How Long Should You Cook a Chicken, and What Is the Healthiest Method?

The amount of time it takes to cook a chicken depends on the size and the method you are using to cook it. Stir-frying is one of the healthiest methods to cook chicken.

You can cook chicken in many different ways, whether that means steaming, roasting, grilling, or frying. This helps kill any germs and improves flavor prior to consumption. However, cooking for too long can break down the chicken’s nutrients and reduce its health effects. 

When it comes to cooking chicken, some methods preserve its nutrients better than others. Here’s more on how long to cook a chicken and the healthiest way to do so.

Bacteria grow rapidly at temperatures from 40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, so if you keep uncooked or raw chicken unrefrigerated or in unsanitary conditions, bacteria can quickly grow on it. Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus,  Listeria monocytogenes, and  Escherichia coli are some of the harmful bacteria found in chicken meat. Eating chicken that contains these bacteria can then lead to illnesses like food poisoning and diarrhea. 

You must handle raw chicken and its juices carefully to prevent bacteria from spreading. Freezing can prevent the bacteria from multiplying and help you store the chicken for longer, but that doesn’t kill the bacteria. Only properly cooking the chicken can destroy the bacteria in the chicken. 

The USDA recommends cooking chicken at a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, measured using a food thermometer. Cooking to this temperature should remove any pink (raw) meat and rubbery texture and kill harmful bacteria.

You can make various chicken recipes with these cooking methods:

1. Steaming, boiling, or poaching
2. Roasting in the oven
3. Stir-frying or sautéing
4. Grilling or barbecuing
5. Simmering or slow cooking in stews, curries, or casseroles
6. Cooking in a microwave oven
7. Frying

These cooking methods will affect color, flavor, and aroma. They will also change its nutritional content. For instance, it can increase the fat concentration by removing water from the meat or because of ingredients you add to the dish add to its fat content. 

Chicken is a great source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. It also has a balanced amount of saturated and unsaturated fats. 

A 100-gram portion of raw chicken contains:

• 172 calories
• 20.8 grams of protein
• 9.25 grams of fat
• 0 grams of carbohydrates, fiber, and sugar
• 11 milligrams of calcium
• 0.74 milligrams of iron
• 25 milligrams of magnesium
• 174 milligrams of phosphorus
• 220 milligrams of potassium
• 63 milligrams of sodium
• 0.8 milligrams of zinc

Chicken also contains minerals like copper, manganese, and selenium, in addition to an array of vitamins like thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folate, betaine, choline, vitamin A, vitamin D, and vitamin E.

Some cooking methods are healthier than others because they don’t affect chicken’s protein and nutrient content. 

Stir-frying is one of the healthiest ways to cook chicken. Stir-fried lean, skinless chicken breast has the lowest fat content and is a great source of a vitamin called niacin. It has high levels of unsaturated (generally good) fats and the lowest levels of saturated (generally bad) fats. Stir-frying also retains a considerable number of nutrients.

Meanwhile, a study showed that boiling and frying don’t affect the protein levels in chicken, but grilling and microwaving may decrease protein. Frying can, on the other hand, increase the fat levels, depending on the oil or fat you use to cook the chicken in. Roasted chicken breasts often have higher protein levels compared to chicken wings and legs cooked using other methods.

Broiling chicken on an open flame or charring it will not be very healthy for you. These methods break down nutrients in chicken and lead to the formation of cancer-causing (carcinogenic) agents. Research shows that marinating chicken before grilling it, though, can help reduce the levels of such harmful compounds. Partially cooking chicken in a microwave before using another cooking method can also lower the levels of these compounds.

The cooking time for chicken depends on the weight, the part of the chicken, and the cooking method used. You can use the following guidelines when cooking chicken:

Whole chicken

A whole chicken weighing 3 to 4 pounds (48 to 64 ounces) requires cooking for 1¼ to 1½ hours at 350 degrees Fahrenheit in the oven if you are roasting it. The same chicken will need 1 to 1¼ hours for slow cooking or grilling. 

Boneless chicken breasts 

Boneless chicken breasts weighing 4 ounces need 20 to 30 minutes to bake or roast in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Slow cooking will take about 25 to 30 minutes, while grilling takes 6 to 8 minutes per side. 

Chicken drumsticks or thighs

A 4- to 8-ounce portion of chicken legs, drumsticks, or thighs needs 35 to 50 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for roasting. They will need about the same amount of time for slow cooking and 8 to 15 minutes per side for grilling.

Chicken Wings

A 2- to 3-ounce serving of chicken wings needs 30 to 40 minutes to roast, 35 to 45 minutes for slow cooking, and 8 to 12 minutes per side for grilling.

Handle chicken with care. Raw chicken is perishable or goes bad quickly. So, store it in the refrigerator at 39.2 degrees Fahrenheit or in the freezer below 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Thaw or defrost a frozen chicken completely before cooking. You can thaw it slowly in your refrigerator or more quickly by pouring warm tap water over it.

Use a cooking thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the chicken by inserting the thermometer in the innermost part of the thigh, wing, or breast. The minimum temperature of cooked chicken should be at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Also, consider stir-frying or pan-frying your chicken instead of frying it in high-fat oil. That will give you proteins without increasing fats in your diet. 

Use low-fat marinades to keep the chicken moist and tender while it is cooking and add healthy flavor to your dish.