Cooking is an amazing activity that enables most individuals to unwind as they get their minds off stressful situations. It’s also revered as a learning opportunity for most individuals. For instance, not everyone is aware of the multiple ways to cook chicken and beef.
Better still, cooking them together is a mystery and can only be successful once you learn the ropes. The answer to the above question isn’t always a straightforward one.
The USDA states that chicken and beef can be cooked together as long as they both reach high enough temperatures to get rid of foodborne bacteria. Poultry is considered safe to eat if it has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit. However, it’s recommended to not cook them together because they require different cooking times to be done.
Continue reading as we’ll go through the details of cooking chicken and beef using some of the most common kitchen appliances. We strongly recommend using a food thermometer when cooking chicken, especially when mixing.
We use the Alpha Grillers Instant Read.
Is It Safe To Mix Raw Chicken And Beef?
This depends on the duration that each takes to cook. Mixing raw chicken and beef works when you’re in the mood for a good barbecue and grill. Mixing raw chicken and beef turns on your creative side and brings delicious inventions to the table.
One of the most important aspects to look into is the temperature. The last thing you’d want is to serve a half-cooked dish to your guests.
Whichever the temperature, be sure to check that it remains constant and that you check on your beef and chicken mix from time to time.
Another key essential is the cooker or grill you choose to use. Cookers vary from one model to another depending on factors such as the overall design. Some are made for commercial use while others are designed to suit domestic purposes.
Your raw chicken and beef mix are as good as ready when you focus keenly on their internal temperatures. When doing it for the first time, it’s safer to first cut your meat into pieces that can take up the temperatures assigned to them.
Do your research and find out the meat that takes longer on the grill and then start your cooking off with it. Let some time elapse and then add the other part to complete your mixture.
The whole process becomes easier once you muster how your cooker operates including the temperature settings.
Can You Marinate Raw Chicken And Beef Together?
Each of them differs in terms of marination time due to variation in their thickness and densities. Chicken may take up to about two hours or even twenty-four depending on the marination procedure you choose to undertake.
On the other hand, beef may take as long as twenty-four hours especially if you’re looking to serve it at the highest levels of tenderness. You have the option of cutting it into thinner slices and pieces if you wish to have it in the next hour or two.
The one occasion that may allow you to marinate raw chicken and beef together is during stir-frying. You can also apply the same when serving noodle dishes that require you to cook the two together.
Marinate the two together before the actual cooking. This should take about thirty minutes at most if you’re aiming for perfection.
How Should You Cook Chicken And Beef Together?
First off, cut both beef and chicken into smaller pieces and slices to ensure that heat gets through to them easily. This also ensures that you take less time cooking. Move to the next step which is pre-cooking each of them separately.
This allows each of the meats to soften up at their pace, leaving you ample time to make your ultimate dish. It also prevents both types of meat from being over or undercooked.
The method to use when cooking beef and chicken together boils down to the recipe you choose to use. Some will instruct you to cook them together in the same pan when stir-frying.
Cooking Chicken and Beef In a Pan
First, it’s important to choose your ideal method of cooking your meat and poultry. Dry and moist heating are two of the most basic methods that every aspiring cook must be familiar with.
The moist cooking method is applicable for meat that’s proven to be tough even in the face of a fierce source of heat. You must never be in a hurry when applying the moist cooking method because it takes a much longer time.
Moist cooking applies mostly to beef because it is known to be tougher than its chicken counterpart. Be sure to have liquids such as stews ready to help during the whole moist cooking process.
On the other hand, chicken requires an easier cooking method known as dry heating. The best part is that it gets better since it expands and accommodates other methods of cooking including grilling, broiling, roasting, and pan-frying.
When cooking beef and chicken in the same pan, be sure to adjust the temperature settings. Failure to which could lead to undercooking or overcooking of the beef or chicken.
Cooking Chicken And Beef In The Oven
Baking is the most popular method of cooking beef or chicken for anyone thinking of using the oven. It is a stress-free method that allows the cook sufficient time to prepare the dressing and everything they’ll need for a sumptuous dish.
Temperature settings are of utmost importance as they determine the outcome of the beef and chicken. As mentioned earlier, always remember that each of them varies in terms of the temperatures under which they are cooked. This brings about the time factor which isn’t much of a deal when using reputable appliances.
Though beef and chicken vary when it comes to temperature, they have one thing in common; marination. It’s okay to marinate them right before placing them in the oven for flavorful and tenderizing reasons.
Prepare a marinade of your choice, keep the pieces in and allow them to sit for a few hours. Follow this up with a preheated oven that will take it from there.
Read more: Cooking Multiple Things In The Oven At The Same Time
Cooking Chicken And Beef In An Air Fryer
When using an air fryer, you’ll have to preheat it just as you would an oven. For the chicken, spray some bit of olive oil for a flavorful taste. It also helps your seasoning ingredients stick to the chicken rather than fall off when cooking.
Olive oil during air frying also helps form the delicious crisp on the outside that leaves you wanting more.
When air frying beef, the process differs in the duration of time it takes before it’s ready. Determine your type of steak so as to make it easier for you when setting the temperatures. For instance, the medium-rare steak might take a bit more time depending on the overall thickness as well as the air fryer you use.
Read more: Can You Put Raw Meat In an Air Fryer?
Cooking Chicken And Beef In a Slow Cooker
When using a slow cooker, the name tells it all; be prepared to wait much longer for your chicken and beef recipes to be ready. You don’t have to pre-cook your meats since the slow cooker is designed to start the cooking from the beginning.
Cut up your meat and chicken to sizes that your slow cooker can accommodate. Season your beef and chicken with spices and ingredients of your choice to enhance the flavor. Place them in the slow cooker and allow the cooking to take place at its pace.
There’s no need to add water as most meat products come in moistened packages. Placing them in heat unleashes the liquid and healthy fat that facilitates the cooking process.
Read more: How Long Can You Slow Cook Chicken?
Why Cooking Chicken And Beef Together Could Be A Bad Idea
As we’ve mentioned right from the beginning, the two differ a lot, especially in terms of the heat and pressure they can take when cooking. Placing them together in the same pot or grill could be a bad idea for several other reasons including;
- Disorganized flavors. This is not just for certified food enthusiasts to comprehend. Anyone can taste the merging of flavors between beef and chicken and see that it’s a complete disaster.
- Erosion of Nutritional Value. Since they differ in the times they take to cook, cooking them together erodes the nutrients when one stays longer in the heat than it should.
- Time-consuming process. There are some pre-cooking procedures that you might have to undertake when cooking beef and chicken together. This will take up much of your time and the results may not be what you expected.
Final Thoughts
Cooking beef and chicken together is best left to the experts. Trying it out for the first time without professional supervision is a recipe for culinary disaster. Check your sources and ensure that they are verified before using them as guides.
What’s more, cooking is a journey that you can learn to perfect with time. There’s so much to learn. So, give yourself ample time to familiarize yourself with the requirements of each of the meats you plan to cook.