The beginners guide to chicken cuts

Always wondering how to pick the right chicken pieces for your special dishes? Every cut is perfect for a specific type of cooking. Read on to know how to choose the perfect chicken cut.

Chicken Breast

• Chicken breast is lean and high in protein.  It contains very little fat and hence tends to be very soft. It is the perfect cut to slice up for stir-fry dishes, marinations, grilling and oven roasts.
• Chicken breasts are known to be a healthy meal option as they have low fat content as compared to other cuts. Chicken breast lowers the fat intake in your body and increases protein acquisition.

Here is a delicious recipe that you can make using chicken breast.

Pesto Chicken Fettucine Recipe

All you need – ½ pack of fettucine, 1 cup olive oil, 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, 3 tbsp. basil pesto, 3 cloves garlic, 1tsp. basil, ½ cup feta cheese

Instructions – In a large pot, boil the pasta. In a medium pan, pour the olive oil and cook the chicken breast. Add the pesto sauce, garlic, basil, feta and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the boiled fettucine and stir for 5mins. Garnish with basil and serve.


Chicken Thigh

• Chicken thighs can be bought as thigh fillets with skin and bone removed, or thigh cutlets, with bone and skin attached. 
• Chicken thigh meat has a higher fat content than chicken breast and therefore is richer in flavor. It is best suited for roasting and grilling.
• The serving of chicken thigh meat provides you with 30 percent of the daily value for vitamins.  A nutrient called taurine, found abundantly in chicken thigh, helps to lower the risk of coronary heart diseases, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Bake yourself a flavourful dish using the recipe below.


Baked Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

All you need – 1 tbsp. cornstarch,1tbsp. cold water, ½ cup sugar, ½ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup cider vinegar, 1 clove garlic, ½ tsp. ground ginger, ¼ tsp. black pepper, 12 skinless chicken thighs.

Instructions – Combine the cornstarch, water, sugar, soy, vinegar, garlic, ginger and black pepper in saucepan. Cook until sauce thickens. Brush the chicken with the sauce and bake the chicken pieces for about 30minutes at 220 degrees C until cooked. Turn the pieces and repeat.

Chicken Drumsticks

• Drumsticks can be glazed, baked and even used in curries. They make for a great quick snack or a flavourful main dish as well.
• Chicken drumsticks are a good source of protein, essencial amino acids, minerals and vitamins.

Cook yourself a nutritious quick snack using the recipe below.

Baked Chicken Drumsticks Recipe

All you need – 5-6 chicken drumsticks, garlic powder, pepper, salt, olive oil and parsley.

Instructions - Coat the drumsticks with pepper, parsley and garlic powder and sprinkle some salt. Sprinkle some oil olive in the bottom of a pan and add the drumsticks. Bake them at 200degree C for half an hour. Turn the drumsticks and bake for another half an hour until cooked on both sides.

Walk-in to your nearest Nature's Basket store to get all the cuts of chicken. To locate your nearest store click http://bit.ly/2llpwU0