How to Eat Chicken

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Updated: April 26, 2019 | References

Chicken is enjoyed all over the world as a healthy and delicious source of protein. Chicken can be cooked in a variety of ways, including roasting, deep-frying, or sautéing. Once the chicken is cooked, serve it with traditional Southern sides or healthy roasted vegetables. You can eat fried or roasted chicken with your fingers. However, boneless chicken is usually eaten with a fork and knife.

Method One of Three:
Being Polite While Eating

  1. 1
    Eat chicken with utensils. Usually, sautéed or boneless chicken is eaten with a fork and knife. Use the knife to cut the meat into smaller, bite-sized pieces. If you’re eating chicken with bones in it, use the knife to hold the chicken in place while you pull the meat off with the fork.
    • Americans usually hold their knife in their right hand and fork in the left while cutting food. To eat it, they move the fork to their right hand.
    • European diners usually hold their fork in their right hand and the knife in their left.[1]
  2. 2
    Use your fingers to eat chicken. In most cases, fried and roasted chicken can be politely eaten with your fingers. To do so, pick the chicken up with both hands and take a modest bite.
    • Avoid sucking the chicken off the bone or licking your fingers in public. This is seen as rude and unsanitary.[2]
  3. 3
    Follow the lead of your host. If you’re being served chicken and you’re not sure how to eat it, watch your host. If they use their fingers to eat the chicken, you can do so as well. However, if they choose to use a knife and fork, follow their lead.[3] If you don’t, you may unintentionally offend someone.

Method Two of Three:
Cooking Chicken

  1. 1
    Roast a whole chicken. First, rub the chicken with a seasoning blend. Next, cook the chicken in the oven at 450 degrees Fahrenheit (232 degrees Celsius) for about an hour. Use a cooking thermometer to check the temperature of the chicken. When the thickest part reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit (75 degrees Celsius), the chicken is done cooking.
    • Standard chicken seasoning includes 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 crushed garlic clove, a tablespoon of salt, and a tablespoon of pepper.
    • For an aromatic roasted chicken, create a seasoning by combining tablespoons of celery flakes, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.[4]
    • Create an herbal seasoning mix from ¼ cup chopped mint, ¼ cup chopped parsley, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground pepper, and the juice from a lemon.[5]
  2. 2
    Make deep-fried chicken. This method works best for pieces of chicken rather than a whole chicken. First, dredge the chicken in a seasoned flour mixture and buttermilk to cover it in batter. Next, heat the oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) and cook the chicken until it has an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius.) To season the flour:
    • Create a basic seasoning mixture from 1 ½ tablespoons of garlic salt, 1 tablespoon of pepper, 1 tablespoon of paprika, and ½ a tablespoon of poultry seasoning.[6]
    • To create a Cajun seasoning blend, combine 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper, ½ a teaspoon of cayenne, ¼ teaspoon of pepper, and 5 dashes of Louisiana hot sauce.[7]
    • Add ¼ tablespoon of cayenne to any seasoning blend to give it a spicy kick.[8]
  3. 3
    Sautée boneless chicken breasts or thighs. First, heat some oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Next, add the chicken and cook it until you can’t see any pink. If you’re cooking large pieces of chicken, use a cooking thermometer to measure the thickest parts of the chicken. It should reach an internal temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit (82 degrees Celsius.)[9]
    • Serve sautéed chicken with cooked vegetables for a nutritious meal.
    • Add sautéed chicken to any pasta dish.
    • Mix the cooked chicken with a can of cream of mushroom soup and serve it over rice.

Method Three of Three:
Serving Chicken

  1. 1
    Serve chicken as a main course. Once your chicken is cooked, serve it with a variety of sides. For example, serve fried chicken with barbecue sauce and coleslaw for a savory meal. Other examples of sides include:
    • Healthy roasted vegetables such as roasted potatoes, carrots, and green beans[10]
    • Traditional Southern fried chicken sides, such as mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and collard greens
    • A small garden salad topped with your favorite dressing
    • A small side of leftover fried rice
  2. 2
    Make a chicken sandwich. This method is great for both leftover and freshly cooked chicken breast. First, toast a sandwich bun with some butter. Next, place the chicken breast on the bun and add whatever toppings you’d like. For example:
    • For a “chicken burger,” add tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, and mustard.
    • Top the chicken with coleslaw for a tangy kick.
    • Slather fried chicken breast in barbecue sauce and top it with pickles to make a chicken barbecue sandwich.
  3. 3
    Make creamy chicken salads. This is a great way to use leftover chicken. First, remove any bones or chicken skin from the leftover chicken. Next, add some seasonings and mayonnaise. Serve the chicken with some fresh lettuce or on toasted wheat bread. To make a sweet, tangy chicken salad, combine:
    • About two cups of diced leftover chicken
    • 1 stalk of celery, diced
    • 1.5 teaspoons of chopped fresh dill
    • 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
    • 1 cup of mayo
    • 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
    • 2 teaspoons of kosher salt[11]
  4. 4
    Add chicken to pastas. This method works best with bite-sized pieces of sautéed chicken. Sautéed chicken can be stirred into any pasta to add flavor and protein to the dish. For example:
    • Add chicken to Alfredo pasta.
    • Stir a cup of cooked chicken into your favorite pasta sauce recipe.
    • Add chopped chicken, olives, and olive oil to cooked bowtie pasta to create a pasta salad.

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About This Article

Co-Authored By:
wikiHow Staff Editor
13 votes - 77%
Co-authors: 44
Updated: April 26, 2019
Views: 48,469
Categories: Eating Techniques
Article Summary

To eat chicken that's been sautéed or that's boneless, use a fork and knife. Hold the chicken down with the fork and use the knife to cut it into bite-size pieces. If you're eating fried chicken or chicken wings, you can use your hands to eat it. If you do use your hands, avoid licking your fingers in public, which is considered rude. If you're ever in doubt, just look around and see how everyone else is eating their chicken.

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