Let’s face it – chicken is probably one of the most versatile proteins out there. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stood in front of my fridge wondering how to cook chicken in a way that’s both delicious AND healthy. If you’re anything like me, you want to enjoy your meals without worrying about sacrificing nutrition.
Today, I’m diving deep into the healthiest ways to prepare chicken, with a special focus on baking methods that maximize nutrition while keeping those harmful compounds at bay.
Why Cooking Method Matters for Chicken
Before we jump into specific techniques, let’s understand why cooking methods matter so much when it comes to chicken
- Different cooking techniques can create varying levels of potentially harmful compounds
- The nutritional content of chicken can be affected by how you prepare it
- Some methods help chicken retain moisture and tenderness better than others
- Proper cooking ensures food safety while maximizing health benefits
When chicken is cooked at very high temperatures especially using dry heat methods it can form several concerning compounds
- Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs or HCAs)
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
- Advanced glycation end products (AGEs)
These compounds have been linked to inflammation and increased risk of serious health conditions like cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
The Healthiest Ways to Cook Chicken (Ranked)
Based on research from health experts, here are the healthiest methods for cooking chicken, starting with the very best:
1. Poaching
While not technically baking, poaching deserves the top spot on any healthy chicken cooking list.
How to poach chicken:
- Place chicken in a pot
- Add enough liquid (water or broth) to cover by about an inch
- Season with herbs, spices, and salt
- Bring to gentle simmer (158-176°F)
- Cover and cook 10-15 minutes
- Remove from heat and let it finish cooking until internal temp reaches 165°F
Poaching uses indirect, moist heat that produces minimal HCAs and PAHs. Plus, the chicken turns out incredibly juicy!
2. Steaming
Steaming is another super-healthy method that keeps chicken moist while minimizing harmful compounds.
How to steam chicken:
- Cut chicken into even pieces for uniform cooking
- Season before steaming
- Place in steamer basket over boiling water
- Cover and cook 15-20 minutes until internal temp hits 165°F
- Let rest before serving
The beauty of steaming is that it requires no added fat while preserving moisture and nutrients.
3. Pressure Cooking
Got an Instant Pot? Good news! Pressure cooking is another healthy method for preparing chicken.
How to pressure cook chicken:
- Season chicken as desired
- Add required water to pressure cooker
- Place chicken in single layer
- Cook for 10-15 minutes
- Allow natural pressure release for 5 minutes, then vent
Pressure cooking is quick, efficient, and produces fewer carcinogens than high-heat methods.
4. Sous Vide
This might sound fancy, but sous vide is actually super simple and incredibly healthy for preparing chicken.
How to make sous vide chicken:
- Season raw chicken
- Place in BPA-free plastic bag
- Fill pot with water and heat to 140°F
- Put sealed chicken bag in water
- Cook for 1 hour (up to 3 hours for more flavor)
- Optionally sear briefly before serving
Sous vide uses low, controlled temperatures that significantly reduce harmful compound formation while producing tender, juicy chicken.
5. Moderate-Temperature Baking/Roasting
Finally, we get to baking! While not as ideal as the water-based methods above, moderate-temperature baking can still be relatively healthy.
How to healthily bake chicken:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (not higher)
- Season chicken well with herbs and spices
- Place on baking sheet or roasting pan
- For extra moisture, add a small amount of broth to the pan
- Bake until internal temperature reaches 165°F
- Let rest before serving
Research suggests that roasting at temperatures up to about 392°F produces relatively low levels of carcinogens compared to higher-heat methods like grilling or frying.
Cooking Methods to Limit or Avoid
While enjoying these occasionally is fine, try to limit these high-temperature cooking methods:
- Deep frying
- Grilling (especially when flames touch the meat)
- Pan-frying at high temperatures
- Smoking
- Barbecuing
One study found that post-menopausal women who ate at least one serving of fried chicken daily had a 13% higher risk of early death. Yikes!
