Chicken more tender?

[Alisha2011]

Hi,

I usually prepare indian or chinese dishes using pieces of chicken breast, but it's never as tender as the one they serve in restaurants.

Is there any way of making the chicken meat more tender? Maybe some sort of marinade the night before..?

Thanks!!

[Uncle Bob]

Try brining the breast for a couple of hours.....
Be very careful not to over cook....
If that doesn't seem to help, then consider the quality of the raw product you are using...Buy another brand....from another store....etc. HTH

[jennyema]

Chinese restaurants sometimes velvet their chicken before they cook it. It helps keep it more tender.

How to Velvet Chicken

[Snip 13]

With a lot of Indian dishes they marinate the chicken in plain yogurt for a few hours, It makes it very tender.

[EatLoveMove]

I agree with jennyema. However, if you don't have time for that process, simply marinate your chicken in your normal marinade, and add a tablespoon of cornflour to it. Marinade for as long as you can.
Also, a marinade that contains vinegar could help, as it's a natural tenderiser.

[dcSaute]

overdoing (time wise) an acid base marinade will turn meat tough.

[Sjak]

I find skinless chicken thighs are much more juicier for Indian and Chinese dishes..

[jennyema]

Originally Posted by EatLoveMove

I agree with jennyema. However, if you don't have time for that process, simply marinate your chicken in your normal marinade, and add a tablespoon of cornflour to it. Marinade for as long as you can.
Also, a marinade that contains vinegar could help, as it's a natural tenderiser.

Acids toughen meat

Dairy tenderizes.

[Bolas De Fraile]

I have always wondered why beer tenderizes chicken, I learned a few weeks ago its the hops?
The average Indian Restaurant in the UK uses a method of cooking that was developed here called "batch cooking" the gravy is prepared quickly in a wok then the tender precooked meat is added for a few minutes to heat through.
Its far from authentic but for me because the short cooking time the spices are fresher and have more impact.

[EatLoveMove]

Yoghurt doesn't tenderise, it just permeates meat better than some other substances. Eg. Putting plain tandoori seasoning/paste on chicken won't permeate the skin. Hence, add yoghurt.

[Alisha2011]

Originally Posted by Bolas De Fraile

I have always wondered why beer tenderizes chicken, I learned a few weeks ago its the hops?
The average Indian Restaurant in the UK uses a method of cooking that was developed here called "batch cooking" the gravy is prepared quickly in a wok then the tender precooked meat is added for a few minutes to heat through.
Its far from authentic but for me because the short cooking time the spices are fresher and have more impact.

Can you explain better how to use the beer..? Thanks!

[CharlieD]

When cooking breast there is one thing and one only – time you cook it. No amount of marinades is going to help if you overcook it. It cooks really fast and it is very easy to overcook it. You have to be very careful, that’s the secret.

[EatLoveMove]

Heston Blumenthal explains in one of his episodes (not sure which series) the relationships of marinades to chicken. You should search for it on YouTube - its really interesting.

[Bolas De Fraile]

Originally Posted by Alisha2011

Can you explain better how to use the beer..? Thanks!

Alisha I only use it on thighs, wings and legs for the BBQ, I just pour beer over them and leave them to marinade for 24 hrs.

[Alisha2011]

Originally Posted by CharlieD

When cooking breast there is one thing and one only – time you cook it. No amount of marinades is going to help if you overcook it. It cooks really fast and it is very easy to overcook it. You have to be very careful, that’s the secret.

I find this very difficult... the way I cook my indian dishes for example is frying the chicken breast pieces first (just to brown them), and adding my curry base. Then add other ingredientes (tomato, cream..) and let it thicken... all the time the sauce is thickening, the chicken is cooking, and it's very easy to overcook.. shall i take it out while the sauce thickens?

[Snip 13]

Best way to get tender chicken is too buy deboned thigh meat for your Chinese and Indian dishes.

[jennyema]

Originally Posted by EatLoveMove

Yoghurt doesn't tenderise, it just permeates meat better than some other substances. Eg. Putting plain tandoori seasoning/paste on chicken won't permeate the skin. Hence, add yoghurt.

According to world-renowned food scientists, dairy does in fact tenderize protein.

For true tenderizing, use buttermilk or yogurt

Dairy products are, in my opinion, the only marinades that truly tenderize. Hunters have long known to marinate tough game in milk, Indian recipes use yogurt marinades for lamb and tough goat meat, and some southern cooks soak chicken in buttermilk before frying. Buttermilk and yogurt are only mildly acidic, so they don't toughen the way strongly acidic marinades do. It's not quite clear how the tenderizing occurs, but it seems that calcium in dairy products activates enzymes in meat that break down proteins, a process similar to the way that aging tenderizes meat.


Marinades Add Flavor but Don't Always Tenderize - Fine Cooking Recipes, Techniques and Tips

[CharlieD]

Originally Posted by Alisha2011

... shall i take it out while the sauce thickens?

That whould be good idea.

[Claire]

Also be careful not to marinade in yogurt for too long. I've had yogurt quite literally eat the chicken leaving me with inedible mush.

[againuntodust]

Originally Posted by Alisha2011

I find this very difficult... the way I cook my indian dishes for example is frying the chicken breast pieces first (just to brown them), and adding my curry base. Then add other ingredientes (tomato, cream..) and let it thicken... all the time the sauce is thickening, the chicken is cooking, and it's very easy to overcook.. shall i take it out while the sauce thickens?

The way I cook my indian dishes is first cook the chicken, but not all the way through, just til they're white all around. Remove and set aside. Then get your curry gravy going, and add the chicken back in when there's only about 10 minutes left before the gravy is as thick as you like. Take note, I boil that curry gravy intensely with a splatter screen, so if you cook it at a lower heat the chicken may need more than 10 minutes in the sauce.

Also, using bone-in chicken seems to always provide a more moist meat, as well as a more flavorful dish.