What brand of chicken is your preference? Taste/Cost

legendaryhog · Jul 17, 2013

I was reading LAMJ's thread entitled "chicken thighs" and the work that was put into them to make them boneless, trimmed, and skin scraped of fat, which was kind of where the thread was going: a universal disgust for the process, but a love of the finished product (greasy nasty cutting board full of chicken slime and a lot of work, but great bite-through skin).

So this begs the question. Are the brands that are "air cooled" or "free-range" or "organic" that are vastly more expensive per pound than the store brand worth it in terms of taste, labor savings, and value?

DownHomeQue · Jul 17, 2013

the ones at sams... lol Sanderson Farms i think.. i don't think that it matters ther brand.. as long as its fresh..

landarc · Jul 17, 2013

I mostly buy Mary's Chickens, and they are pastured, air-chilled, I think they are organic. They definitely taste a lot better, with much better texture. Allegedly they are safer to eat as well, I could care less about that.

But, I can definitely tell the difference in taste and texture from all of the regular supermarket brands of chickens out here. Right down to how the skin takes marinades, how the meat takes marinades, how it handles and bones. A whole lot different.

Bludawg · Jul 17, 2013

Sanderson Farms

bbqgeekess · Jul 17, 2013

My preference is Tyson because it's the only chicken I see for 99 cents /lb lol. (I'm always looking for deals because I don't make a lot of money.) I always buy whole chickens and cut them up because individual pieces are much more expensive, and also I make REAL homemade chicken stock with the cut out backs and leftover bones.

At one time I looked into pastured organic whole chickens -- chickens without overly large genetically engineered breasts. However they were like $7.99/lb and I just can't afford that! So I buy the cheapest chicken I can find if I can't have a proper chicken.

Once I get my own home I might start raising them in the back--pastured & freerange--fed organically. So they will be more affordable than $7.99/lb.

Teamfour · Jul 17, 2013

I have been told by a highly reputable competitor that the organic chicken thighs have very little fat under the skin. Personally I use Costco thighs and can get bite through skin without scraping.

HankB · Jul 17, 2013

DownHomeQue said:
the ones at sams... lol Sanderson Farms i think.. i don't think that it matters ther brand.. as long as its fresh..

All of the chicken at my Sam's is "enhanced." I complained, particularly since it was labeled "100% Natural" but nothing has changed. (It's not Sanderson Farms.)

Sanderson Farms is carried in a lot of other groceries around here and I do buy that because it is not enhanced and is frequently on sale.

caseydog · Jul 17, 2013

Costco has a brand of all-natural chicken that I like. It is not the organic brand they sell, just chicken that is not shot up with stuff and enhanced before packing. I just ran out, so I don't have a package to look at for the brand. But, if you are a COSCO member, it is easy to find, and if you are not a member, I guess it doesn't help you to know the brand.

BTW, Kroger Simple Truth branded products are pretty good, too. They have both "all-natural" and "organic" chicken. Here in the Dallas burbs, I often find it marked down because people here either buy name-brand, or whatever is cheapest -- mostly name brand.

CD

BruceB · Jul 17, 2013

Bell & Evans

RatRod · Jul 17, 2013

Costco all natural.... As a bonus it comes freezer packed that are perferated cause I'm lazy and when I do a meat run it saves on food saver bags

marubozo · Jul 17, 2013

I happen to be lucky where I live and the main supermarket chain here mostly stocks Miller's poultry. They are a small family-run Amish farm only about 50 miles away. Not always the cheapest when compared to Tyson or other big names on the shelves, but you can taste the difference in quality.

Bludawg · Jul 17, 2013

bbqgeekess said:
My preference is Tyson because it's the only chicken I see for 99 cents /lb lol. (I'm always looking for deals because I don't make a lot of money.) I always buy whole chickens and cut them up because individual pieces are much more expensive, and also I make REAL homemade chicken stock with the cut out backs and leftover bones.

At one time I looked into pastured organic whole chickens -- chickens without overly large genetically engineered breasts. However they were like $7.99/lb and I just can't afford that! So I buy the cheapest chicken I can find if I can't have a proper chicken.

Once I get my own home I might start raising them in the back--pastured & freerange--fed organically. So they will be more affordable than $7.99/lb.

Great minds think alike I but whole birds too at .88 lb I can afford to cut & Vacusuc cheaper.

dbq · Jul 18, 2013

I get Tyson All Natural( yeah right) without additional solution from the local market. I find it strange that Walmart has the same Tyson "All Natural" but with 12-14% added for about the same price.

Hoggy Style · Jul 18, 2013

SMART CHICKEN is all I ever use. Great flavor and texture

DownHomeQue · Jul 18, 2013

Sams here seems to carry sanderson farm..

tnjimbob · Jul 18, 2013

Bell & Evans. Surprisingly not that expensive for bone-in thighs. Less fat under the skin to be scraped. I lay them out on a cookie sheet & put into the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Cold fat is easier to remove than warm.

shirknwrk · Jul 18, 2013

Hoggy Style said:
SMART CHICKEN is all I ever use. Great flavor and texture

Same here.

J-Rod · Jul 18, 2013

Interesting thread. I typically buy Simple Truth or Miller's Farms from Kroger. It costs more for these brands but you get what you pay for. Last time I bought "value" chicken it was farking horrible. Texture was awful, and pieces were abnormally huge, as in how the hell can a chicken leg be this big:shocked: normally I wouldn't complain about that, but I think they were "enhanced" in some way and I think it contributed to the toughness. Worst part about that recent discovery on value chicken was that it was during a family cookout:doh: Never again will I buy the cheaper chicken, or any cheaper meat for that matter.

cpw · Jul 18, 2013

Our first KCBS comp this year I used Tyson's family pack from Sam's. The thighs were all over the place in terms of size, had TONS of fat, and had a strange texture. Switched to Publix organic for the next comp. Much less fat, all relatively the same size, and the meat had a much better texture. We went from a 17th place to a 6th, so I'll be buying the organic from here on out.

Smokeat · Jul 18, 2013

Have never bought anything but the cheapest chicken. I will have to look to see if they are enhanced. Mostly we have Foster's Farms, and their TV commercials always say they aren't enhanced.

What brand of chicken is your preference? Taste/Cost

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