Chicken Help! - Yada, Yada, Yada

Mommy2DJ · 11-29-06, 07:59 AM

D.J. only likes chicken fried. Im soo sick of frying chicken. Plus its not good for you to eat so much fried food. I try cooking my chicken in the oven. No matter what recipe i use it turns out dry and rubbery. I put water in my pan, but that doesnt help. I can shake and bake my chicken fine and he likes that too. HELP!

Whitney · 11-29-06, 08:05 AM

Have you thought about using chicken broth instead of water? That helps keep chicken moist. If you grill chicken it shouldn't be too dried out, unless you over cook. To moisten dried chicken, wrap the chicken in some foil and pour a little chicken broth over the chicken and put in the oven to warm for a little while. The chicken will absorb the broth and will make it juicy again.

I know what you mean about fried chicken. Hailey will only eat nuggets, I can't get her to eat fried chicken and definitely can't get her to eat off the bone... I'm getting tired of feeding her chicken nuggets, hot dogs or corn dogs... my poor kid needs to branch out some.

*Mommy2Clay* · 11-29-06, 08:34 AM

I'm so glad mine is not the only one this way. Clay loves chicken nuggets (just not from McDonald's), turkey dogs, hamburger, corn dogs. I'm going to try chicken coated in croutons that I put in the food processor today.

mom2hungryjack · 11-29-06, 10:04 AM

Have you tried grilling or roasting chicken thighs and/or drumsticks? The dark meat stays much more tender and doesn't dry out like white meat. It's so good if you have a grill and just brush it with some oil and grill it on indirect heat for 1 hr and then brush it with BBQ sauce for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Yum Yum! My DS loves it!!

I also just tried chicken dijonnaise last night. It turned out really good and tender. Just melt 3 tbs of butter in a pan and fry up chicken breast pieces for 3 minutes. Take them out and mix 2tbs of flour into the drippings for 1 minute. Then mix in 1 cup chicken broth (or white wine), 1/2 cup light cream, and 1-2 tbs of dijon mustard. Put the chicken pieces back in the sauce and simmer for at least 10 minutes or longer. I let mine cook for an hour on low heat and the chicken just fell apart and the sauce was SO good.
Hope you get some more good ideas!
~Cara

Mommy2DJ · 11-29-06, 10:09 AM

Thank you ladie.. lol im such a dork.. its my DH that likes friend chicken lol not D.J. see that what happens when you use initals for your child lol!. D.J. will only eat nuggets so i guess i wasnt to far off. I am going to try grilling it. Thank you SOOO much to all of your help!

Pickles · 11-29-06, 10:13 AM

I always use our Foreman grill for chicken and it's pretty moist.

sabrina · 11-29-06, 12:44 PM

When we had chicken we would either grill it or cut it up and put it in stir fry or chicken helper. But we dont buy chicken anymore because of how expensive it is. We now buy turkey breast cutlets which are just as good as chicken. We grill that as well.

mom2hungryjack · 11-29-06, 02:24 PM

I know, why is chicken so expensive?? It's cheaper to buy steak sometimes. I always stock up when chicken breasts go on sale. And the whole birds don't seem too expensive compared to the breasts.

sabrina · 11-29-06, 03:08 PM

Yeah when chicken was on sale we would always stock up on it just because you never know when it is going to be on sale again. My husband went to the commissary on base one morning since we buy our meat out there and they had turkey on sale. Every time he picked up a ground turkey or anything else like that the lady would give him a dollar off coupon. Ground turkey is only $1.83 out there so we got it for $.83 and then turkey cutlets are $2.91 so we got them a dollar off as well.

surfer rosa · 11-29-06, 04:18 PM

What about oven fried chicken?

Crispy Oven Fried Chicken - serves 6

12 pieces chicken, about 3 1/2 pounds skinned; all visible fat removed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tsp ground ginger, or to taste
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp paprika
4 cups wheat-flake cereal, lightly crushed

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Rinse the chicken and pat it dry.

Combine oil, salt, ginger, garlic, and paprika in a small bowl. Place cereal in a pie plate or on a piece of foil.

Brush each piece of chicken on both sides with oil mixture, then dip in cereal crumbs, pressing lightly to get an even coating on all sides.

Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until chicken is golden brown and tender.

Timing will vary according to the thickness of the chicken pieces.

Mommy2DJ · 11-29-06, 04:24 PM

I've tried chicken like that before. But mine turns out either rubbery or dry

surfer rosa · 11-29-06, 04:25 PM

Have you ever tried brining a whole bird?

Brining makes your poultry so succulent and delightful, that it is hard to be satisfied with anything else again. At least that's how it is around here.

Here's my recipe for a basic brine. I recommend the briefest possible time spent in the brining solution the first time you try it. There is no way to "unbrine" meat, so better to err on the side of caution until you know what you really like.

Poultry Brining Solution:

Use for chicken, pheasant, turkey, duck, whatever fowl you want to prepare. This recipe is for 4-5 pounds of meat. Double, triple, whatever as needed. I usually make a double recipe and reserve the extra in an airtight container for future use. You can also add slightly crushed whole garlic cloves to the brine (after it has cooked).

3/4 c. salt (coarse kosher or sea salt)
3/4 c. sugar (or Splenda or other sugar substitute)
1 c. boiling H2O
1 gallon cold H2O

Mix salt/sugar with boilng water. Stir until pretty much dissolved. Add to cold H2O and refridgerate. Add poultry and let brine 2-6 hours. 6-12 for turkey.
Rinse thoroughly before cooking. DO NOT add poultry to hot or even warm brine. Everything should be refrigerator cold before beginning.

DO NOT ADD ANY MORE SALT TO THE MEAT!!! But feel free to add herbs or other spices.

I roast a whole chicken or turkey breast nearly every week. It makes a great dinner entree and then you can use the leftovers for salads, quesadillas, pizza, pasta, soups, and so forth.

Mommy2DJ · 11-29-06, 04:52 PM

yummm that sounds good. I will try it that way!

chiligirl · 11-30-06, 10:20 AM

I love roasting the whole bird & have gotten very positive feedback from the fam & friends. I usually rub it down with whatever herbs sound good & stick it in the oven (Pre-heated) at 365' F for two hours. I will usually take it out at an hour to spray it down with some garlice oil &/or lemon juice.

jds2864 · 11-30-06, 10:53 AM

Carsons Chicken

1- 10 1/2 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
1- 10 1/2 oz. can cream of chicken soup
1- 10 1/2 oz. can cream of celery soup
1 cup white cooking wine
4 to 5 skinless chicken breasts

Adobo Seasoned rice for the side.

Place skinless chicken in a baking pan and set aside.
Heat oven to 350.
Place remaining ingredients in a pot over medium heat, mixing thoroughly until hot. Be careful not to burn. Then, pour soup mixture over chicken, cover, and bake in the oven for about an hour.
Serve sauce over cooked white rice that was seasoned with a couple tablespoons of Adobo seasoning.

11-29-06, 07:59 AM	#1 (permalink)
Mommy2DJ is going to be even hotter very soon! Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 43,200 Thanks: 268 Thanked 582 Times in 522 Posts My Mood:	Chicken Help! D.J. only likes chicken fried. Im soo sick of frying chicken. Plus its not good for you to eat so much fried food. I try cooking my chicken in the oven. No matter what recipe i use it turns out dry and rubbery. I put water in my pan, but that doesnt help. I can shake and bake my chicken fine and he likes that too. HELP! __________________ One of your Supermods!

11-29-06, 08:05 AM	#2
Whitney Shit If I Know Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 10,398 Blog Entries: 2 Thanks: 255 Thanked 258 Times in 245 Posts My Mood:	Re: Chicken Help! Have you thought about using chicken broth instead of water? That helps keep chicken moist. If you grill chicken it shouldn't be too dried out, unless you over cook. To moisten dried chicken, wrap the chicken in some foil and pour a little chicken broth over the chicken and put in the oven to warm for a little while. The chicken will absorb the broth and will make it juicy again. I know what you mean about fried chicken. Hailey will only eat nuggets, I can't get her to eat fried chicken and definitely can't get her to eat off the bone... I'm getting tired of feeding her chicken nuggets, hot dogs or corn dogs... my poor kid needs to branch out some. __________________ *It took me becoming a mother to learn what true love really is.* http://www.myspace.com/its_me_whitters

