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

FAQs

What happens to 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.

Pre-zapping grilled foods makes sense - precook chicken in the microwave before grilling and you accomplish two things: The chicken will be ready to eat in about half the time, and you can be reasonably sure that it will be cooked inside when it's browned (or burned) on the outside.

Chicken à la King has an unclear origin, but some very clear requirements and this recipe meets them all, including: chicken (of course), creamy sauce, pimientos and cooked vegetables.

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.

Place a paper towel over the plate to help the chicken avoid getting too soggy; the towel will absorb some of the moisture. Microwave the fried chicken in 30-second intervals until warm, flipping it intermittently. Be careful not to overdo it or the chicken will dry out.

According to the USDA, it is safe to cook chicken in the microwave. However, because of the nature of microwave cooking, doing so can result in uneven cooking and cold spots.

Microwaves cause water molecules in food to vibrate, producing heat that cooks the food. The water that is beating in your food while cooking is over toughening the proteins resulting in more rubbery texture than cooked in other ways.

The white stuff coming out of chicken as it cooks is simply extra protein that dissolves in water and is forced out of the meat by heat. Food scientist Topher McNeil, PhD, explains, “The [chicken] muscles themselves actually contract and squeeze out the liquid that's in between muscle cells.”

Microwave ovens can play an important role at mealtime, but special care must be taken when cooking or reheating meat, poultry, fish, and eggs to make sure they are prepared safely. Microwave ovens can cook unevenly and leave “cold spots” where harmful bacteria can survive.

Microwaves themselves don't kill germs, it is the heat that it produces that does the job. If you heat something to 165–185° internal temperature it will kill the nasties. The “but” here is that temperature has to be uniform, ie no pockets of say 125°… this is true of ALL forms of cooking, not just microwave.

How can you tell if chicken is undercooked? ›

Poke the Meat

For properly cooked chicken, if you cut into it and the juices run clear, then the chicken is fully cooked. If the juices are red or have a pinkish color, your chicken may need to be cooked a bit longer.

The origin of chicken à la king's name is a subject of debate. 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.

Ingredients. Corn starch, Wheat flour, Salt, Modified milk ingredients, Dehydrated vegetables (onion, carrot, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, garlic), High oleic sunflower oil, Disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate, Natural flavour, Spices and herbs, Citric acid.

The Best Way to Reheat Chicken

To avoid the tough, rubbery taste and texture of chicken in the microwave, it's better to skip the microwave and turn to the toaster oven or stovetop, says Melanie Marcus, RD, a registered dietitian and chef from the greater Charlotte area.

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.