Chicken Guides

Season

Chicken is available all year round.

Nutrition

Chicken is packed with protein: One serve of chicken breast (100g) provides more than 50% of the recommended dietary intake (RDI) of protein. Chicken is a valuable source of vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and essential amino acids. One serve of chicken breast also provides the full recommended daily intake of niacin equivalents, an important nutrient for energy metabolism.

How to store

Fresh chicken should be stored in the refrigerator or frozen immediately after purchasing. Place the chicken at the bottom of the fridge (the coldest part of the fridge) on a dish that is large enough to contain any drips. Make sure the chicken is not touching or near cooked meats and other ready-to-eat foods or food to be eaten raw. If the meat is in a cling-filmed tray or vacuum-packed, leave it in the packaging until ready for use. Ensure that the fridge maintains a temperature below 4 degrees Celsius. Chicken will keep for about 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Quickly freezing chicken reduces the chance of damage to the texture or succulence of the meat. For ease of use, freeze cuts tightly wrapped in individual portions. Freeze in meal size portions to ensure only the amount needed is defrosted. Use good quality, strong plastic bags and good quality foil to protect meat. Expel as much air as possible. Secure with tape for an effective seal. Each package should carry a label showing name of cut, weight or amount and date of packaging. Don't freeze chicken for more than 6 months.

How to defrost

Refrigerator
Place chicken on a plate and store at the bottom of the fridge. Once thawed, it can safely stay in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Microwave

Before defrosting chicken, remove the freezer bag or wrap to prevent meat sitting in ‘drip’, which will otherwise boil as the chicken defrosts causing chicken to go grey and begin to stew.
Remove meat from Styrofoam tray, as they are not microwave safe.
Most microwaves come with a pre-programmed ‘defrost’ setting. Refer to your user manual for its preferred setting and timing.
Check the chicken throughout the defrosting time. If the edges of chicken feel warm, stop microwaving and allow chicken to stand for a few minutes or until edges are cold again.
After defrosting, chicken must be cooked right away. Don’t leave it to stand for any length of time at room temperature or in the fridge.

Cuts

Whole: Whole or half chickens are available either fresh or frozen and are ideal for roasting.
Breast: One of the most versatile cuts. It’s lean, easy to cook and great value. Being the meatiest part of the chicken it is best with fast cooking methods.
Thigh: More flavoursome than breast, and very suited to fast cooking.
Wing: Small but very flavoursome. A really great value cut of chicken.
Drumstick: Full of flavour, suited to fast and slow cooking methods.
Maryland: (Also known as quarter leg) This is a combination of the thigh and the drumstick together in one cut. It has great flavour due to a slightly higher fat content.
Giblets: Includes heart, liver and neck.