Chicken fillet can be safely called the favorite food of athletes and all adherents of a healthy diet and lifestyle. Despite the low calorie content, this meat gives strength, restores muscle tissue and improves the functioning of the body. However, lovers of juicy meat usually avoid this part of the chicken, because often it turns out dry and fresh. Today we will tell you how to cook chicken fillet deliciously. Recipes and photos await you below!
Calorie content
Nutritionists note: fillet is the most valuable part in a bird carcass. Just a hundred grams of it contains from 100 to 163 kcal. Calorie content depends on whether it is a poultry or a diet broiler. It is worth saying that 100 grams of chicken contains the daily rate of cobalt.
The composition of the chicken and its benefits
The value of this product lies not only in its low calorie content. The chemical composition of the fillet includes a large amount of magnesium, which is extremely useful for the immune system, strengthens memory and helps to defeat depression and chronic fatigue. In addition, chicken fillet broth is extremely useful for viral and catarrhal diseases, it should be used by people with digestive disorders.
It is also important that light proteins, amino acids, phosphorus, B vitamins, zinc, sulfur, chromium go into the fillet. Regular use of this product can improve the condition of the skin and nails, normalize the metabolic processes taking place in the body. In addition, the normal functioning of the nervous system.
How to choose a filet
Before talking about what can be cooked from chicken, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the rules for choosing chicken.
Firstly, a high-quality fillet should not have any surface defects — blood clots and scratches. Secondly, fresh chicken should keep its shape well. To check, just press the meat with your finger - it must quickly restore its shape. If there is a dent on the fillet, it is better not to buy such a chicken. We recommend paying attention to color - the most delicious is the meat of young chickens, which is distinguished by a light pink color. Adult chickens are characterized by a yellowish color of meat. We recommend sniffing meat as well. Fresh chicken has no sour or putrid odors. When choosing chicken, you should give preference to chilled meat - it better retains its juicy texture. After freezing and thawing the meat will become stiff.
Storage rules
Chilled chicken fillet is best prepared immediately. But if your plans do not include fast cooking, you should store meat in the refrigerator. The best option is to put chicken in a vacuum bag, the size of which is much larger than chicken. Free space should be covered with ice.
Filet should be stored at a temperature of 0 to -4 degrees. It is not recommended to freeze it, but if you can not do without it, you should pay attention to the fact that the shelf life depends on the temperature in the freezer. For example, at a temperature of 5-8 ° C, fillets can be stored for no more than three months. If the temperature in the freezer is from -8 to -14 degrees, you can store the chicken for up to six months. Re-freeze thawed chicken is not worth it - the meat will become hard and dry.
Secrets of making tender fillet
Thinking about how to cook delicious chicken fillet, many housewives are afraid that the meat will turn out to be dry. There are secrets that will allow you to cook juicy and tasty meat. The following culinary details will bring you closer to the heights of culinary excellence:
- Soak the fillet. Chicken meat is different in that it is incredibly tender, and therefore lose moisture very quickly. Experienced cooks say that it is not enough just to rinse the fillet, it is necessary to fill it with warm salted water and leave for 15 minutes.
- Add more oil. It does not matter what kind of oil you use - sunflower, corn, olive, thoroughly grease the chicken fillet with it before frying or baking. This is best done on all sides. Then the fillet remains tender, does not crack during cooking.
- Add spices. They will not only become a fragrant addition to the dish, but also play the role of a protective layer. What is good for chicken? Garlic and curry, thyme and paprika, turmeric and basil. Be sure to use salt and all kinds of pepper.
- Catch the moment. When cooking chicken, it is very important to catch the moment the dishes are ready. Degree can be made higher, and time can be shortened. You will notice how much this will affect the taste of the dish.
- Be patient. Do not rush to cut the fillet or get it out of the foil when you just get it out of the oven or remove it from the heat. It is best to cover it with foil for 5-10 minutes. So the meat will remain soft and juicy.
Broccoli fillet in a creamy tender sauce
Wondering how to cook chicken fillet deliciously? We advise you to recall the famous Chinese admonition: "For health, body and spirit, hide meat in vegetables." In this dish meat is hidden in vegetables very reliably! Cooking does not take much time, all products are quite affordable, and the result is an incredibly tasty dish. For him you will need:
- 400 grams of chicken;
- 500 grams of broccoli;
- 700 milliliters of bechamel sauce;
- one medium-sized carrot;
- 50 grams of cheese (the best option is Parmesan), breadcrumbs and butter;
- to taste you can add salt, tarragon, nutmeg to the dish.
Cooking
Cooking chicken as in the photo is quite simple. You should start with carrots - you need to peel it and cut into neat little cubes. Next, prepare broccoli - rinse thoroughly and divide into small inflorescences. Vegetables should be steamed or in a small amount of water. Do not bring broccoli and carrots to readiness. Rinse the fillet and cut into pieces. Pieces, in turn, should be cut into thin strips. Cook the chicken fillet as follows: put it out in a small amount of oil, mixing well. The meat should turn white, after which it can be salted.
The next step is to prepare the cream of bechamel cream sauce. By the way, cream can be replaced with fat milk. The consistency of the sauce should not differ from the consistency of liquid sour cream. The baking dish should be greased with butter, then put vegetables and fillets in it. Sprinkle the ingredients with tarragon on top - both dried and fresh will do. Then you need to pour all the sauce, sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Butter should be grated or cut into small pieces and spread over the surface of the dish. For baking, you need to put the dish in the oven, heated to two hundred degrees, and leave for 20 minutes. A few minutes before being ready, add cheese.