11-29-06, 08:34 AM	#3
Mommy2Clay I don't like talking about my flair Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: GA Posts: 2,220 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Chicken Help! I'm so glad mine is not the only one this way. Clay loves chicken nuggets (just not from McDonald's), turkey dogs, hamburger, corn dogs. I'm going to try chicken coated in croutons that I put in the food processor today. __________________ *Rebecca*

11-29-06, 10:04 AM	#4
mom2hungryjack Finally KNOCKED UP!!! Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 8,986 Thanks: 164 Thanked 75 Times in 73 Posts	Re: Chicken Help! Have you tried grilling or roasting chicken thighs and/or drumsticks? The dark meat stays much more tender and doesn't dry out like white meat. It's so good if you have a grill and just brush it with some oil and grill it on indirect heat for 1 hr and then brush it with BBQ sauce for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Yum Yum! My DS loves it!! I also just tried chicken dijonnaise last night. It turned out really good and tender. Just melt 3 tbs of butter in a pan and fry up chicken breast pieces for 3 minutes. Take them out and mix 2tbs of flour into the drippings for 1 minute. Then mix in 1 cup chicken broth (or white wine), 1/2 cup light cream, and 1-2 tbs of dijon mustard. Put the chicken pieces back in the sauce and simmer for at least 10 minutes or longer. I let mine cook for an hour on low heat and the chicken just fell apart and the sauce was SO good. Hope you get some more good ideas! ~Cara __________________ Cara ~ Mommy to Jack and my Little Diva Lucy Crane Photography

11-29-06, 10:09 AM	#5
Mommy2DJ is going to be even hotter very soon! Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 43,200 Thanks: 268 Thanked 582 Times in 522 Posts My Mood:	Re: Chicken Help! Thank you ladie.. lol im such a dork.. its my DH that likes friend chicken lol not D.J. see that what happens when you use initals for your child lol!. D.J. will only eat nuggets so i guess i wasnt to far off. I am going to try grilling it. Thank you SOOO much to all of your help! __________________ One of your Supermods!

11-29-06, 10:13 AM	#6
Pickles Yada, Yada, Yada Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 5,698 Thanks: 31 Thanked 173 Times in 123 Posts My Mood:	Re: Chicken Help! I always use our Foreman grill for chicken and it's pretty moist. __________________

11-29-06, 12:44 PM	#7
sabrina Yada, Yada, Yada Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 7,119 Thanks: 2 Thanked 32 Times in 32 Posts	Re: Chicken Help! When we had chicken we would either grill it or cut it up and put it in stir fry or chicken helper. But we dont buy chicken anymore because of how expensive it is. We now buy turkey breast cutlets which are just as good as chicken. We grill that as well. __________________

11-29-06, 02:24 PM	#8
mom2hungryjack Finally KNOCKED UP!!! Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 8,986 Thanks: 164 Thanked 75 Times in 73 Posts	Re: Chicken Help! I know, why is chicken so expensive?? It's cheaper to buy steak sometimes. I always stock up when chicken breasts go on sale. And the whole birds don't seem too expensive compared to the breasts. __________________ Cara ~ Mommy to Jack and my Little Diva Lucy Crane Photography

11-29-06, 03:08 PM	#9
sabrina Yada, Yada, Yada Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 7,119 Thanks: 2 Thanked 32 Times in 32 Posts	Re: Chicken Help! Yeah when chicken was on sale we would always stock up on it just because you never know when it is going to be on sale again. My husband went to the commissary on base one morning since we buy our meat out there and they had turkey on sale. Every time he picked up a ground turkey or anything else like that the lady would give him a dollar off coupon. Ground turkey is only $1.83 out there so we got it for $.83 and then turkey cutlets are $2.91 so we got them a dollar off as well. __________________

