Chicken is a staple in households around the world.
It is an excellent and important source of animal protein, as well as a good source of B vitamins, iron, potassium and selenium ().
According to the National Chicken Council, nearly 10 billion pounds of chicken were raised and raised for meat production in the United States in 2020 ().
Chicken meat is quite versatile and you can prepare it in several ways. However, when it comes to its health benefits, not all chicken cooking methods are equal.
For example, dry firing at high temperatures up to 482oF(250oC), Longer cooking times and even cooking chicken can result in the production of harmful chemicals (, , , ).
These carcinogenic chemicals may include (, , , , ):
- heterocyclic aromatic amines (AHA) or heterocyclic amines (HCA)
- polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
- advanced glycation end products (AGE)
On the other hand, cooking methods that do not brown the meat or do not produce smoke tend to be better for you. Most of them use water in one way or another.
Table of contents
Here are 4 of the healthiest ways to cook chicken.
Nadine Greeff/Stocksy United
Under vacuum
Sous vide is a method of healthy cooking which involves vacuum sealing foods and seasonings in a food-grade plastic bag and cooking them in a bain-marie. This allows the chicken to be cooked without direct heat, which should reduce the production of AHAs, PAHs and EFAs ().
Note that you may want to use plastic bags without it, as it has been suggested that this chemical can transfer from plastic cooking bags into foods that have been cooked via this method ().
You can cook seasoned chicken meat sous vide at 140oF(60oC) for 1 hour, or up to 3 hours if you want to enhance the flavor of the final product ().
This slow, low-temperature cooking method reduces nutrient loss and produces a tender texture with high mineral content (, ).
You may choose to use special sous vide equipment, but a simple cooking thermometer and a water bath will suffice.
Summary
Sous vide is a healthy cooking method in which you cook chicken in a food-grade plastic bag in a water bath at 140oF(60oC) for 1 hour, or up to 3 hours as desired.
fuming
Steaming is another healthy and quick cooking method for chicken. For this method, you use a steamer basket and a pot of hot water.
Alternatively, you can achieve the same results by cooking in a hybrid steam oven.
Steaming is a high temperature method with a short cooking time that has been shown to produce less HCA compared to other high temperature cooking methods ().
Steam prevents a crust from forming on the surface of the chicken, reducing drying out of the meat to produce a moist and tender product.
High temperatures also melt more fat on the chicken (, ).
Summary
Steaming is a high temperature cooking method with a short cooking time. It produces moist, tender chicken that is unlikely to contain cancer-causing AHAs.
Pressure cooking
Like steaming, pressure cooking uses high temperatures for short durations and produces moist, tender and flavorful chicken dishes.
Since longer cooking times increase AHC production, the short cooking time of pressure cooking is likely to also produce fewer AHAs, PAHs, or EFAs ().
An older study found that pressure cooking reduced cholesterol oxidation in meat, while a recent study identified various cooking methods that increased or decreased cholesterol oxides in chicken (, ).
Oxidized cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease. This type of cholesterol is linked to narrowing of the arteries which can occur due to a disease characterized by plaque buildup (, , ).
You can pressure cook in an electric multicooker or a traditional pressure cooker with a weight valve.
Summary
Pressure cooking heats chicken to high temperatures for a short time. This cooking method retains vitamins, reduces cholesterol oxidation, and produces little or no AHAs, PAHs, or EFAs.
Microwave
meat is a common cooking method in commercial food processing and food service operations ().
Not only is this a convenient cooking method, but 10 minutes of microwaving chicken in a typical 750 watt home microwave allows the core temperature of the chicken to reach 167oF(75oVS) ().
This is above the U.S. Department of Agriculture's recommended minimum internal temperature for cooking poultry, which is 165°F (73,9°C) ().
Microwaving chicken retains its protein content. However, this method can burn the surface and dry out the meat ().
Additionally, a review article noted that HCAs, which can be produced when you heat various types of meat and fish, caused several types of cancer in rodents and monkeys.
The authors suggested that using microwave ovens to cook food may reduce HCA production and help people prevent these harmful effects ().
Summary
Microwaving chicken is a common practice in commercial food processing and food service operations. This cooking method reduces the production of carcinogenic AHAs compared to other cooking methods like baking and frying.
Less healthy cooking methods
Several types of cooking methods can produce carcinogens, such as HCAs, PAHs and EFAs, in meat. Cooking methods that produce them include (, , , ):
- barbecue
- wire mesh
- carbonization
- open fire cooking
- frying
- wire mesh
- smoking
Various studies have shown that rats and monkeys fed AHA developed several cancers, including breast, colon, and prostate cancers ().
Likewise, human studies have shown that exposure to HCAs and EFAs increases your risk of cancer (, , ).
Studies have also shown that these chemicals are linked to inflammation and an increased risk of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes ().
Fortunately, you can reduce your exposure to these chemicals by choosing safer cooking methods and modifying high-risk cooking methods to reduce the production and accumulation of AHAs, PAHs, and EFAs in meat .
Limiting how often you prepare chicken with these high-risk cooking methods also reduces your exposure to carcinogenic and inflammatory compounds.
Summary
Several cooking methods can produce carcinogens in chicken and other types of meat. These include frying, grilling, barbecuing, smoking, and roasting, among other methods, and they tend to involve dry heat and produce browning or smoke.
The bottom line
Chicken is an important and nutritious source of animal protein and essential minerals like iron and potassium.
However, many of the common cooking methods people use to cook it can cause more harm than good.
Certain cooking methods, including barbecuing, grilling and braising, may increase the production of compounds associated with the development of cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Safer and healthier cooking methods for chicken include sous vide, steaming, pressure cooking, and microwaving.
