There is simply no denying that chicken is one of the easiest and most accessible dinner options out there. Not only is it affordable, but it can be whipped up into a number of dishes quickly and easily. Despite this, it still isn’t one of the most exciting ingredients out there, especially when you are eating it three times or more a week. Sometimes turning to it as a dinner option might feel more like an obligation than something you’re eagerly looking forward to. Well, it doesn’t necessarily have to be this way. There are a number of ways that you can take that plain old chicken and perk it up a bit.
Consider Doing Away With The Breast
Unfortunately, when it comes to chicken it really is the breast that is the most boring cut of all. There is just something about it that is plain, and this is why it might be best to just completely do away with it. Well, doing completely away with it would be a huge unneeded waste. You can cook it up for the cat or dog or even donate it. You simply don’t want to just throw it in the trash, not after you’ve spent good money on it. That aside, try using the thighs instead. There are a number of recipes that you can take advantage of and they’ll offer a more moist, flavorful bit of chicken. You can opt for roasted chicken thighs, braised French onion chicken with gruyere, grilled chicken thighs with chimichurri, and maple-mustard chicken thighs.
Only Use A Little Bit
Who says that you need to whip up a whole big breast of chicken or an entire thigh? No one, but that seems to be the way that most people go. Maybe they are trying to get more for their buck or just get rid of most of the chicken at once. Whatever the situation is, you can opt for just serving one large piece of chicken, but do so by shredding it or chopping it into a dish with a lot of other flavors and textures. This is an excellent way to stretch out the protein a little bit and if you throw in some veggies, you’ll be getting in your healthy meal for the entire week. Shredded chicken and broccoli go great together with cauliflower, peas, corn, green beans, and decadent cheese.
Disguise It
Unfortunately, there are going to be those times when you have no choice but to go with chicken. And, that’s okay because chicken can be like a blank canvas. Just make sure that you are blasting it with lots of heat and flavors if you want to opt for something a little different. You might just end up falling in love all over again.
Stuff It And Wrap It
Just because it looks like a chicken doesn’t mean that it necessarily has to taste like chicken. Of course, it will probably come out tasting like chicken to so point, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t make it interesting. Lots of fresh herbs can make all the difference in the simplest of recipes. Take your chicken, slice it open, stuff it with herbs, and wrap it with bacon. When said and done, you might have a piece of chicken that looks like a piece of chicken, but it won’t taste like chicken when you bite into it.