Cook Chicken Chunks In A Skillet

Garnish a piece of well-cooked chicken for an elegant lunch plate.

Chicken, already cut in pieces, gives you a fast start to a flavorful meal. While a whole chicken can take more than 2 hours to roast in the oven, cooking chicken chunks can take just minutes. A lean meat, chicken served with vegetables and whole grain pasta or rice makes a light, heart-healthy dinner. Add a light cooking wine, shallots and herbs to your cooked chicken pieces for an elegant main course. If you have a cast iron skillet, use it for more even heat distribution and an added trace of iron in your diet.

Instructions

1. Rinse fresh or thoroughly thawed chicken chunks under cool running water. Set the rinsed pieces on paper towels and lightly pat with another paper towel to absorb excess moisture.

2. Place 1 cup flour, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper in a plastic bag. Hold the top of the bag closed and shake to mix the ingredients.

3. Pour 3 tbsp. of canola oil into a skillet. Set the skillet on a burner and turn it to medium-high.

4. Drop two pieces of chicken into the plastic bag. Hold the bag closed and shake to lightly coat the chicken with the flour mixture. Open the bag, grasp a chicken chunk with tongs and shake to remove excess flour. Set the piece of chicken on a plate. Repeat the process until all pieces have been coated.

5. Take the plate of chicken pieces to the stove. Grasp one piece with tongs and dip a corner in the warmed oil. If it sizzles, add the chicken pieces to the skillet in a single layer. If it doesn't sizzle, wait until the oil is hotter, then test again before placing the chicken in the skillet.

6. Cook the chicken until it is golden brown on one side. For larger chunks, this takes 8 to 9 minutes. Smaller chunks brown in 5 to 6 minutes. Check the color by lifting one piece with tongs, then placing back in the skillet for further browning if necessary.

7. Turn the chicken pieces over with the tongs and brown the other side for 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the size. For irregular-shaped chunks, turn the chicken piece on its sides several times if necessary until the surface area is evenly browned.

8. Test that the chicken is completely cooked through by cutting into a piece with a sharp kitchen knife. If you see pink meat inside, turn the heat down to medium and cook another 2 to 3 minutes.

9. Remove thoroughly cooked chicken chunks from the skillet and place on a clean plate. Smaller pieces may be done and removed before larger pieces. Cover with aluminum foil to keep warm until serving.

Tags: chicken pieces, with tongs, chicken chunks, piece with, closed shake, cooked chicken