Microwave Chicken a la King - My Recipe Treasures (2024)

FAQs

Can you cook a raw piece of chicken in the microwave? ›

Information. Meat can be cooked safely in a microwave oven, but it can cook unevenly and leave cold spots where harmful bacteria can survive. For this reason, it is important to cover the food, rotate or stir it once or twice during cooking, and make sure the meat reaches a safe internal temperature throughout.

If possible, avoid the microwave. Instead, it reheats the chicken more quickly, but you must ensure you do not overcook it. Though overcooking chicken can dry it out, it's much safer than undercooking it.

Also known as King-Style Chicken, Chicken a la King usually consists of cooked, diced chicken in a cream sauce (or a chicken gravy) that is often served over bread, pasta or noodles. The sauce most often has mushrooms and vegetables. This dish is also known for using pimientos.

Sprinkle a few teaspoons of water over the top of the chicken, then add a drizzle of olive oil—the combination will help keep the chicken moist and improve its flavor. Step 3: Cover and heat. Tightly cover the plate of chicken with microwave-safe plastic wrap and microwave for two minutes.

The best tenderizer though, is a salted yogurt marinade. The salt has the same effect as in a regular brine, but the lactic acid in the yogurt further tenderizes the meat. A 15-minute marinade with one cup of yogurt and one teaspoon of salt makes for the most tender chicken breasts imaginable.

Remove food from packaging before defrosting. Do not use foam trays and plastic wraps because they are not heat stable at high temperatures. Melting or warping may cause harmful chemicals to migrate into food. Place the meat in a microwave-safe dish.

The change in proteins typically results in a tougher, more rubbery texture, compared to heating in an oven. “These texture changes are due to microwaves altering the way the proteins fold and interact with each other, and the alterations tend to be more severe with increasing power,” says Tuell.

The flavor is variously described as "rancid," "stale," and like "cardboard," and even compared to "damp dog hair." Warmed-over flavor is caused by the oxidative decomposition of lipids (fatty substances) in the meat into chemicals (short-chain aldehydes or ketones) which have an unpleasant taste or odor.

Some say it was created at New York's Brighton Beach Hotel in the 1890s and named after its proprietor E. Clark King II. Some claim it originated in England, while others say it's from Philadelphia. Regardless of where it started, by the turn of the century, chicken à la king was everywhere.

According to Wikipedia, this dish is so desirable that several chefs have laid claim to its creation, but it's thought that it actually belonged to Philadelphia's chef William King in the 1890's. The dish was originally bits of chicken, mushrooms, truffles, green and red peppers in a cream sauce.

How long does it take to cook raw chicken? ›

In general, we've found reheated chicken is ready when the internal temperature reaches 120°F. This will take between 12 and 15 minutes in a preheated 400ºF oven. That's hot enough to taste good without drying out. And as long as you eat it right away, it won't be in the danger zone for long enough to be unsafe.

Meat is an important protein source for dogs. And it's best fed raw. Using the microwave to heat raw dog food for any reason completely negates nutritional benefits of feeding raw. It can also make bones splinter.

Stir and check for even reheating: After the initial reheating time, carefully remove the plate from the microwave and stir the chicken. This helps distribute the heat and promotes even reheating. Continue microwaving in short intervals (1-2 minutes) until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).