How to tenderize chicken: The most popular tips on the internet revealed
Recently, the topic of how to tenderize chicken has soared on major social platforms and food forums. Whether it's home cooking or restaurant fare, tender and juicy chicken is always more popular. This article will combine the popular discussions on the Internet in the past 10 days to compile a scientific and practical guide to chicken tenderization for you.
1. Why does chicken turn into wood?
The main reasons why chicken goes bad include overheating, protein shrinkage, and moisture loss. Here are the common cooking mistakes voted by netizens:
| Cause of error | Proportion |
|---|---|
| Cooking time too long | 42% |
| The heat is too high | 28% |
| Not pickled in advance | 19% |
| Wrong cutting method | 11% |
2. The most popular chicken tenderization method on the Internet
According to the actual measurement data of food bloggers on Douyin, Xiaohongshu and other platforms, the following methods have the best effect:
| method | support rate | Principle |
|---|---|---|
| Baking soda pickling method | 89% | Alkaline substances break down proteins |
| Salt water soaking method | 76% | Osmotic pressure retains moisture |
| Papain pickled | 68% | Natural enzymatic hydrolysis |
| Slow cooking method | 92% | Precise temperature control and water locking |
3. Step-by-step detailed tutorial
1.Baking soda pickling method: Add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to every 500g of chicken, add water and mix well, then refrigerate for 30 minutes, rinse well before cooking.
2.Salt water soaking method: Soaking chicken breasts in 5% concentration salt water (1 liter of water + 50g of salt) for 2 hours can increase the water content by 20%.
3.Knife handling skills: Cut into thin slices (3mm is best) against the grain, and pat the fibrous tissue with the back of the knife.
4. Best treatment options for different parts
| chicken parts | Recommended method | cooking time |
|---|---|---|
| chicken breast | Salt water + slow cooking | 60℃/30 minutes |
| Chicken thigh | Papain pickled | 15 minutes |
| chicken wings | Baking soda + starch batter | Fry at 180℃/4 minutes |
5. Netizens’ measured comparison data
Food blogger @KitchenLab conducted a blind test on the three methods and the results are as follows:
| Tenderness score (10-point scale) | Juiciness | Ease of operation |
|---|---|---|
| Baking soda method: 8.5 points | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ |
| Salt water method: 7.2 points | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★★ |
| Slow cook: 9.3 points | ★★★★★ | ★★☆☆☆ |
6. Advice from professional chefs
1. Control the oil temperature: maintain 180-200℃ when stir-frying, and heat the pot from 160℃ to 180℃ when frying.
2. Add water-retaining agent: add 5g corn starch + 10g egg white per kilogram of meat, the effect is significant
3. Resting principle: After frying, let it rest for 5 minutes before cutting. The juice reflux can increase the tenderness by 15%.
7. Special scene solutions
•Fitness meal chicken breast: 60℃ water bath for 1 hour, then chilled, then quickly fried and colored
•Takeaway merchants batch: Soak in 0.3% compound phosphate solution for 6 hours (in line with food safety standards)
•Family quick dish: Remove the fascia from the chicken thighs and marinate them in yogurt for 20 minutes
Through the systematic analysis of the above methods and data, I believe you have mastered the scientific principles and practical skills of making chicken tender. It is recommended to choose the most suitable method according to your specific needs and enjoy the delicious taste of tender and juicy chicken!
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