Let’s Do Chicken Again…

Cannot settle for dry, boring chicken. One simple ingredient will add flavor and keep them from drying out every time: mayo..Mayo is great for ensuring juicy, tender chicken.

WE all have our favorite mayonnaise; mine is Hellman’s….Mayonnaise is a flavorful emulsion of eggs, oil, vinegar, and seasonings. I add it to so many dishes, like hamburgers, potato salads, and dressings, to keep things moist.

Baking and grilling chicken can dry out the meat — especially lean chicken breast — and there’s seriously nothing worse than dry chicken. Because chicken isn’t a very fatty cut of meat, you’ll want to add some fat to keep the meat hydrated. Most recipes use butter or oil for cooking chicken. Fact: mayo is the better fat option when it comes to producing juicy chicken.

While it cooks, the chicken will absorb fat from the egg and oil in the mayo, keeping it moist while adding flavor. Also, marinate in the mayonnaise for a bit before cooking, the acid from the vinegar in mayo will help tenderize the chicken meat.

Juicy chicken isn’t the only benefit of using mayo, either. That’s because the oils can just slide off the chicken as it’s cooking, but not mayo.

Mayo is thick enough to stay in place even after being heated. And other ingredients will stick to it too.

Slathering mayonnaise on chicken also produces a crispy golden-brown crust in less time than other fat sources. When grilled or baked, mayonnaise sparks a chemical reaction called the Maillard reaction (see “What Einstein Taught his Cooks”) — and heating speeds up the process, producing a beautiful brown color and caramelized flavor.

Roasted Chicken

Ingredients

1 (4 Pound) Whole Chicken

1 Medium Lemon

1 Small Onion, Quartered

1 Medium Head Garlic, Halved Lengthwise

½ Cup Mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Honey, Strained Or Extracted

2 Teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce

¼ Teaspoon Ground Cayenne Pepper

1 ½ Teaspoons Kosher Salt

1 Teaspoon Black Pepper

Directions

Step 1 Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Set a roasting rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Pat chicken dry with paper towels.

Step 2 Zest 1 teaspoon lemon zest into a small bowl. Quarter remaining lemon and place pieces inside chicken cavity along with onion and garlic.

Step 3 Add mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, Worcestershire, and cayenne to the lemon zest; mix to combine. Rub mayonnaise mixture evenly all over the chicken and underneath the skin over the breast. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper.

Step 4 Roast in the preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, 50 to 60 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Tent with foil halfway through cooking if too much browning occurs before internal temperature is reached. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6; Serve with Mash potatoes, grilled Brussels sprouts, garden salad with vinaigrette, garlic toast, beverage.

Amazing Mayo Chicken

Ingredients

4 Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breast Halves

Sea Salt And Pepper To Taste

½ Cup Mayonnaise

2 Cups Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs

Directions

Step 1 Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease a shallow baking dish.

Step 2 Season chicken breasts. Coat chicken on all sides with mayonnaise, and roll in bread crumbs until coated. Place coated breasts into the prepared pan.

Step 3 Bake uncovered for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle and the juices run clear.