Is chicken skin good or bad? It has been an age-old debate on whether chicken skin is good or bad for health, and whether it should be removed before cooking or not. There have been multiple claims that chicken skin is loaded with fat and should not be taken while suffering from a cold or fever. In this blog, we will dive deeper into those claims and understand the core meaning behind them.

Chicken Skin Benefits

When it comes to the taste, having the chicken skin on will make the meat more crispier, juicer and flavourful.

• The common claim is that chicken skin has more fat and is not suitable for people with cholesterol and heart disease. But the fact is, chicken skin has more unsaturated fats which are good for our health. In 30 grams of chicken skin, there are roughly 8 grams of ‘total’ fat content. This is made up of 2 grams of saturated fat, 3.5 grams of monounsaturated fat and 2 grams of polyunsaturated fats. In truth, there is a very small percentage of it is unsaturated fat.
• Unsaturated fat can help lower bad cholesterol in your blood and boost good cholesterol, therefore lowering the risk of stroke and heart disease. Unsaturated fats also aid in the maintenance of your body’s brain and cell health. Additionally, these fats can fight inflammation and can help absorb vitamins.
• When it comes to protein, every 30 grams of chicken skin has 4 grams of protein. While protein is critical for bone health, building muscle health and metabolism.
• And protein is not all, some critical nutrients like potassium are also derived from chicken skin. About 25 grams of potassium is available in 30 grams of chicken skin. Potassium is crucial for maintaining a healthy nervous system, regulation of muscle & heart contractions and thereby blood pressure. Additionally, it helps in controlling the body’s fluid balance and prevents conditions such as osteoporosis and strokes.
• Even though there are 16 grams of cholesterol in 30 grams of chicken skin, it is comparatively lesser when compared to steak and beacon. Counting the calories, One cup of cooked chicken breast without the skin contains 231 calories, and a cup of cooked chicken breast with the skin contains 276 calories. So there’s about a 45-calorie difference. So, if someone is extremely strict with their calories and nutrient content, they need to exercise moderation while consuming chicken with the skin.

But, there is still an advantage to cooking the chicken with its skin on. It helps the meat from absorbing more oil. But, make sure not to eat too much or heavily charred chicken skin, as its nutritional value diminishes and harms your health. At the end of the day, moderation is the best medicine.

How to remove chicken skin?

If you want to remove the chicken skin, just follow these simple steps:

1. First, cut around the end of the leg bone, where there isn’t too much meat. It will be like tracing a circle around the joint. 
2. From the end of the leg bone, you can make slits down the side of the leg. But make sure not to apply too much pressure so you don’t end up cutting the actual meat. 
3. Then dip your fingers in a little bit of salt to give yourself extra grip, and start peeling the skin off the leg. 
4. Next, make a fine cut (again remembering not to cut too deep) along the middle of the breast and peel back the skin gently. 
5. Remove the wings with a pair of kitchen scissors, as this will allow you to remove the rest of the skin cleanly with no mess.
6. With the wings removed, you can peel off any remaining skin and continue cooking your chicken and enjoy your meal later.

Conclusion

Speaking of buying great quality chicken, with or without skin, do check out our products from Epicure Meats, where the best country chickens are available.