When You Should Be Seasoning Chicken

There may be a few mistakes you're making when cooking chicken. Seasoning is a crucial part of cooking succulent, flavorful chicken. Use too many spices or not enough, and you end up with a less than satisfying meal.

It's easy to fall back on using the same spices, especially when unfamiliar with the more unique seasonings. Seasoning chicken is an art that requires exploration if you're brave. There are so many spices to experiment with, so there is no need to adhere to only salt and pepper.  

Global Animal Partnership says to plan your mean before selecting your spices. Think about the cuisine and everything you will be serving, then plan from there. Sage, lemon peel, and tarragon are three seasonings the site recommends for chicken and turkey. They say that chicken is versatile and can wear almost any spice with ease.

So, you've selected your spices and are ready to cook. Do you season the poultry before, during, or after cooking? Keep reading for what you need to know.

To obtain the most flavor from your chicken, try seasoning before cooking. Eat This Not That says seasoning beforehand allows the spices to penetrate the poultry's meat, yielding lots of flavors while spices coat only the outside of the chicken when seasoned after being cooked, leaving the inside bland and flavorless. Love Food also says poultry benefits from ample seasoning, especially when the skin is attached. Rubbing herbs on a whole chicken before roasting also helps to crisp the skin and provides mouth-watering flavor.

Seasonings can include salt, pepper, or your favorite spice mix. Laura Fuentes says to pat the chicken dry before sprinkling it with seasonings because the spices will adhere to a damp surface more easily than a slimy, wet one. The site recommends a variety of seasonings for chicken in addition to kosher salt. Seasonings recommended include Mexican, Italian, poultry, Creole, and roasted vegetable. Feel free to get creative with your seasonings, have fun, and explore spices for chicken from around the globe.