Top ways to cook chicken for every cut

Chicken is a family favourite for good reason — it's versatile, great value, and each cut brings something unique to the table. From speedy midweek suppers to hearty weekend roasts, here are our top ways to cook chicken and make the most of every part of the bird, with smart planning and delicious results.

Content editor

Ellie Spicer

Why chicken is your go-to for family meals

Versatile, delicious, nutritious and easy to prep ahead, chicken can be your everyday hero – learning how to cook chicken, cut by cut, will make mealtimes simple and satisfying.

Roast our British, RSPCA-Assured Oakham Gold Chicken on Sunday, then turn leftovers into Monday’s brothy rice soup, or stir through a quick midweek pineapple fried rice.
Batch-cook Oakham Gold Chicken Legs – part of our wallet-friendly Remarksable Value range – in a comforting chicken, leek and stuffing hot pot for easy heat-and-eat portions.
Coat Oakham Gold Chicken Wings (also at Remarksable Value prices) in a fiery marinade and air fry.

With some clever planning, you can spend less time cooking, cut waste, keep the whole family happy, and save some pennies along the way.

Browse chicken in store

What's the best way to cook chicken?

Chicken is wonderfully versatile and can be cooked in a variety of different ways – it all depends on the cut.

Roast a whole chicken for a Sunday centrepiece.
Pan-fry breasts for a quick and lean option.
Grill thighs for deliciously smoky and juicy results.
Baking is great for cooking succulent wings or breadcrumbed chicken Kyivs.
Poaching keeps chicken moist and delicate, ideal for salads or sandwiches. Whatever you're cooking, it all starts with sourcing good-quality meat. At M&S, our fresh chicken is higher welfare, 100% free-range, RSPCA Assured and slower grown for superior flavour.

Chicken recipes

Chicken cuts and how to cook them

Whole chicken: roast or poach – great for leftovers.
Chicken breasts: grill, pan-fry, bake – good for quick, lean protein, but avoid overcooking.
Chicken thighs and drumsticks: grill, roast or slow-cook for perfectly succulent and juicy cuts.
Chicken wings: roast or grill – delicious finger food.

How to cook a whole chicken

Roasting: a whole roast chicken delivers golden, crispy skin, tender meat, and plenty of leftovers for midweek meals. Try our recipe for creamy herby spatchcock whole roast chicken, or Mexican-style fajita roast chicken. Don't discard the carcass – use it to add flavour to this leftover orzo chicken soup.

Poaching: For beautifully tender meat and a gorgeous broth that you can turn into soups, opt for poaching your chicken. Place a whole chicken in a large pan, cover with cold water and add aromatics, like carrot, leek, bay leaves, peppercorns and a good pinch of salt, then bring to a gentle simmer. Cook with the lid on for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until the juices run clear when a knife is inserted into the thickest part.

How to roast a chicken

How to cook chicken breast

As chicken breast is the leanest cut, use it for quick cooking to avoid it drying out.

Pan-frying: Coat chicken breasts in bold-flavoured seasonings and pan-fry for 10 minutes, then slice into sandwiches or salads or serve with grains or pasta, as in this chicken and halloumi couscous recipe.

Stir-frying: Easy to chop into bite-sized pieces, chicken breast is the perfect quick-cooking protein for a midweek stir-fry. Try it in our garlickly chicken and brocolli stir fry.

Grilling or barbecuing: Marinate and thread chicken breasts onto skewers in this sizzling, smoky hot honey chicken and halloumi kebabs recipe.

Breadcrumbing and baking: Stuff chicken breasts with herby garlic butter, coat them in breadcrumbs, then bake a classic family favourite – chicken Milanese.

More chicken recipes

How to cook chicken thighs, drumsticks and legs

Slow-cooking: Cooking chicken on the bone in adds rich, deep flavour to your dish and tender, juicy meat – perfect for stews and casseroles, like this chicken, leek and stuffing hot pot.

Roasting: Succulent, juicy and flavoursome, these cuts will leave you with plenty of delicious sticky juices to pack your dish with flavour. Use them in one-tray or recipes like our miso roast chicken and caramelised cabbage traybake or a classic honey mustard chicken traybake.

Grilling: For gorgeous crispy chicken skin and tender meat, season skin-on thighs, drumsticks or legs with salt, pepper and a little olive oil, then grill on the barbecue until smoky and delicious. Try our barbecue burnt lime and turmeric thighs recipe.

How we source our chicken

How to cook chicken wings

Roasting: Chicken wings are ideal finger food for a party – pair with big-hitting punchy flavours, then stick them in the oven or air fryer until golden, sticky and delicious, as in ou air fryer sesame, soy and honey chicken wings or sticky buffalo wings with rainbow slaw.

Grilling: For extra-smoky flavour, put marinated wings on the barbecue until cooked through.

How to barbecue chicken

How to cook chicken: our top tips

Don’t hold back on flavour: whether it’s a Smokehouse BBQ Seasoning rub or a Honey and Chipotle Marinade, chicken loves bold seasoning. Our marinades and pastes take the guesswork out of great flavour.

Juicy, never dry: that’s the goal, so try not to overcook it. Check your chicken is cooked by inserting a skewer or sharp knife into the thickest part. If the juices run clear, it's ready to take off the heat.

Make it go further: roast a whole chicken and turn leftovers into pasta, salads or sandwiches.

Get the best from every cut: from tender breast fillets to juicy thighs, each cut has its place in your recipe roster.

More cooking tips

Published 18/06/2026