11-29-06, 04:18 PM	#10
surfer rosa Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: lone star state of mind Posts: 165 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Chicken Help! What about oven fried chicken? Crispy Oven Fried Chicken - serves 6 12 pieces chicken, about 3 1/2 pounds skinned; all visible fat removed 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/4 tsp salt (optional) Freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 tsp ground ginger, or to taste 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 tsp paprika 4 cups wheat-flake cereal, lightly crushed Preheat your oven to 350 F. Rinse the chicken and pat it dry. Combine oil, salt, ginger, garlic, and paprika in a small bowl. Place cereal in a pie plate or on a piece of foil. Brush each piece of chicken on both sides with oil mixture, then dip in cereal crumbs, pressing lightly to get an even coating on all sides. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until chicken is golden brown and tender. Timing will vary according to the thickness of the chicken pieces. __________________ We have escaped like a bird out of the fowler's snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. Psalm 124:7

11-29-06, 04:24 PM	#11
Mommy2DJ is going to be even hotter very soon! Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 43,200 Thanks: 268 Thanked 582 Times in 522 Posts My Mood:	Re: Chicken Help! I've tried chicken like that before. But mine turns out either rubbery or dry __________________ One of your Supermods!

11-29-06, 04:25 PM	#12
surfer rosa Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: lone star state of mind Posts: 165 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Chicken Help! Have you ever tried brining a whole bird? Brining makes your poultry so succulent and delightful, that it is hard to be satisfied with anything else again. At least that's how it is around here. Here's my recipe for a basic brine. I recommend the briefest possible time spent in the brining solution the first time you try it. There is no way to "unbrine" meat, so better to err on the side of caution until you know what you really like. Poultry Brining Solution: Use for chicken, pheasant, turkey, duck, whatever fowl you want to prepare. This recipe is for 4-5 pounds of meat. Double, triple, whatever as needed. I usually make a double recipe and reserve the extra in an airtight container for future use. You can also add slightly crushed whole garlic cloves to the brine (after it has cooked). 3/4 c. salt (coarse kosher or sea salt) 3/4 c. sugar (or Splenda or other sugar substitute) 1 c. boiling H2O 1 gallon cold H2O Mix salt/sugar with boilng water. Stir until pretty much dissolved. Add to cold H2O and refridgerate. Add poultry and let brine 2-6 hours. 6-12 for turkey. Rinse thoroughly before cooking. DO NOT add poultry to hot or even warm brine. Everything should be refrigerator cold before beginning. DO NOT ADD ANY MORE SALT TO THE MEAT!!! But feel free to add herbs or other spices. I roast a whole chicken or turkey breast nearly every week. It makes a great dinner entree and then you can use the leftovers for salads, quesadillas, pizza, pasta, soups, and so forth. __________________ We have escaped like a bird out of the fowler's snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. Psalm 124:7

11-29-06, 04:52 PM	#13
Mommy2DJ is going to be even hotter very soon! Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 43,200 Thanks: 268 Thanked 582 Times in 522 Posts My Mood:	Re: Chicken Help! yummm that sounds good. I will try it that way! __________________ One of your Supermods!

11-30-06, 10:20 AM	#14
chiligirl Beauty Queen Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 445 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Chicken Help! I love roasting the whole bird & have gotten very positive feedback from the fam & friends. I usually rub it down with whatever herbs sound good & stick it in the oven (Pre-heated) at 365' F for two hours. I will usually take it out at an hour to spray it down with some garlice oil &/or lemon juice. __________________ :love0072: Peace, Love, & Happiness! Natalie "Diva" Nucci http://www.myspace.com/shamansense Arbonne Int., #16156404 http://shamansense.myarbonne.com

11-30-06, 10:53 AM	#15
jds2864 All this hard work will payoff someday Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 226 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Chicken Help! Carsons Chicken 1- 10 1/2 oz. can cream of mushroom soup 1- 10 1/2 oz. can cream of chicken soup 1- 10 1/2 oz. can cream of celery soup 1 cup white cooking wine 4 to 5 skinless chicken breasts Adobo Seasoned rice for the side. Place skinless chicken in a baking pan and set aside. Heat oven to 350. Place remaining ingredients in a pot over medium heat, mixing thoroughly until hot. Be careful not to burn. Then, pour soup mixture over chicken, cover, and bake in the oven for about an hour. Serve sauce over cooked white rice that was seasoned with a couple tablespoons of Adobo seasoning. __________________ SoMuchOnMyPlate HS Mom of 2 very busy children