Skip to main content

What Is That White String in Chicken Tenders? Plus, Is It Safe to Eat and How to Easily Remove It

 

fort lauderdale personal chef


Chicken strips, chicken tenders, chicken fingers—whatever you call them, they are one of the most popular foods eaten in American households. Anyone who has ever prepared chicken at home has seen that white, string-like piece hanging from the chicken tender portion of the breast. So, what is it? Read on to find out, plus learn what, if anything, you should do about it.

Chicken is one of the healthiest protein choices you can make when deciding what to cook for dinner. And chicken breast boasts great flavor with minimal internal fat, making it low in calories and still high in protein. But if you have not worked with chicken a lot, you might notice while prepping that there is a white stringy thing in the chicken breast. And you may wonder if you should remove it or if it is safe to eat.

What is that white string in the chicken breast and is it ok to eat?

The white string you see in your chicken is just a tendon. The tendon is connective tissue that helps the muscles attach to the bones, just like the tendons we have! It is entirely edible and not dangerous to consume, but it can get a bit tough or rubbery when cooked, so it is up to you whether you want to remove it or not when prepping your chicken.

What part of the chicken is the tender?

Some people think that chicken tenders are just strips cut from the breast of the chicken. But in fact, the tender or tenderloin is an independent secondary muscle that lies directly under the breast. Sometimes the whole breast is removed, which includes the tender; sometimes they are removed separately. The tender contains the visible portion fo the tendon that looks like a string.

How to remove a tendon from a raw chicken tender or breast

The tendon in chicken breast meat runs down the center of the tender and can be removed whether you are leaving the tender attached to the breast or not. To remove the tendon:

  • Place the breast (or tender) skin-side up on a cutting board, with the pointy end towards you.
  • Using a paper towel, pinch the white end of the tendon firmly between your fingers and place your chef's knife at a 30-degree angle, trapping the tendon between the knife and your cutting board.
  • Slowly, holding the tendon firmly, wiggle the knife back and forth to reveal more of the tendon, and get a better grip on it. Once you have a solid grip on the first inch or so of the tendon, you should be able to hold it firmly and slide the angled knife against the board to cut the tendon out without damaging the meat.

Alternatively, you may also place the tendon between the tines of a fork, grip the the tendon with a paper towel, and slowly pull it out of the chicken while pushing the fork downward, opposite to the direction you're pulling the tendon. The tendon will slide right out, as seen in this viral TikTok video from @raerae738 (we tried it too, and it worked!).

Do I have to remove the tendon from chicken?

You do not need to remove the tendon from the chicken. The tendon is perfectly edible and not at all dangerous. Removing the tendon is often either an aesthetic decision or done because tendons can be tough and rubbery when cooked.

What happens to a tendon when the chicken cooks?

Tendons are essentially like straps that attach muscle to the bones of the chicken. This connective tissue is very strong. When you cook it, the tendon firms up and contracts, making it slightly tougher than the surrounding meat, which is why some chefs choose to remove it before cooking. For home cooks, it can often be easier to simply eat around the tendon or remove it after cooking.

Bottom line

If you love chicken breasts, but hate that rubbery band, it isn't hard to learn to remove it before cooking. But if it doesn't bother you, you can be assured that it's not dangerous to eat! Feel like chicken tonight? Try these delicious Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken Breasts or this flavorful recipe for Chimichurri Chicken.

EatingWell

personal chefs and event catering
Miami + Miami Beach + Fort Lauderdale + Palm Beach
info@yadachef.com | 954-367-YADA (9232)

Popular posts from this blog

Beef Wellington Recipe

You can use the tines of a fork to “decorate” the edges, or you can place the mixture more in the middle and gather the edges to make a “parcel”.   Serves 4 1 pound/450g filet of beef, cut in 4 equal pieces 2 large shallots, minced 1 pound/450g baby bella mushrooms minced 1 teaspoon/5ml thyme minced 2 tablespoons/30g butter 1 tablespoon/15ml olive oil 1 tablespoon/15ml  flour Salt/pepper to taste 1 package puff pastry thawed  ½ pound/225g  pate –optional 1 egg, beaten Preheat oven to 375˚ Season the fillets with salt and pepper. Saute the beef  with 1 tablespoon/15g butter and olive oil, over medium high heat until browned on all sides, (1-2 minutes per side).  Remove to a platter to cool.  In the same pan add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and let melt.  Add shallots and cook until translucent, add the mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes until most of the excess water is cooked out.  Sprinkle in the flour and cook for another 1-2 minutes, just cook the flour.  Remove from heat and l

2023 Passover Menus For Delivery

YaDa Chef’s 2023 Passover Menu    The following menus are for delivery. Restrictions, delivery fee (if applicable) and availability apply. We also provide in-house personal chef services. Call +1 954-367-9232 or + 1 561-285-7466 or email  info@yadachef.com  for more information.  Ashkenazi – INFLUENCED  Menu 1 - Serves 8-10   $433 Traditional Chopped Chicken liver with Matzo points Cabbage and Carrot Coleslaw Pickled Beet Salad Gefilte Fish Loaf with Fresh Horseradish Vegetable or Chicken soup with Matzo Balls Traditional Roast Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic Traditional or Sweet Potato Kugel Roasted Mixed Vegetable or Carrot Kugel Menu 2 - Serves 8-10   $487 Traditional Chopped Chicken liver with Matzo points Cabbage and Carrot Coleslaw Pickled Beet Salad Gefilte Fish Loaf with Fresh Horseradish Vegetable or Chicken soup with Matzo Balls Traditional Beef Brisket with dried cranberry and Gravy Traditional or Sweet Potato Kugel Roasted Mixed Vegetable or Carrot Kugel Menu 3 - Serves 8-

