So, you may be thinking about how tasty, crispy, and juicy a fried chicken is while at the same time, you may be afraid of its high-fat content. Perhaps, you may want the crusty and chewy taste of grilled chicken but aren’t satisfied with the way it is being cooked. You may even be looking for a fix-it-all recipe for the preferred chicken of your choice and laboriously yet to find any.
So, what is the difference between a grilled and fried chicken? Just as the name suggests, grilled chicken is grilled or marinated chicken usually with some sauce. Fried chicken, on the other hand, is fried in vegetable oil with a little breading to make it crunchy. Both will turn out delicious but grilled chicken may be preferred because it is healthier.
Read on as we have thoroughly given more insight into what you need to know to decide which of the chickens you will prefer to the other.
Is Chicken Even Healthy?
Many people usually opt for chicken as their meat source because it has high protein content and is essential for reducing weight, thereby encouraging lean body mass. This high protein meat can also help to promote the growth of muscles throughout the whole body. Besides, chicken proteins help to optimize bone health by metabolizing calcium.
You must have tasted both grilled and fried chicken but may sometimes find it challenging to choose which one will be of greater benefit for you, or perhaps you are yet to taste either of them, and you are considering which will suit your overall health in the long run.
| Grilled Chicken | Fried Chicken |
| Reduced fat content | Absorbs plenty of fat |
| Helps to keep fit and manage weight | Aids weight gain |
| Retains nutritional content and values | Reduces nutritional content and quality |
| Faster cooking method for multiple people | Slower cooking method |
| Smoky flavor and crusty, chewy taste | Crispy and greasy outer shell |
| Requires less oil/butter for cooking | Requires lots of oil while cooking |
Grilled or Fried Chicken: Which Cooking Method Is Better?
We all need the right amount of nutrients to stay healthy and focus on other affairs of life, but what do we make of the cooking method employed in processing many of the foods we eat? You should therefore know that there may not be a fix-it-all recipe in the real sense of things.
The method of cooking employed significantly affects the quality of the chicken you eat. Indeed there are benefits of either grilling or frying your chicken, but this does not necessarily mean that either is better than the other. Whether you fry or grill your chicken, you are employing the same cooking method – the dry cooking method.
Grilling involves putting your chickens in a dry heat source, thereby allowing the heat to radiate throughout the entire meat. Grilling allows you to get rid of additional or excess fat from the chicken, reducing the caloric load.
Frying involves putting your chickens in pan or fryer whose oil is heated to be very hot. Such chickens get cooked as a result of the high heat transfer from the oil. The result is an attractive and crispy chicken with a great aroma. You should, however, note that frying reduces the overall quality of your chicken.
You may also need to consider the time it will take to cook your chickens; the frying method may not save you enough time because you will need to wait till your chicken is properly done. The grilling method lets you cook within the minimum possible timeframe. Grilling can easily heat the entire meat up so don’t end up with half-cooked food.
So if you like your chicken with a great crispy taste and heavy calories, especially if you are trying to gain more weight, you may consider the fried chicken cooking methods. But the grilling cooking method will be better for you if you do not want to add extra calorie. You may opt for frying your chicken if you have the time. Otherwise, you may just buy one from the nearest restaurant.
Why Should You Consider Grilled Chicken?
The fat content in grilled chicken is reduced to the barest minimum due to the dripping accompanied by heating the meat while it is being cooked. Because of this, you may be able to manage a low-fat diet and get the desired healthier food you want.
By now, you should know that grilled chickens generally have a lower caloric value than fried chicken. Higher calories have been associated with obesity and other cardiovascular diseases. Low calories will significantly help you keep fit while managing your weight. Besides, reducing the level of fat intake can help improve the level of good cholesterol, which functions to improve your cardiovascular health. Additionally, grilling allows you to get good lean meat, which is adequate for a great crunchy and chewy bite.
Is Fried Chicken Not Better?
Oils usually add an extra layer of saturated fat into your chicken. When you fry, be prepared to consume more calories because of these extra fats. These fats pose a greater risk to the cardiovascular system because of an increase in cholesterol level. It may cause the clogging of the arteries, thereby restricting the flow of blood throughout the body.
Besides, because of the high caloric content of fried chicken, you can easily gain weight. Such weight gain may not be beneficial, especially if you are prone to obesity. Moreover, if you are trying to manage your weight, it will be more difficult for you with regular consumption of fried chicken.
Even though you might like the tasty nature of fried chicken, you should also be aware that it is more difficult to digest because of its high-fat content as such fats give the digestive system more work during digestion. In essence, if you are prone to some digestive tract disorders such as gallstones and ulcers, eating such fatty chicken may make it worse. You may, therefore, try to consider grilled chicken.
However, we know that you like your chicken’s fatty and oily cuisine, especially the flavorful crunchiness you experience when you bite such chickens. This crunchiness is attributed to the emulsification of oil with the sugar and salt content, giving it that desired taste.
You may have no problem if you want more caloric content from your chicken, but you should not continually take such if you are prone to obesity. You may decide to avoid deep-fried chicken altogether and go for a lighter fried option to reduce the complicity of fats caused by the frying oil.
Does It Mean That Grilled Chicken Is The Better Option?
Like we say, there is no fix-it-all when it comes to the choice of the chicken you prefer to eat. Grilled chicken, arguably easy to digest and with low fats and great taste also comes with its shortcomings. To some, the odor of grilled chicken is irritating, and the apparent char on the chicken after grilling may also be a turn-off.
Besides, the char has a high level of a carcinogen called heterocyclic amines (HCA). This carcinogen may cause pancreatic cancer and kidney cancer. Another product of grilled chicken is the glycotoxin advanced glycation end products (AGE), which are thought to cause an increased inflammation level. Inflammation in any body part leads to an increase in certain chronic diseases. If you prefer your chicken grilled, then, you may opt for the one with a relatively small amount of char.
How Do I Make My Final Selection Decision?
Making your decision to opt for either the grilled chicken or fried chicken should be basically from your perspective with your health and how well you think you enjoy your chicken’s taste and look.
You may decide to grill or fry the chicken yourself if you think buying from a restaurant may have its disadvantage—it does because most of the chickens from restaurants come with more accompaniments, thereby providing for a higher caloric value than that which the body needs.
Besides, cooking your chicken by yourself help you to make various adjustments during the cooking process. For instance, if your chicken is grilled, you can choose to reduce the amount of char in it. For a fried chicken you can decide that you don’t want it to be deep-fried. All these are based on your particular preferences. In all, when choosing your chicken, ensure you put your health first.
Related Questions
Are there healthier ways to prepare fried chicken?
You can use an air fryer or a pressure fryer, which give increase the cooking oil and meat temperatures while holding the pressure high enough for quick cooking. This reduces the quantity of oil your chicken absorbs, making it crispy, juicy, and tender, with reduced overall fat content.
How can I reduce the risk of cancer while grilling chicken?
To minimize the carcinogenic compound formation (which causes cancer), you can marinate the chicken for about 30 minutes, combine it with fruits or vegetables, and slow down the grill’s temperature.
See Also:
How Does An Electric Smoker Work
4 Best Gas Grill Pizza Ovens
How To Season An Electric Smoker
How Long Do You Boil Brats?
