Though they're similar in taste and texture, there are discernible differences between chicken cutlets and tenderloins. Here's what you need to know about the parts of the chicken breast — and how to use each one:
What Is a Chicken Breast?
The chickenbreast is a lean cut of white meat found onthe underside of the chicken. A whole chicken has one breast that is usually separated and sold in halves. When a recipe calls for a chicken breast, unless it explicitly states otherwise, it's referring to a chicken breast half you can find in grocery stores and butcher shops — not the whole breast of the chicken.
Breasts are often considered more desirable than other parts of the bird (thighs, wings, etc.) because of its mild texture and flavor and health benefits (white meat tends to have fewer calories than dark meat), so they tend to be more expensive.
Uses
Chicken breasts are incredibly versatile. They're great baked, grilled, boiled, fried, or barbecued. When it comes to chicken breasts, the options are pretty much limitless.
A chicken cutlet is a chicken breast that has been cut in half horizontally to make two thinner slices of meat. This extra step makes the breast more uniform in thickness, ensuring even cooking. Cutlets are often pounded with mallet to make them even thinner — the thinner and flatter they are, the more quickly and evenly they'll cook.
A chicken tenderloin, or chicken tender, is a thin muscle that's loosely attached to the underside of the breast. The tenderloin is generally removed from the breast and sold separately.
Chicken tenders are quite, well, tender compared to other parts of the bird. That's not the only thing that sets them apart: They're more caloric than plain chicken breasts and they have more sodium.
If you can't find tenderloins at your grocery store, you can DIY a substitute by cutting chicken breasts into thin strips.
Uses
You'll often find chicken tenderloins breaded and fried, grilled, or baked. Use them to make delicious fillets or kid-friendly chicken fingers.
Recipes
Everybody loves chicken tenders. These crowd-pleasing recipes are sure to be a hit with any audience:
The thing that really sets the breast and tenderloin apart is that chicken tenders have a higher fat and sodium content. Even still, they're both lean and healthy white meat options that can adapt to many flavor profiles.
A chicken cutlet is simply a boneless skinless chicken breast that has been cut in half horizontally. Sometimes they're pounded with a meat pounder to make them thinner and more even. Chicken breasts usually take about 15 minutes to cook through on the stove.
Since they're located on the underside of the breast, it's just a smaller region to grow in comparison. It will take two chicken tenderloins to be equal in size to a whole chicken breast. This is important to remember in case you ever need to substitute between the two based on an ingredient list.
Chicken fingers (also known as chicken goujons, tendies, chicken strips, chicken tenders, or chicken fillets) are chicken meat prepared from the pectoralis minor muscles of the animal. These strips of white meat are located on either side of the breastbone, under the breast meat (pectoralis major).
Chicken cutlets are also very popular, but known as chicken schnitzel. Both lamb cutlets and chicken schnitzel are a staple of Australian children's cuisine. Amongst most Australians of Italian descent, the term schnitzel is replaced by the term cutlet.
They are essentially the same thing! Chicken cutlets are boneless, skinless chicken breasts that have been sliced to create a thinner piece of meat. This is essential what happens when we thinly slice our chicken breast!
Sometimes called a cutlet, this cut is created by slicing a breast lobe horizontally to create a thin, mostly even piece of chicken breast; average weight per piece is about 4 ounces.
The tendon is connective tissue that helps the muscles attach to the bones, just like the tendons we have! It is entirely edible and not dangerous to consume, but it can get a bit tough or rubbery when cooked, so it is up to you whether you want to remove it or not when prepping your chicken.
Chicken tenderloin has many names in foodservice, including chicken tenders, fingers, strips, and goujons. Found under the breast cut, tenderloin meat comes from both sides of the breastbone and isn't attached to the ribs. Due to its location, it has a tender texture and is moister than most white meat cuts.
You might read on the package that the product contains, “rib meat.” Rib meat is simply a natural extension of the breast meat. It is NOT an additive or a filler. Other boneless chicken meat, from the legs and thighs, for example, or skin from the meat, could be added for flavor and texture.
Cut along the natural seams: Using your sharp knife, carefully cut along the natural seams of the chicken breast. Apply gentle pressure to ensure a clean cut. The size of each tenderloin will depend on your preference, but aim for pieces that are approximately 1 to 1.5 inches wide.
Are chicken cutlets healthy? Chicken cutlets are simply very thin chicken breasts—and chicken breast is a great source of protein. Without the skin, chicken breast is low in saturated fat. It will also add vitamins and minerals to your nutrition bottom line.
Underneath the chicken breast is a piece of meat called the tenderloin. Attached to the tenderloin is a tough, white tendon. It can be left in and cooked, however it is more pleasant to eat if removed.
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