8 Mistakes You Might Be Making With Chicken—And What You Should Do Instead

We gathered a panel of poultry pros—including a cookbook author, restaurant owners, a food TV star, and one of our own Test Kitchen experts—to help us pinpoint the most common chicken mistakes home cooks tend to make. Then we asked them to school us on what to do instead so we can all bring our best bird to the table (and feast on our moist, flavor-packed results).

Chicken is the most commonly-consumed animal protein in the U.S. In fact, the average American was expected to eat more than 98 pounds of the popular poultry in 2023, according to USDA estimates.

A portion of these ounces are eaten out, of course, in dishes like the omnipresent fast-food hot chicken sandwiches, takeout chicken teriyaki, bistro chicken Alfredo, and beyond. A fair amount of our chicken breasts, thighs, wings, and legs are also prepared and devoured at home. And since we make and eat chicken so often, chances are high that we have some room for improvement. 

Washing Raw Chicken

Just as we say every Thanksgiving when readers write in to ask us about how to handle turkey, for food safety reasons (and because it’s simply not necessary), please don’t wash that bird. 

“Washing raw chicken causes water droplets to splash off of the chicken—and onto any items in the sink and all over the sink’s surface,” Brekke says. “These bacteria can linger in all of the hard-to-clean areas of the sink, causing potential illnesses. Plus it can spread to foods that are served raw,” like the leafy greens you might have sitting in the salad spinner basket in the other tub of the sink.

Cooking will kill any bacteria present on the protein itself, so you are safe to skip the pre-wash, Brekke adds.

Instead of washing, in many cases, you’re far better off drying the bird. Lyons recommends using a paper towel or two to pat the skin dry if you’re roasting, sautéing, or pan-frying the chicken. This will help 

“The enemy to crispy, golden brown skin is moisture,” Lyons says.

If you’re slow-cooking, grilling, pressure cooking, or using that meat in soups, stews, or sauces, feel free to simply use it as-is, straight from the package. 

Overlooking Different Cuts

Many Americans stick to quick-cooking boneless chicken breasts and chicken breast tenders because they’re easy, affordable, versatile, and are probably what many of our parents made for quick family dinners when we were kids. 

We’re firm believers that flavorful chicken breast recipes do exist, however, we’re big fans of various chicken cuts.

“Different cuts of chicken have different flavors, textures, and purposes in cooking. Choosing the appropriate cut for the recipe and type of cuisine is important,” Segneri says. “You can diversify your normal cooking routine by changing up the cut.”

One of the easiest variations to consider: Try swapping out chicken breasts for chicken thighs in your favorite recipes, Brekke suggests. Chicken thighs have a higher fat content. As a result, thighs are more flavorful and juicy when cooked. Bonus: They also tend to be more affordable than chicken breasts, Brekke adds.

You can acquire thighs bone-in or boneless. Also consider chicken wings, chicken legs, and chicken quarters. Oh yes, and we can’t overlook the OG: whole chicken recipes. As you explore the wide world of chicken, we’ll coach you through how long to cook chicken, whether it’s whole or in pieces.

Forgetting to Season

The most common complaint we hear from home cooks about chicken is that it errs on the boring or bland side. There’s a simple solution: Season the bird!

“The magic of chicken is that it can be a culinary blank canvas, but when under-seasoned—or worse yet, not seasoned—you can end up with a blah dinner. Make sure you evenly season all sides of your chicken pieces, or marinate your chicken, before cooking,” Brekke says.

Salt and pepper is a solid start for seasoning. Or give your chicken a glow-up with one of these rub recipes.

As far as marinades go, Jawad swears by these easy marinades for meal prep, and we have 11 more marinade recipe ideas hanging out for you here. 

You actually don’t need a recipe, though. Once you have Garces’ guide to making marinades, you can let your creative juices flow. The secret formula: 

• 3 parts fat, such as olive oil, sesame oil, or avocado oil
• 1 part acid, like wine, vinegar, or citrus
• 1 part flavor-booster, such as herbs or spices

Trying to Cook Protein That’s Uneven in Thickness

Chicken breasts, especially ones purchased from the meat counter at most supermarkets, tend to have a tapered shape with a thick rounded end on one side and a thin pointy side on the other. If you take these directly from package to pan (or grill, oven, etc.), “the thin end will inevitably overcook into a piece of leather before the thicker end reaches a safe temperature of 165°F,” Brekke confirms.

For more consistent cooking, try to select chicken breasts with an even thickness. Whether you ordered grocery delivery, purchased frozen chicken breasts, or simply had no other options, you can “rescue” uneven chicken breasts easily. Either use a meat mallet to pound the breasts to an even thickness (our Lemon Butter Chicken recipe explains how), or use a knife to butterfly the chicken breasts (as we do for these Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Vegetable Rice.) 

Sticking to Just a Single Cooking Method

“The same old chicken recipe can get boring very fast, so try to experiment with various cooking techniques to discover new flavors and textures in your dishes,” Segneri advises. “Trying out various techniques like grilling, roasting, braising, smoking, and more can change up the flavor of your chicken and lend some unique flare to your meals.”

You can let your cut be your guide: Braising, smoking, slow cooking, and pressure cooking are ideal for thighs and drumsticks. Chicken breasts do best sautéed, grilled, and fried (or air-fried), Lyons adds.

Overcooking the Bird

Garces, who in addition to being a restaurant owner happens to be an Iron Chef, verifies that one of the most common chicken mistakes boils down to the temperature. 

“It’s important to ensure that the interior of the chicken reaches 165° F to limit the risk of food-borne illness. But some people take that concern too far and overcook the chicken, causing it to be dry and tough,” Garces says. 

The best Rx: Use a meat thermometer, aiming to remove the poultry from the heat when it reaches 165° F. (No thermometer handy? Try one of these three alternative methods for how to test meat for doneness.)

Slicing, Shredding, or Serving it Immediately 

You’re so close to mastering all of our chicken mistake solutions, so now is not the time to take a shortcut by rushing your chicken to the table. Instead, allow the chicken to rest 5 to 10 minutes (for pieces) or 15 to 20 minutes (for a whole chicken) to allow the juices time to recirculate through the meat, Garces says, rather than streaming out onto your cutting board.

“Letting it rest before slicing will result in the juciest and most tender chicken,” Jawad confirms.

Letting Leftovers Go to Waste

Lucky enough to have leftovers? You need not eat them exactly the same way for round two. Garces is a big fan of creamy chicken salads, and Segneri swears by remixing his meat into wraps, soups, and stews. 

If your initial chicken recipe was bone-in, don’t toss those.

“The bones can be brewed into homemade chicken stock, along with any vegetable scraps. It’s often more flavorful and richer than store-bought, especially when reduced for sauces,” Sengeri says, like gravies.

Pot pies, casseroles, and pasta salads are also excellent options for leftover chicken. Peek at our best rotisserie chicken recipes for more inspiration (simply swapping bonus breasts, thighs, and legs for the store-bought bird mentioned in the recipe).