This Is the Worst Mistake People Make When Cooking Chicken

Taste Recipes readers love chicken. It’s packed with protein, cooks quickly and works well with any kind of seasoning. People can’t get enough of our roast chicken, baked chicken or chicken crisped up in the air fryer. That’s why I asked the cooks in our Test Kitchen to share a tip for cooking poultry—but I was not prepared for the response. Ellie Crowley and Josh Rink agreed that most people are prone to one common yet tragic mistake when cooking chicken.

The Most Common Chicken Cooking Mistake

Of all the mistakes people make when cooking chicken, the worst one is overcooking it.

Surprised? Hear us out. Most of us worry about undercooking chicken because, unlike beef, poultry isn’t safe (or pleasant) to eat when it’s raw or undercooked. Because of this concern, many cooks are prone to heating chicken until it’s well past done. The problem? Overcooked chicken will dry out and become chewy and tough. “Nothing is worse than dry chicken,” says Ellie Crowley, our associate culinary producer. (She also advises cooks not to be shy about seasoning meat.)

How Not to Overcook Chicken​

You should cook chicken to a safe internal temperature. To avoid overcooking, Crowley recommends that cooks invest in a good digital meat thermometer. “[Chicken] should be cooked to 165°F,” she says, “but I temp it at 155° and take it out of the oven…as it rests, it cooks the rest of the way and doesn’t overcook.”

That’s because the temperature of the chicken will continue to rise after being removed from the oven or stovetop. If you wait until the temperature is 165° or higher, it may overcook as it sits.

Taste Recipes culinary producer Josh Rink recommends paying extra-close attention when cooking chicken breasts, especially boneless and skinless breasts, which are super lean. If overcooked, they lose moisture and are more prone to being tough and dry. He says, “Chicken breasts are the most common part to overcook, as thighs and other dark meat are more forgiving and less likely to dry out.” That’s because chicken thighs, legs and wings have more fat, and are therefore juicier, even if you happen to cook them a bit longer than necessary.

If you do happen to overcook chicken, don’t panic. The best remedy for slightly dry poultry is sauce. Whether it’s a spoonful of green herb sauce, a ladle of gravy, a dollop of tomato sauce or a dash of salsa, chicken loves almost any flavor!