The Chicken Breast Hack You Didn't Even Know You Needed
If you have ever prepared a chicken breast yourself, then you know it can be a little bit icky to handle and cook. Luckily, there is a new TikTok user, Raising Krazies, with one of the best chicken breast hacks you didn't know you needed (via TikTok).
Her incredibly easy trick is all about removing those tough white parts along the breast, which are tendons. All you need is an ordinary fork and a paper towel, too. That means no extra or special kitchen utensils are required. The best part is with her technique, you can remove the entire tendon in one pass, and we like anything that's that easy (via Insider).
The simple technique for removing the chicken breast tendon has become so popular, it has received nearly 4 million views on TikTok. More than 662,000 people have liked the video, too. Given the quick trick was shared on the social media platform, it is certainly easy to pass it on to anyone you think it might come in handy for.
How to remove the tendon with the chicken breast hack
To actually use the hack, all you have to do is insert the prongs of the fort at one end of the chicken breast. The prongs should also rest along either side of the white tendon. Next, use the paper towel to grip the tendon well and simply pull it. The entire piece of tissue should slip right out of the chicken breast without too much trouble.
"I don't know if maybe I'm just late to the game, but I learned that if you take a fork, you slip the tendon into the middle of the fork. You grab the tendon and you just push down. You can pull the whole thing out!" she explains in the viral video.
One of the best things about this unique technique for removing the chicken breast tendon is that it keeps the breast from being torn or having to cut it apart. Removing the tendon altogether also keeps the chicken breast from being tough when you are eating it post-prep (via Our Everyday Life).
More chicken hacks that will make life easier
When it comes to some dishes, the way the chicken is prepared or cut is key to success and enjoyment. Meals that require careful preparation are fajita chicken, as well as stir fry chicken. For these meals to come together, chicken is usually cut into very thin strips, but as anyone who has attempted this knows, the task can prove quite difficult. One way to get the strips super thin is to freeze the chicken slightly before cutting it. This will make the chicken firmer, which also makes it easier to cut into such thin strips (via All Recipes).
Another one of our favorite hacks is for turning wings into boneless wings with ease. The key to pulling this off (pun intended) is to find the small bone first. Once you have the end of it and can wiggle it out, do the same with the large bone. It might take some twisting and pulling to get them both out. But, the extra effort will pay off when you are eating easy, boneless wings. Yum!
Other useful hacks for preparing chicken
Whether you cut a whole chicken yourself or choose to buy it prepared, there are tons of other useful hacks for cooking and preparing chicken. One that we particularly love is using a hand mixer to shred chicken. It makes the chore so much faster and easier than shredding chicken by hand (via Buzzfeed).
Employing a few tips while seasoning can help make chicken all the better too. Ingredients like salt help keep chicken moist while it's cooking, but yogurt tenderizes the meat, too. Throw in your favorite herbs, and your chicken will be good to go. Chicken poached in milk is another way to make it incredibly tender.
There are certainly ways to spruce up roasted chicken, too. For beautifully golden and crisp skin, slather the chicken in mayo before setting it in the oven. A whole chicken will also cook a lot faster if you remove the backbone and lay the chicken flat on a rack.
No matter what kind of chicken you prefer, or how you enjoy cooking it most, there are tons of shortcuts to explore and road test in your own kitchen. Whether it is a "why didn't I think of that?" hack, or a new method for tenderizing or keeping moisture in the meat, it's worth giving it a try. Who knows? Your chicken game may be forever changed.