Tips for Healthier Chicken Preparation
No matter which cooking method you choose, these tips can help make your chicken even healthier:
Pre-cooking techniques:
- Marinate chicken in acidic ingredients like lemon juice or vinegar (can reduce HCA formation)
- Remove skin before cooking to reduce fat content
- Trim visible fat
- Use herbs and spices instead of relying on salt for flavor
During cooking:
- Avoid direct exposure to open flames
- Consider microwave pre-cooking before high-heat methods
- Flip chicken often when using high heat
- Cook to proper temperature (165°F) but avoid overcooking
After cooking:
- Remove any charred portions
- Limit consumption of gravy made from drippings
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours
- Store safely to prevent cross-contamination
My Favorite Healthy Baked Chicken Recipe
I’ve tried tons of different methods, and this is my go-to recipe for healthy baked chicken that’s still super tasty:
Herb-Roasted Chicken Breast
Ingredients:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 lemon, juiced and zested
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Mix olive oil, garlic, herbs, lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper
- Coat chicken breasts in mixture
- Place in baking dish and add broth to bottom of pan
- Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes
- Remove foil and bake 5-10 more minutes until internal temp reaches 165°F
- Let rest 5 minutes before serving
The broth creates steam in the covered dish, which helps keep the chicken moist while reducing the formation of harmful compounds.
Delicious Ways to Use Healthy Cooked Chicken
Once you’ve cooked your chicken using one of these healthy methods, here are some nutritious meal ideas:
- Shredded chicken tacos with black bean and corn salsa
- Chicken burrito bowls with brown rice and veggies
- Roasted chicken with steamed green beans and quinoa
- Summer salad with mixed greens, berries, nuts, and feta cheese topped with sliced chicken
- Chicken and vegetable soup
- Chicken and veggie stir-fry over brown rice
- Stuffed bell peppers with chicken and quinoa
Food Safety Reminders
While we’re focused on nutrition, food safety is equally important when handling chicken:
- Keep raw chicken in sealed containers at the bottom of your fridge
- Wash hands thoroughly before and after handling raw chicken
- Don’t wash raw chicken (it spreads bacteria)
- Use separate cutting boards for chicken and other foods
- Always cook chicken to 165°F internal temperature
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours
The Bottom Line
When it comes to preparing healthy chicken, the cooking method makes a huge difference. Water-based, lower-temperature cooking techniques like poaching, steaming, pressure cooking, and sous vide are your best bets for minimizing harmful compounds while maximizing nutrition.
If you prefer baking, keep temperatures moderate (around 350°F) and consider adding some liquid to the pan to create moisture. This approach gives you that delicious baked chicken flavor while minimizing health concerns.
At the end of the day, variety is key. Mix up your cooking methods, enjoy different flavors, and remember that occasional high-heat cooking methods won’t make or break your health – it’s your overall dietary pattern that matters most.
What’s your favorite way to prepare chicken? Have you tried any of these healthier methods? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments!
How to make sous vide chicken at home
- Season raw chicken and place it into a resealable, BPA-free plastic bag or sous vide plastic pouch.
- Fill a pot with water and mount a thermometer to the side of the pot. Alternatively, you can dip a thermometer in as needed to monitor the water temperature during cooking.
- Bring the water temperature to 140oF (60oC), then place the sealed bag of chicken into the pot. The temperature may drop when you add the meat, so allow the temperature to reach 140oF (60oC) again before starting your timer.
- Once the temperature of the water has returned to 140oF (60oC), set a timer to 1 hour.
- You may choose to sear the finished meat or simply cut and serve it.
Steaming is another healthy and quick cooking method for chicken. For this method, you use a steaming basket and pot of hot water.
Alternatively, you can get the same results by cooking in a steam-assisted hybrid oven.
Steaming is a high temperature method with a short cooking time that has been shown to produce fewer HCAs compared with other high temperature cooking methods (11).
