Do you eat the skin on your chicken???

healthybabs
healthybabs Posts: 593 Member
edited December 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Pardon me while I pick my jaw up off the floor. I am making chicken thighs on the grill for supper tonight. Decided to marinate them in some fresh lemon, fresh lime, lots of garlic, paprika, italian seasoning, and 1 tbsp of olive oil. So I whipped up the marinate and before I dumped it into the bag with the chicken I said, "Hey dumb *kitten*, cut off all that fat. Getting back on track starts today!!". So took out the shears and snipped off the skin. It looked like a huge amount so I weighed it. Holy Crap Batman!!!

4 Chicken Thighs worth of fat = 6 oz which is 170 g. There are 9 calories in a gram of fat so 170 x 9 = 1530 !!!!!! If I had eaten that fat on my chicken I would have added 1530 extra grams to my calorie intake today without even blinking. OK, so some of it drips off while on the grill but REALLY, still off the charts!!!

So, the next time you think about having the skin, remember this. If you doubt it, cut it off and weigh it and see for yourself!!

Replies

  • warmachinejt
    warmachinejt Posts: 2,162 Member
    yeaa, this is why i only eat chicken breast with no skin :P
  • plarcade
    plarcade Posts: 125 Member
    I don't eat it, but I think it's gross anyway, unless very crispy
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    How do you account for the fact that most of the fat in the skin is rendered off when you grill it? Why lose all that flavor? The difference can be not that sustantial depending on coooking method.
  • healthybabs
    healthybabs Posts: 593 Member
    How do you account for the fact that most of the fat in the skin is rendered off when you grill it? Why lose all that flavor? The difference can be not that sustantial depending on coooking method.

    Next time I will grill it with the skin on, then remove and weigh it and let you know the difference. As far as the flavor,....I bump that up with all the garlic and lemon juice in the marinade. Would rather get the flavor that way rather than from all of the fat alone.
  • theNurseNancy
    theNurseNancy Posts: 149
    Cook it with the skin on, then cut it off before eating. You risk your chicken being drier and blander by cutting it off prior.
  • healthybabs
    healthybabs Posts: 593 Member
    So the chicken turned out great. It was not dry and had a ton of flavor....don't forget I did marinate it! Feel so much better for not eating that skin...that awakening just totally grossed me out!
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    Depends on how good it's cooked. If it's crispy then absolutely I'm eatin that bish....
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,050 Member
    I'd worry about eating 4 chicken thighs at one sitting more than cutting the skin off.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal & Group FitnessTrainer
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  • sweet110
    sweet110 Posts: 332 Member
    But the skin is yummy. And the gristle is too. Nom, nom, nom.

    I rarely eat chicken, because I find factory farmed chicken tastes like styrofoam unless fried, and free range chicken really expensive. But when I do eat it, I eat it all. Every delicious bite.
  • taziarj
    taziarj Posts: 243 Member
    Instead of thighs, which are much higher in calories, try a split bone in breast with the skin. We have been doing this about once a week and is great. Usually marinade it overnight with either a rub or wet marinade. It turns out great and much better than chicken thighs as the meat itself is much leaner.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    I'd worry about eating 4 chicken thighs at one sitting more than cutting the skin off.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal & Group FitnessTrainer
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    This.

    Also, skin is not 100% fat. Those numbers are very much inaccurate. Plus, the fat renders out when cooked.
  • vettle
    vettle Posts: 621 Member
    depends on how I'm cooking the chicken. roasting I usually take it off so that all the flavours get right into the meat. If I'm making shake and bake, then you need the skin!
  • graceland64
    graceland64 Posts: 2
    ewwwwwe no i cant stand the skin on the chicken i have always cooked with breast meat no skin.......unless its chicken treat lol which is an extreme rare occasion lol :laugh:
  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
    It depends. Most indian cooking you can take out the skin and it only makes it better that way. However, if I'm bbq'ing or rotesseri'ing(is that even a word?) then yes, I'm keeping the skin and eating it too.
  • MisterTEZ
    MisterTEZ Posts: 272 Member
    chicken skin isn't all fat, it has a calorific count of 4 per gram when cooked
    even so 170 grams of skin counts for 680 calories
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
    Why would I not eat the tastiest part of a food?
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    Why would I not eat the tastiest part of a food?

    nom nom nom.

    I'd rather eat fewer pieces of chicken and have them be yummier.
  • sfoxy219
    sfoxy219 Posts: 103
    No i don't.
  • spynoodle
    spynoodle Posts: 404
    I'm Asian. Of course I eat it!
  • Natihilator
    Natihilator Posts: 1,778 Member
    I rarely eat any other part of a chicken other than (skinless) chicken breast, so when I do have a wing or a drumstick or a thigh, if it's cooked all nommy then I'm eating it. And 1500+ calories for the skin of 4 average-sized chicken thighs sounds way, way off.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    Depends on how good it's cooked. If it's crispy then absolutely I'm eatin that bish....
    this.

    the only time i dont eat is if it's baked sine it looks all slimy
  • Rikki007s
    Rikki007s Posts: 102 Member
    Always eat the skin. Then again I don't eat chicken that often.
  • saragato
    saragato Posts: 1,154
    I've never liked the skin, especially grilled or barbecued because, and pardon this, it felt like I was peeling off and chewing a condom. (and no I have no idea what chewing one feels like)

    But yeah, even when I bought the boneless, skinless thighs it would take forever to trim all the fat off and in the end wasn't worth it even though I prefer dark meat. The breasts have less fat and get a little more moist if you cook them in a bit of chicken stock so they have juice to soak up. I had to start doing that after one night I bit in to a small piece at dinner and broke off a part of a wisdom tooth. But in all fairness said tooth already was hollow on one side and is basically waiting for the day it can just rot right out of my head.
  • MariaMariaM
    MariaMariaM Posts: 1,322 Member
    I don't eat the skin and never had (since I was a little girl, it grosses me out, not sure why because it smell wonderful when it is cooking)
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    I'd worry about eating 4 chicken thighs at one sitting more than cutting the skin off.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal & Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    This.

    Also, skin is not 100% fat. Those numbers are very much inaccurate. Plus, the fat renders out when cooked.

    DING.

    I always eat the skin on my chicken thighs and drumsticks. It's so much better. Most of the fat does drain out even if you bake it if you do it in an elevated drip pan. Grilling is even easier to drain fat.
  • healthybabs
    healthybabs Posts: 593 Member
    I'd worry about eating 4 chicken thighs at one sitting more than cutting the skin off.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal & Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Actually, I reread what I typed after reading your entry and I guess it sounds like I ate all 4 of them, sorry... two were for me and two for my husband. My point about this was just the visual of the amount of fat I cut off of them and then I decided to calculate the fat gram/calories. It simply hightened my awareness where I previously would not have given it a second thought.
  • weathergirl320
    weathergirl320 Posts: 331
    you are gonna think im weird but the skin is the best part!!!!!!!!!!! i loooooooooove chicken skin!!!!!! and turkey skin!!!!!!!!!! i take everyones skin at thanksgiving at eat it. i can literally eat an entire chickens skin or turkey. its so flavorful! and cripsy! and yummy!!!
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