What does soaking chicken in milk do?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
It's an old habit that isn't relevant anymore. Many years ago, most of the chickens people ate were older, tougher birds. Soaking them in buttermilk tenderized them because of the acidity in the buttermilk. Today's chickens are butchered and sold at a much younger age, so they are inherently more tender.
 
It's an old habit that isn't relevant anymore. Many years ago, most of the chickens people ate were older, tougher birds. Soaking them in buttermilk tenderized them because of the acidity in the buttermilk. Today's chickens are butchered and sold at a much younger age, so they are inherently more tender.

So true. One didn't just run out to the coop and grab a chicken for supper. Maybe a rooster, but not a chicken. They weren't slaughtered until they stopped laying. And you only need one rooster to a flock of chickens. :angel:
 
When you soak chickens in milk, doesn't it make the chickens mad? Does the milk make the chickens moo instead of cluck? Inquiring minds want to know. :angel:
 
When you soak chickens in milk, doesn't it make the chickens mad? Does the milk make the chickens moo instead of cluck? Inquiring minds want to know. :angel:

If you hear a chicken Moo then it's time to review your medications with your doctor. :whistling


But I understand your logic. :eek:

No one wants a mad chicken.... But no matter what you soak them in I think they might be perturbed. ;)

We really need Myrtles prospective on this issue. :mrgreen:
 
If you hear a chicken Moo then it's time to review your medications with your doctor. :whistling


But I understand your logic. :eek:

No one wants a mad chicken.... But no matter what you soak them in I think they might be perturbed. ;)

We really need Myrtles prospective on this issue. :mrgreen:


I think chickens prefer to bathe in dust, which might make them a bit gritty when cooked. Might extend the breading, though.
 
Last edited:
damn, i took it too long and it broke off. all i got is his legs.


chief, oh chief. ya in there?


lol. i hate animal crackers.
 
I soak chicken in B-milk when making fried chicken, not to tenderize so much as to add that tangy flavor along with any spices I've added to B-milk.

I wonder if this came from the custom of soaking fish in milk to get rid of the 'fishy' smell? Maybe when there wasn't as much refrigeration and folks weren't as skeevy about chicken gone bad?
Some people soak strongly flavoured meat such as liver or kidneys in milk to neutralise the flavour a bit but I can't see that this might be the reason as chicken often doesn't have much flavour.

EDIT: It might help the flour or breadcrumbs to stick to the chicken if you aren't using egg.
 
Last edited:
damn, i took it too long and it broke off. all i got is his legs.


Chief, oh chief. ya in there?


lol. i hate animal crackers.


BT, all is well. You were using a counterfit chief. The real one would have swallowed the milk before ever getting close to frozen. Besides, with all the hot peppers in me, the milk would heat up pretty quick, thus the twenty second rule, so that the milk stays cold.
 
Soaking chicken in milk

If you want to bread your chicken in flour or even double coating in flour you will want to soak the chicken in milk rather than use egg... Soaking the chicken in milk will help coat the chicken and it actually stick than running off... Use a deep dish and coat all the chicken in milk .. you can leave it like that anywhere from 5 mins to 15 hrs in the refrigerator you don't want to coat your chicken until you're close to cooking because you don't want it to get soggy. Leaving for a few mins or while you are cooking other hatches are acceptable. The coating will look a bit soggy but it will cook up nice just don't coat and leave for hours to overnight.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Milk contains ezymes that help tenderize the meat. It also helps plump-up the meat as milk contains mostly water. I haven't paid attention as to whether it helps any coating adhere to the chicken better. I would suspect that it would, as the milk sugars would act as a mild glue. But then again, an egg wash that is made up of milk and egg would do the same thing.

In my experience, seasoned flour adheres to semi-dry meat. I always pat dry my chicken pieces with a paper towel, then dredge in my seasoned flour. I let it sit there for a few minutes to let the starches act as mild glue so the coating will stay on. I then place the chicken into the egg wash until the initial coating is hydrated. Then, the chicken goes back into the seasoned flour and sits for five minutes more, then into the hot oil. The breading adheres to the chicken nicely, giving me a crispy, yet tender coating on the chicken pieces.

Alternately, simply dredge the chicken is seasoned flour, knock off excess flour, and pan fry in a couple inches of hot oil until the chicken just begins to brown. Then place onto a foil lined baking sheet and bake in a 365' F. oven for 40 minutes for exceptionally juicy chicken.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
So why is it necessary to marinade chicken in milk to tenderise it when these days they're raised to be tender anyway? I must be missing something! over here we very rarely do that, we use wine, beer, cider, yogurt according to where you live.

Confused!

di reston

Enough is never as good as a feast Oscar Wilde

"People of ze wurl, relax!" the parrot in Tom Robbins' book 'Fierce Invalids Home from abroad Hot Climates
 
So why is it necessary to marinade chicken in milk to tenderise it when these days they're raised to be tender anyway? I must be missing something! over here we very rarely do that, we use wine, beer, cider, yogurt according to where you live.

Confused!

It's not necessary. People do it because they always have, or because their mother or grandmother did. It's just one of those things that many people have not really thought about. I never use milk or buttermilk in a chicken marinade and it's always tender, as long as it's not overcooked.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom