings us to our first point: We are all united in our fear of undercooked or overcooked chicken breast.

The <a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/ad74bb8d-1dab-49c1-b05e-390a74ba7471/Chicken_from_Farm_to_Table.pdf?MOD=AJPERES" rel="nofollow">USDA</a> specifies that the safe internal ‘cooked’ temperature as be 165ºF/70ºC: 4 oz. (approx. 115 g) boneless chicken breast halves should follow these heating rules: - roasting at 350ºF/180ºC for 20 to 30 min. - simmering for 25 to 30 min - grilling for 6 to 8 min. per side

A meat or instant-read thermometer is a great tool to avoid overcooking while erring on the safe side. If you don’t have it, make sure the juice runs clear and not pink. According to J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s book Food Lab, it’s a matter of both temperature and time. As the meat will continue to cook after being removed from heating, if it reaches 150ºF/65ºC internally for around 3 minutes, chicken breast is safe to eat. That means, most of the time, we need to let the chicken rest for approx. 5 to 10 minutes before serving, and the result will be tastier and juicier for it.

If you’re gonna learn one thing from this article, it should be the following: Don’t cook a whole chicken breast without preparing it. No matter if you are frying, grilling or baking your chicken, prepping is essential. Before you begin: let it come to room temperature before cooking, a normal cut needs approx. 20 min.

As for other lean cuts of meat, a dry or wet brine is the least complicated way to help it preserve moisture. There have been disputes about which one is superior. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt suggests that salting and resting your meat is “scientifically proven” to be better than wet brining. And it’s less fussy. If you’re not going to brine or marinate your chicken, please season generously with salt.

How to brine (dry and wet)

However: marinades do impart flavors into the whole chicken breast and can be fast acting. Examples are our <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/chicken-tikka-masala">chicken tikka masala</a>; the curry coconut marinade in this <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/chicken-satay-with-peanut-sauce">satay recipe</a>, or honey-mustard marinade in <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/pan-seared-chicken-in-mustard-sauce">this recipe</a>. Lemon, mustard, honey and yogurt usually work excellently for chicken.

Green goddess buttermilk chicken over salad

For more inspiration, Ruby’s <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/all-the-ways-to-marinate-rub-and-grill-this-summer">marinade and rub guide</a> should be on your to-read list! Both brining and marinating need time, from at least 30 min., up to overnight in the refrigerator. During my research, I also found out <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/users/christian">Christian</a>’s secret marinade: smoked paprika powder, raw sugar, garlic (or garlic powder), lime (juice and zest), thyme, salt and pepper. He recommends letting the chicken sit for 6 hours.

The seemingly easiest way is to pan-fry. If you get it right, your dinner could be only 20 mins away!

The trick is pretty easy: make cutlets. Making any meat cuts turn into schnitzel is pure magic. They are also the savior for weeknight dinners. It essentially involves a few steps before cooking: cutting (similar methodology as<a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/how-to-butterfly/"> butterfly</a> ), <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/how-to-flatten-meat/">pound</a>ing, and optionally breading. If you are a die-hard Schnitzel fan, read <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/users/devan">Devan</a>’s <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/a-global-love-affair-with-crispy-cutlets">research about it and check out its relations around the world.</a>

Tenderizing chicken breasts with a meat-pounder is a great technique for larger cuts (just use the flat side instead of the spiked side), as it leads to even thickness, even cooking, and dredging in flour and/or beaten eggs provides it an extra coating from direct heat—that has the added benefit of becoming a crispy layer too!

Make sure the pan is hot enough. Add neutral-tasting vegetable oil with a high smoke point. Wait until one side is cooked until opaque or even browned before flipping, or up to 3 to 5 minutes depending on the size of the cut. For more juiciness, you can add some butter to baste it. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrpcnb0osM4" rel="nofollow">Gordon Ramsay</a>, for one, will be extremely happy if you baste your chicken breasts—and let’s face it, he could do without another kitchen nightmare. Other ways of ensuring that the chicken breast it cooked through is to transfer it to the oven, or put a lid on the frying pan and continue to cook over heat over low heat, or, to simply let it rest in a foil like a steak.

Chicken marsala with fettuccine

Buttery chicken and tomato pasta

Stuffed chicken breasts, often paired with herbs, greens, cheese, or wrapped in another kind of meat, are another way to get around bland flavor and textures.

Spinach and feta stuffed chicken breasts

Chicken Involtini with dandelion cream cheese filling

Among your countless encounters with chicken breast, I highly recommend you to try stir-fry at least once. It’s the same philosophy as mentioned above for cutlets: A simple tempura will let it absorb more flavor from the sauce and stay juicy. My own marinade for (almost) any Chinese stir-fry chicken recipe is to marinating in starch, soy sauce and Shaoxing wine for just 10 minutes, which will give you a whole different <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/kung-pao-chicken/">Kung Pao Chicken.</a>

Sweet and sour chicken

Compared to pan-frying, oven-baked chicken breasts can serve as an easy, crowd-pleasing main and often bring out juicer results, as long as you follow the prep tricks. For oven-baked chicken breasts, brushing both sides with oil or melted butter will prevent sticking.

Many recipes start with<a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/the-chemical-reaction-that-makes-all-food-taste-better">searing in a pan</a>, which gives a nice brown outer and increases flavor. Then move to the oven for further heating, as this <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/5-ingredient-oven-baked-chicken-breasts-with-lemon-butter-asparagus/">5-ingredient chicken recipe</a>. The same rub and marinating principles go for baked chicken breasts, and remember, to rest them briefly before serving!

Easy baked chicken breasts with tomatoes and herbs

Blackberry-balsamic roasted chicken breasts

Pulled chicken stuffed avocado

The Chicken Nugget to Replace Them All

Do you have a favorite way to cook chicken breasts? Are you still in need of more tips? Let us know in the comment section!

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