When all else fails we usually default to chicken for dinner. It is easy to cook and a (supposedly) healthier alternative to red meat. Although ordering in is easy, it isn’t the best solution as it comes out more pricey than cooking instead. Part of the challenge home cooks often encounter is making sure that the food is well-cooked and flavorful.

Magnolia Chicken Timplados ensures that our fried chicken tastes really good. No need to measure ingredients as everything is prepped and ready to go. One pack of ready-to-cook fried chicken drumsticks includes marinated chicken drumsticks (3 pieces), breading, and BBQ seasoning.

How to prepare to cook Magnolia Chicken Timplados

Thaw

When we purchase the Magnolia Chicken Timplados it is usually frozen. To prepare the chicken for cooking, the first thing we will need to do is thaw the chicken. As the chicken is swimming in marinade there is no reason to wash it out anymore.

There are several ways we can thaw the chicken. We could:

• Option 1: Just let it sit in a container at room temperature (packet and all) for some time and let it thaw naturally. Depending on how frozen it is, this could take an hour or longer.
• Option 2: We could use a thawing tray that does the same thing as the first option but faster, meaning it will probably only take a few minutes.
• Option 3: Open the packet and pour the contents into a microwave-safe dish and use the defrost option of the microwave.

I personally prefer option 2 as it consumes less time and does not require electricity.

Coat

This is what I call the messy stage and, it can’t be helped, our hands will get dirty. Again, you have options.

• Option 1: Be classy and pour the breading into a container and then roll each piece of marinated chicken in the breading until it is completely coated.
• Option 2: Carinderia style! Dump the breading into the marinated chicken in a bowl and just mix it until everything is coated properly.

Both methods work well, the difference is that the second option tends to be more watery. However, it isn’t really that big a deal. It is just a question of how much you mind getting your hands dirty. Some would say to use plastic gloves but I am one of those “weird people” that like to actually feel what I am touching so … messy hands it is, hyuk!

With option 2, though, I would recommend letting it drip a bit before putting it in the oil so that there isn’t too much spillage when we cook.

Cook

And now for the fun part and soon we will be eating delicious BBQ-flavored chicken! The traditional way to cook fried chicken (especially if it is breaded) is by frying it in a pan of oil … a LOT of oil. The packet says 2 to 3 cups but I like to wing it.

Truthfully, it depends on the pan I am using and how many pieces are going in.  The goal is to have the chicken submerged halfway when in the pan so that it cooks evenly. With a pan as big as I used, it would take a lot of oil indeed so I just put in as much as I had available and hoped that covering the pan would make it cook evenly.

A healthier alternative is to cook the chicken in an air fryer or oven.

Whether cooking in a pan, an air fryer, or an oven, the trick is to make sure it is hot enough before putting the chicken in. Putting the chicken in when the oil in the pan is not hot enough or the air fryer or oven is not preheated would result in the breading just falling off the chicken. We will lose out on that crispy outer shell!

In a pan, this will take about 15 to 20 minutes to cook if set on medium heat. If in an air fryer or it will take less time, probably around 10 minutes.

Time to shake it!

Once the chicken is cooked we need to let it rest for a few minutes on a rack to let the excess oil (if cooked in a pan) drip off. In an air fryer or oven, this will not take as long as the chicken was already sitting in a basket or rack while cooking.

After a few minutes, we put the chicken in a container with a lid and pour in the flavor packet, cap the lid, and shake it! This ensures that the chicken pieces are coated evenly. We don’t need to do this long, the goal is just to coat the chicken evenly after all.

Time to eat!

Time to plate and eat! With or without the BBQ flavor packet, this chicken is delicious! You should try it, too.

Magnolia Chicken Timplados is available in all leading supermarkets.