Magnolia Chicken proclaimed itself as the “Pambansang Manok” or National Chicken. Did you know? The trademark brand, Magnolia Chicken started way back in 1973, when most of us millennial moms were not yet born. Of course, I first knew about Magnolia through my mother who was an excellent home cook. Now it’s my time to cook for my own family and chicken is my primary choice of meat. Cooking is like a crown passed from one generation to the next.
WATCH: Magnolia Chicken TV Commercial
Over the years, I’ve picked up chicken cooking techniques and tricks. Some from my mother and aunt, others from cooking shows, and these days from the Internet! Here are some Chicken Cooking Tips I’d like to share with you.
Top 5 Chicken Cooking Tips by Mommy Lace
#1 Choose Fresh, Healthy Looking Chicken Meat – you may be attracted by promos like Buy 1 Take 1 whole chicken, but before putting them in your basket – check mo muna. While you can save a few pesos, low quality chicken that’s been frozen for a long time, have traveled long and far, may not be the best for your taste and budget. Low quality chicken meat often come in poor packaging, look rock frozen, and have pale color. They may not last very long once cooked or have weird taste once served.
Magnolia Chicken is:
• Free from anitibitotic promotants
• Rich in Omega-3
• Free from hormones and sterioids
• Grown in stress-free environments
#2 Store Your Chicken Meat Properly – whether you buy your chicken whole or in parts, make sure that they are wrapped and sealed in their own packaging. If in doubt, wash them and transfer to a ziploc bag. Chicken must be stored in the freezer to avoid bacteria growth. If your chicken smells funny, it should not be served and must be discarded.
#3 Prepare Your Chicken Meat for Cooking – are you guilty of taking your chicken meat out of the freezer at the last minute? How about cooking your chicken meat while it’s still frozen or have ice crystals? Thaw your chicken in advance. I am not a food expert but what I do at home is to transfer the chicken meat from the freezer to the chiller or refrigerator the night before I cook it. This makes it easier for me to prepare, cut, and cook the chicken the next day. This also prevents you from thawing the chicken on the sink which may be dangerous for cross contamination.
If you need to marinade your chicken, also do it overnight and use a liter Ziploc bag which is hygienic, saves your marinating sauce, and seals in all the flavors into the chicken meat.
#4 Extend Your Chicken Meat! – buying whole chicken can save you money. Different chicken parts offer different cooking options. Here’s what I do with a whole chicken and how I extend it to more meals:
– Chicken Thighs & Legs (4 pcs.) – Fried Chicken
– Chicken Breast & Back – Tinola, Chicken Chorizo, Pininyahang Manok
– Chicken Wings – I collect them until I have 6 pieces and make honey chicken wings
Of course, if you want to extend more just go for soupy dishes. Leftover chicken from roast chicken can be used for Chicken Sopas, Chicken Macaroni Salad, Chicken Sotanghon, Pancit, and Chicken & Veggie Stir Fry.
#5 Cooking Chicken Evenly – when I was just starting to cook simple things like Fried Chicken and Turbo Chicken, there were times when I was embarrassed at the table when family slice the chicken and see the inside is not yet done. Just imagine. Here are tips to make sure your chicken is done inside and out:
– Follow my tip on thawing chicken in advance
– Get the oil, oven, or broiler to the correct temperature before cooking your chicken in them
– Cook the chicken in low heat, low temperature
– Use a timer, follow the recipe that you’re doing
I hope these tips allow you to enjoy the #PambansangManok even more. Chicken is every budget mom’s best friend, it is easily available, healthy, flexible, and all of us like it!
Do you have Chicken Cooking Tips too? Leave a comment below and share with other mommies!
Mommy Lace is a blogger from the Philippines. She started this blog to share information on pregnancy, breastfeeding, childcare, family, and health.
