Successfully cooking chicken in the oven is not always easy. If handled incorrectly, the chicken may be tough, dry or overcooked. It can also be grilled poorly if the skin is very oily. Having said that, to prepare a good roast chicken that everyone can agree on, just one ingredient is enough. Discover the secret to having crispy and tender chicken.

In the kitchen, everyone has their own secrets or tips to make certain dishes successful. This is the case of roast chicken. In fact, to have crispy and tender chicken, it is necessary to use this common ingredient.

What’s the secret to crispy, tender chicken?

But it was the addition of a truly unusual ingredient that really made the difference: baking soda. Good old baking soda  ! Stir 1/2 teaspoon of this product into a mixture of garlic powder and onion powder (paprika and herbes optional) that you mix with the chicken for 1 hour before going into the oven.

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Why does it work? Because baking soda is alkaline, it raises the pH of the chicken’s skin, breaks down peptide bonds, and speeds up the browning process, meaning the wings get browner and crispier faster than they would have on their own. The only problem is that baking soda has a strong, unpleasant flavor when used in large quantities, so be sure to use a maximum of half a teaspoon per chicken.

What are some other tips for having tender, well-browned chicken?

In addition to baking soda, other tips can help you prepare a good roast chicken, just the way we like it.

• Use olive oil for tender chicken

To tenderize the chicken meat,  we recommend using olive oil.  This will prevent the chicken from drying out during cooking. To do this, dip a brush in olive oil and brush the poultry. During cooking, also remember  to grease it regularly with a drizzle of olive oil,  to prevent the pulp from drying out. Do not abuse this fat, so as not to get a very fatty chicken.

• Use flour and butter to brown the chicken

 To make your roast chicken a success, remember to coat it in butter before cooking.  Then sprinkle a little flour over the chicken,  so that the skin  takes on a golden color as it cooks. Note that if you don’t have butter,  you can pour a little milk over the chicken,  before sprinkling in flour. Milk effectively softens poultry meat.

• Baste the chicken well to brown and soften it

The juice that comes out of the chicken will serve not only to tenderize the chicken,  but also to make it brown.  For this reason, it is recommended to regularly bathe the poultry with this juice during cooking. Note that to get this juice, when you put the chicken in the oven,  pour a small glass of broth onto the plate,  with the chicken. When the chicken is finished cooking, avoid basting your poultry, so as to allow the skin to dry well  and become crispy.

Read also: Chicken fillet with mozzarella: a tasty recipe for lunch

• Choose the right oven temperature for successful chicken cooking

To grill chicken without burning it, avoid preheating the oven. After soaking it in lemon juice, then seasoning, place it in the oven, still cold,  then start cooking.  The ideal is to cook the chicken at a gentle temperature of 140°, without the risk of it burning.

Thanks to these tips, cooking chicken will no longer have any secrets for you!

Read also: Roast chicken in a pressure cooker: golden, juicy and delicious. (Recipe to make on Sunday)