Mango sauce fillet
If you are considering what to cook with chicken for dinner, pay attention to this recipe. The dish is perfect for diet food. The list of products is as follows:
- chicken fillet - 2 pcs.;
- one mango and avocado;
- half red sweet pepper;
- one small onion (purple is best);
- lime;
- soy sauce - 30-40 milliliters;
- red wine vinegar - a teaspoon;
- mustard - half a teaspoon;
- some olive oil;
- pepper, garlic, salt and parsley - to taste.
Recipe
Before you cook the chicken, you need to prepare the ingredients for the sauce. Mango, pepper, avocado need to be peeled and medium-sized cut. Add the onion. Put everything in a bowl, pour vinegar and juice of the whole lime. The mixture must be refrigerated for an hour. Then you need to chop the garlic, add soy sauce, oil and mustard to it. Fillet should be cut into 4 parts, grate it with garlic mixture and also leave for an hour in the refrigerator. After that, grill the chicken fillet - just 5 minutes on each side is enough. Before serving, add salsa sauce to the finished chicken.
Fillet with vegetables and hummus
How to cook chicken in the oven to surprise family and guests? We know the answer to this question! Try making a crispy chicken with vegetables. To do this, you will need the following products:
- chicken fillet - 4 pcs.;
- one zucchini;
- bulb of medium size (white or purple);
- hummus - 200 grams;
- two small lemons;
- olive oil - enough tablespoon;
- ground paprika - one teaspoon without a slide is enough.
Cooking method
When you have decided what to cook from chicken, according to the recipe you need to start by taking out chicken from the refrigerator an hour before cooking. While the oven is warming up to 210 degrees, you need to grease a baking sheet or baking dish with oil. Vegetables should be cut into small slices, add spices and olive oil to them, then mix well. The chicken needs to be washed, if desired, it can be soaked for 15 minutes, however, after that you will have to wipe the fillet with a cloth, the surface of the meat should not be wet. Vegetables should be put in the form, fillet on top. It is necessary to spread the meat with hummus, pour over lemon juice and sprinkle with paprika. Bake the dish for no more than 30 minutes.
Fillet with chickpeas and tomatoes
Do you think that to cook chicken fillet so that it is not only tasty, but also healthy? We bring to your attention a complicated, but incredibly interesting recipe. It needs the following products:
- chicken fillet - 4 pcs.;
- chickpeas - one glass is enough;
- cherry tomatoes - 20 pcs.;
- oil (olive or corn) - 3 tablespoons;
- basil - a small bunch;
- spices like oregano, thyme, ground pepper and salt should be added to taste.
Cooking step by step
Chickpeas should be prepared in advance. It’s best to soak it overnight for at least 10 hours. So that the water does not acidify, it is worth putting the bowl with chickpeas in the refrigerator. When the chickpeas swell, it needs to be boiled - it should be done for at least 60-90 minutes. When cooking, we recommend adding peas and bay leaves to the chickpeas.
Then you should cook the chicken fillet: it needs to be grated with a mixture of oil and spices, put in a baking dish. Chickpeas should be mixed with cherry cut in two. Tear the basil with your hands, add to the chickpeas and tomatoes, add oil and spices, mix. This mixture must be put in a form around the chicken fillet, season with salt and bake in the oven, heated to 200 degrees. By the way, so that the chickpeas do not dry out, the form can be covered with foil.
Parchment fillet
What to cook from chicken quickly, simply and as tasty as possible? Try making chicken with vegetables in parchment. Such meat will turn out incredibly juicy and tender, especially if you marinate it first. For this, soy sauce, mustard, tomato paste or just a mixture of spices are suitable. The list of ingredients is as follows:
- chicken fillet - 4 pcs.;
- Cherry - 300-400 grams;
- fresh thyme - a few twigs;
- a bunch of fresh chives;
- one onion is best white;
- olive oil;
- white wine (the best option is dry) - enough 50 milliliters.
Cooking
The first thing to do is preheat the oven to two hundred degrees. After this, it is necessary to cut 4 small pieces of parchment (40x40 centimeters). After that, you need to cut the tomatoes into 2 parts, cut the onion into rings. In the middle of each sheet of parchment, you need to lay out the vegetables, then raise the edges and form “boats”. You can even bind the paper with twine. In each such "boat" you need to pour olive oil - a teaspoon, add a sprig of thyme.
Fillet should be grated with salt and pepper, put into parchment tins. Poultry should be poured with wine, oil and put another on a sprig of thyme. "Boats" should be closed, put on a baking sheet. Bake chicken fillet no more than 25 minutes. Serve the finished dish immediately!
Cheese rolls
Wondering how to cook chicken in a pan? Try to cook a bird with feta cheese. For him we need:
- fillet - 4 pcs.;
- feta - 100 grams;
- chicken broth without salt and spices and dry white wine - 100 milliliters each;
- small lemons - 2 pcs.;
- garlic - enough three cloves;
- lemon zest - half a teaspoon;
- any vegetable oil - a couple of tablespoons;
- oregano to taste.
Roll recipe
First you need to cut two pieces of cling film, about 30x30 centimeters in size. Between them you need to place one piece of fillet. Then you should beat off the meat thoroughly (you should start from the center). The result should be a very thin layer of meat. It must be greased with cheese, sprinkled with oregano, zest and garlic. Then the bird should be rolled into a roll. The same steps must be repeated with other pieces of chicken. In a pan, you need to heat the oil, fry the rolls in it until cooked, then put them on a plate. In the same pan, you need to mix the broth, lemon juice, wine. When the sauce boils, the fire must be reduced, continue to simmer another 5 minutes. Before serving, you need to cut the rolls into small pieces and pour over the sauce. Put lemon slices on top.