Most times when we think about cooking chicken, we probably imagine it to come out crispy and juicy. But sometimes, instead of having a nice sizzle in the pan, the chicken ends up producing a lot of water. You could have done everything right, like patting the chicken dry before seasoning it and then placing it in the pan. But somehow, it ends up releasing a ton of water. So why does this happen, and is it really a bad thing? In this article, we are going to look through the things that could be going wrong with this waterlogged chicken and how you can deal with it.
What Causes Chicken to Release Water?
First of all, it could be the type of chicken you are using. Not all chickens are processed the same way. Some of the chickens are water chilled, which means that they are being dunked in cold water to cool them down after slaughtering.
The water-chilled process causes the chicken to absorb extra moisture. On the other hand, there are chickens which were air chilled, meaning that they were cooled using cooled air. Air chilled chicken usually has less water in it to begin with, so it doesn’t end up flooding your pan as much when you cook them.
Another reason is that many chickens sold in cold rooms and stores are now being injected with water or a salt water solution. This process is called plumping, and it is done to make the chicken way more tender and look juicier. It may sound like a good thing, but all this weight ends up being extra water that leaks out when you cook it in a pan. This problem is usually common with cheaper chickens. So if you want to avoid this problem, you have to pay a little extra for a more organic or high quality chicken.
Does How You Prepare The Chicken Matter?
Yes, how you prepare the chicken matters. Even if you’ve bought a good chicken like an organic chicken or a high quality chicken, the way you prepare it can either make or break your dish. Have you ever heard of the term dry bringing?
Dry bringing is a method where you rub the chicken with salt and leave it in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. This helps the chicken to lock in its natural juice, and still dry out the surface so it doesn’t release as much water when you cook it.
Another thing that you might be doing wrong is overcrowding your pan when cooking a chicken. If you cram too much chicken into a pan or pot, it lowers the temperature. So instead of the chicken starting to brown, it starts to steam and all that water ends up pooling at the bottom of the pot or pan. That’s why it’s advisable to always cook in smaller batches, giving each chicken piece enough space to sear properly.
End Point: How to Fix The Problem
If you are tired of always having a soggy chicken piece, even after following necessary steps to reduce the water content, here is what you can do. Choose a better chicken by going for air chilled or organic chicken. However, you’d have to pay a little more for this chicken type.
Also, if you’ve tried patting the chicken dry and it didn’t work out before, try dry-brining. The next thing you’d want to do is to reduce the amount of chicken pieces you put in the pot or pan at a time. Remember, if you overcrowd the pot, the chicken will end up steaming instead of browning. Lastly, use a high heat to sear the chicken and lock in moisture instead of steaming it.
