How to Cook Chicken, With or Without the Bone

Chicken is something almost every home cook is familiar with preparing. Likely, you have your own set of recipes and techniques that you have either inherited or learned along the way, but do you ever wonder if you’re doing it right? Here, we discuss our two favorite ways to cook chicken—one with the bone in for when you have a bit more time, and one boneless for speedier suppers.

We spoke with Ibraheem Basir, founder of A Dozen Cousins, which makes high-quality sauce, rice, and beans. He shared his two favorite ways to prepare chicken using his Peruvian Pollo Ala Brasa and Jamaican Jerk Seasoning.

How to Choose Your Chicken

First, you’ll need a chicken—either breasts or thighs, or if you’re feeling really ambitious, both. For these recipes, you’ll need 1 ½ pounds of either breasts or thighs. Chicken breasts are best suited for quicker cooking dishes made on the stove. This way, it’s also easier to ensure that the meat doesn’t dry out. Bone-in chicken thighs on the other hand can cook longer while retaining their moisture, even if you “overcook” them. The flavor is also more pronounced and the fat content is slightly higher.

What Pan Should I Use?

Next, you need to decide on what Cookware is best for either method of cooking. For a boneless breast, Ibraheem uses our Stainless Clad Frying Pan. “They offer really even heating, no hot or cold spots,” he says. “I’m mostly partial to dark meat, but when I cook breasts, that’s the way I like to do it.” When cooking bone-in chicken, he prefers Carbon Steel Roasting Pan. “I love using the Carbon Steel Pan with the rack so then all of the drippings—the juice and the oil—drips away. That leaves you with a  nice, crunchy exterior, no soggy skin,” he says.

How to Cook Chicken Breast

If you’re still relatively new to cooking chicken, boneless is a good place to start. “It's easier to get it to the right temperature and to make sure it's fully cooked without worrying about having some parts that are undercooked or overcooked,” says Ibraheem.

Cooking chicken in a Frying Pan is also a great way to make a quick meal if you don’t have much time on your hands.

Begin by patting your chicken breasts dry, then place it in a bowl, and fully coat with one pouch of A Dozen Cousins Pollo A La Brasa Seasoning.

Lightly coat your Stainless Clad Frying Pan with a neutral oil and warm the pan over medium heat.

Add the seasoned breast to the Pan and cook for 5 minutes, or until you can easily flip over the chicken without it sticking.

Flip and continue to cook until the chicken is golden brown and reaches an internal temperature of 165F, 6–7 minutes. Serve with some sauce from the Pan.

How to Cook Chicken Thighs

If you have a little more time on your hands, you will be rewarded with a delicious meal when you cook bone-in chicken low and slow in our Carbon Steel Roasting Pan. “You have a little bit of fat in there, you have the different textures, and dark meat in general just tends to be more moist,” says Ibraheem. Roasting the chicken allows all the flavors of the sauce to penetrate the meat, and you’re left with the perfect combination of crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside.

Start by preheating the oven to 400F. As with the chicken breasts, pat the thighs dry, and trim any fat if needed.

Put the thighs in a bowl and fully coat with one pouch of A Dozen Cousins Jamaican Jerk Seasoning Sauce using either your hands or a basting brush.

Place your chicken evenly on the Rack of your Carbon Steel Roasting Pan. If you like, lay down a bed of vegetables underneath to catch some of the flavorful drippings.

Bake until the chicken is golden brown and reaches a temperature of 165F, 20–40 minutes. Serve alongside rice or vegetables.

Ready to Cook?

You may have purchased breasts or thighs specifically for these recipes, but now that you know how to cook both, learn how to break down a whole chicken. Our step-by-step guide is a great way to improve your knife skills and will save you money, as buying individual cuts of chicken is more expensive than buying a whole bird and doing it yourself. Plus, then you’ll have plenty of scraps leftover for stock.