The steam prevents a crust from forming on the surface of the chicken, which reduces drying out of the meat to produce a moist and tender product.
The high temperatures also melt more of the fat on the chicken (11, 12).
How to steam chicken at home
- Slice or cut the chicken into smaller pieces to reduce cooking time and ensure the meat is evenly cooked. You may also make cuts throughout a larger piece of chicken for the same effect.
- To add flavor, marinate the chicken before you steam it. (Here’s a recipe for a lemon garlic marinade.) Alternatively, you may add herbs and seasonings to the steam water to infuse flavor during cooking.
- Place the chicken in a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water and ensure that steam is coming through the holes in the steamer basket.
- Cover the basket with a tight lid and cook the chicken for 15–20 minutes. Check the chicken for doneness before removing it from the steam.
- You may then use the water to make a broth or sauce to serve with the chicken.
Like steaming, pressure cooking uses high temperatures for short durations and produces moist, tender, and flavorful chicken dishes.
Given that longer cooking times increase the production of HCAs, pressure cooking’s short cooking duration is likely to produce fewer HAAs, PAHs, or AGEs as well (4).
An older study found that pressure cooking reduced the oxidation of cholesterol in meat, while a recent study identified various cooking methods that either increased or decreased cholesterol oxides in chicken (13, 14).
Oxidized cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease. This type of cholesterol is linked to a narrowing of the arteries that can occur due to atherosclerosis, a condition characterized by plaque buildup (14, 15, 16).
You can pressure cook in an electric multicooker or traditional pressure cooker with a weight valve.
BAKED CHICKEN BREAST | juicy, tender, easy, and oh, so flavorful!
FAQ
What is the healthiest way to cook chicken?
“The healthiest way to cook chicken is to poach it,” Lewis explains, “because you aren’t introducing any other ingredient to the chicken other than the water it is boiled in.” Similar to the way you’d poach an egg, all you’ll need is the chicken you’re using and some hot water.
Should you cook chicken with the skin on?
Whether cooking it on the best air fryer or best grill, chicken is a cheap, easily accessible source of meat. So it doesn’t really matter how it’s cooked, right? According to research published in the Journal of the American Diet Association, roasting or grilling chicken, especially with the skin on, could be worse for you than previously thought.
What are the best practices for preparing chicken?
Let’s explore the best practices for preparing chicken that your body will thank you for. Grilling or baking chicken is the healthiest way to cook it as these methods require little to no added fats. Avoid deep frying or pan frying chicken as these methods add unnecessary calories and unhealthy fats to the dish.
Is cooking chicken a good idea?
Baking or grilling chicken are great options that can help you maintain a balanced diet and reduce unnecessary intake of unhealthy fats. Remember to also follow proper cooking times and temperatures to ensure that your chicken is cooked thoroughly and safely.
Is it healthy to cook chicken without skin?
A: It is generally healthier to cook chicken without the skin. The skin contains a significant amount of fat, so removing it before cooking can help reduce the overall calorie and fat content of the dish. Q: What are some healthy seasoning options for cooking chicken?
What is roasting chicken?
Roasting involves cooking chicken in the oven at a moderate temperature, allowing the meat to cook slowly and evenly. This method helps to retain the moisture and flavor of the chicken while minimizing the need for added fats or oils.
What is the healthiest method to cook chicken?
Is it healthier to cook chicken in the oven?
Regarding health, baked chicken without skin is generally considered healthier than fried chicken because: Lower in Calories and Fat: Baking, especially without added fats or oils, results in fewer calories and less fat compared to frying, which often involves significant amounts of oil.
Is it better to bake chicken covered or uncovered in the oven?
When chicken is covered while baking, it traps steam and moisture within the dish, resulting in juicier results. The covering helps prevent excessive evaporation and keeps the chicken moist throughout the cooking process. Preventing dryness. Chicken tends to dry out more quickly when exposed to direct heat.
What is the best way to cook chicken breast without drying it out?