Do you remove the skin from the chicken before cooking it?

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Do you bake or stew your chicken in the skin, or do you remove the skin before cooking? Years ago we used to bake or stew our chicken with the skin on. Then we started removing the skin before cooking since we found out that this way was healthier when considering cholesterol. So for years we baked our chicken minus the skin, and it did not really take anything away from the chicken so far as taste was concerned. However, after watching a cooking program, I found out that baking the chicken in the skin gave it a more succulent taste. It would be softer and less dry. So, we have now gone back to baking it in the skin and have found this to be true. However, I would not eat the skin; I would remove the skin before eating the chicken.
 
When I am baking a chicken I do leave the skin on but for the most part I take it off. I saute chicken a lot so its better to not have it on. I love the taste of it but do watch what I eat.
 
I should try baking a skinless chicken and crisping the skin separately, I think that might have been the secret to a favorite chicken porridge recipe that I grew up eating and have not yet been able to replicate the recipe.

This is because it never occurred to me to skin a chicken... the skin's usually the best part! It's the first in line to catch the flavors, the perfect texture for it (even if its loss wouldn't affect the taste), and I never worried about cholesterol because it's so incremental in its effect, and the body does need fats too...I don't consider tallow particularly bad...

That said, succulence isn't for everybody either. Maybe if I wanted to barbecue or grill/baste a chicken, I'd remove the skin so that it's denser as a meat! Thanks for the tip!
 
I try to leave the skin on as much as possible during cooking because I find that removing the skin dries the meat out too quickly. Unless I'm going to be using the skin for something else and cooking it using a different method, I just keep it intact and remove it before serving
 
During cooking I leave the skin on but then take it off once it is finished. I like keeping it on because I think the chicken comes out moist and flavorful, but when I removed it precooking I would sometimes dry the chicken out. I like putting herbs and spices on the skin and letting those flavors and the flavor os the skin seep into the chicken while it bakes.
 
It depends. I sometimes tear the skin off, but find that if you leave it one it is a lot more juicy. Plus if you heavily season the skin the herb flavor seeps in the meat when it cooks which is great, because once it is done I'll tear the skin off, but not before. I like my meat to be really juicy when I eat it. Another thing is if you cover it while you cook it, it remains juicy too!
 
It's been awhile since I cooked any chicken. I used to remove the skin on the chicken for health reasons. Then I learned that an excellent way to season chicken was to place herbs and garlic under the skins while baking. I removed the skin before eating or serving it. The skin also kept the chicken from drying out.
 
I love making boneless, skin-on chicken breasts. It's just so hard to find them in the stores already prepared that way, and the butchers seem reluctant to do it when I ask them. I've resorted to just de-boning the chicken breasts myself when I get home. It's not impossible, but it's a bit tricky. You just need to take your time and be patient, and make short strokes along the bone to gradually remove it without hacking the chicken all up. The other thing I look out for, are smaller chicken breasts - I try to stay in the 6-8oz range, not these monster chicken breasts that the big chain grocers sell. So if I plan on making something like this, I will hit up our local farmers market, where they also have meat vendors too.

Keep in mind that a lot of the fat itself is rendering off during the cooking process, so you aren't eating *all* of it by leaving the skin on. And you can certainly remove the skin as you are doing after the cooking process and be left with a really moist flavorful chicken breast. In that case I would probably rub the seasonings under the skin so you aren't losing them by removing it. But personally, I leave it on. I've also read on several sites that chicken fat itself is moderately healthier than many other fats we cook with - not by a lot, but something is better than nothing. Some folks even purposefully save all the chicken skin and render it down into clarified chicken fat, known as "schmaltz", and use it to fry and cook with.

If you are still concerned about the fat though, and want moist chicken, you may also want to try experimenting with brines. They're basically a mixture of water, sugar and salt that you soak the chicken in for a while before cooking. It changes the texture of the chicken a bit, but it also causes it to "plump" up with moisture. Some people love chicken prepared this way, while others prefer not to do it.
 
I was just about to create a thread discussing this subject and decided to take a look around to see if the topic was ever brought to the forum. It's something I have raised outside of this forum and got mixed responses. I for one don't remove the skin every time. I actually like the taste of skin on occasions.

However, when I have enjoyed eating the skin I have always felt like I was doing the most unhealthy thing. I have since heard that I should not beat myself up too much as there are times when the skin should be left on the meat. That said I still always prefer a "skinless barbecue sandwich" when eating at a local fast food chain.

Have a look at this this information I came upon recently and see if it makes sense.


http://www.fitday.com/fitness-artic...ways-remove-chicken-skin-before-eating.html#b
 
Years ago when my father had been diagnosed with an ailment and need to follow a strict diet plan for his health, all of us in the family also do the same thing for us to be careful already in our health. And removing the skin of chicken before cooking is included in the list of those change in our cooking lifestyle. It is just okay because nowadays we had to be careful to what we are eating because what we eat affects our health.
 
It is probably more proper to leave the skin on when baking or roasting, but taking it of is healthier, because it eliminates the fat right away, rather than having it melt and just be "around somewhere". If you cover your chicken with some sauce when baking then you can usually keep the succulence that way.

But when barbecuing I think you really have to leave the skin on. It acts as a barrier, keeps the meat moist on the inside, and also once cooked if you take the skin off, you also remove any possible carcinogens and are left with the protected meat inside.
 
I have never eaten the skin on a chicken, it turns me off. I will leave it on if I am baking the chicken and remove the skin when the meat is done. Skinless chicken dries out during cooking process.
 
leave the skin on ,its natures way of keeping the meat moist whilst cooking,i will stuff flavoured butters under skin on certain dishes
 
NO. When I am cooking chicken I always make sure that the skin are intact. They add flavor and taste to the chicken and the entire dish. I love skin in fried chicken especially if it is crispy. However my doctor ask me to limit eating chicken skinn because it adds lots of cholesterol that can cause high blood pressure and other heart disease.
 
Why should we remove the skin?? That's the best part, regardless of cooking method. I love having crispy chicken skin when frying it.
 
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