Gluten Free Zucchini “crab” Cakes Recipe

Zucchini mimics the texture of crab and is a wonderful substitute for vegans, although everyone is sure to love these. Serves 4-6 2 medium zucchini shredded 2 cups/450m. seasoned pulverized crisped rice Rice milk to moisten 1 egg beaten (optional) 1 tablespoon/15ml vegan mayonnaise 2 tablespoon/15ml minced parsley 1 teaspoon/5 prepared mustard 1 teaspoon/5 Worcestershire sauce (optional) 1 teaspoon/5 baking powder 1 teaspoon/5 seafood seasoning 1/4 teaspoon/1ml sea salt 1 tablespoon/15ml canola oil remoulade sauce ( recipe in sauces ) In bowl, moisten rice crumbs. Add egg, mayonnaise, parsley, mustard, Worcestershire, baking powder, seafood seasoning, salt and mix. Add zucchini to mixture, mixing gently but thoroughly. Shape into patties, place in refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes. Pan fry in oil until brown on each side or broil in oven for 2-4 minutes per side or until browned. private chefs and event catering Palm Beach + Boca Rat

Creamed Corn - Gluten Free and Dairy Free

You can make creamed corn without cream and still get just what you want from the dish: the texture of cream and the flavor of corn. In fact, creamed corn without cream is a distinct improvement on creamed corn with cream. Relying on the corn’s own starch for thickening guarantees that the dish will be plenty creamy. And without cream to mask the flavor, the dish tastes much more like the essence of corn. (And that’s not even to mention the savings in calories.) You can put an Indian twist on this simple recipe by substituting 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, 1 large jalapeño chile, chopped, and 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger (use a Microplane) for the basil and lemon juice. Or for a Mexican twist, substitute 1 tablespoon chopped chipotles in adobo (smoked jalapeños in a vinegary tomato sauce), 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, and 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano. It would also be great with 4 slices cooked bacon, crumbed, and 1 large (8 ounces) ripe tomato, chopped

Tandoori Style Chicken Recipe

Most people think that tandoori is a recipe. A tandoor is a large clay pot in which a hot fire is built. Marinated meats are lowered into the pot on long metal skewers and cooked. Normally meat is first marinated in yogurt.  Please do not let the chicken sit in the yogurt for more and a couple of hours. It becomes wooly. Serves: 4 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves ¼ cup/60ml plain rice or coconut yogurt 2 tablespoons/30ml cup olive oil 3tablespoon tomato paste ⅓ cup/79ml Tandoori Spice Mix 1 head of garlic, minced 1 cup/250ml chicken broth 1tablespoon/15ml sugar 1teaspoon/5ml salt Tandoori Spice Mix 1 ½ tablespoon/22ml ground ginger 1 ½ tablespoon/22ml  ground coriander ½ tablespoon/7ml ground cumin ½ teaspoon/2ml paprika ½ teaspoon/2ml  black pepper 1 teaspoon/5ml salt ¾ teaspoon/4ml turmeric ¾ teaspoon/4ml ground nutmeg ¾ teaspoon/4ml ground cloves ¾ teaspoon/4ml ground cinnamon Preheat oven to 450F/232C/GasMark 9 Sprea

6 Ways to Use Zucchini When You Don’t Like The Taste

While zucchini is great in the summer, I easily get burned out after a few weeks. This desperation lead to a great discovery:  zucchini disappears in spaghetti sauce.  Yes, you read that right. Zucchini disappears in spaghetti sauce. When zucchini is  finely shredded, it will almost “melt”  into a cooking sauce – particularly a tomato sauce. The key is to shred it finely, using either a box grater or a food processor. We discovered this beautiful secret while on a challenge to up our veggie intake. But the principle applies to more than just pasta sauce! TAKE A LOOK AT THESE 6 USES: Add 1-1.5 cups to spaghetti sauce. Add 1 cup to the cheese mixture in lasagna (or to the sauce itself). Add 1/2 cup to ground beef, like when making “cheeseburger helper”. Add two tablespoons to a smoothie. Add 1-1.5 cups to chili – including white chicken chili. Add 1/2 cup to stuffed peppers, stuffed cabbage rolls, and other similar dishes. If you notice, I use shredded zucch

Gluten Free Cheese Doodle Recipe

Cheese doodles: you know, those bright or ange crunchy fake cheese things? The ones that dye your fingers a fluorescent color you can see from the moon? How about a gluten free cheese doodle! Honestly, they are delicious and fun. Although they do not resemble the bright orange balls we see at the store; these are better for you, taste amazing, and could be served at a cocktail party with an aioli dipping sauce. So, if you are sick of the weather and crazy schedules - how about a little zany fun….whip up some doodles! Goat Cheese Doodle Makes 4-5 dozen 1 cup/250ml water 1 Tablespoon/14g butter 1 Tablespoon/15ml olive oil 1 Tablespoon/15ml red chili flakes 1 cup/125g All Purpose gluten free baking mix flour 1/2 teaspoon/2ml xanthan gum 1/2 Tablespoon/7ml garlic powder 1 teaspoon/5ml salt 1 teaspoon/5ml pepper 2 large eggs beaten 2 Tablespoons/30ml fresh rosemary 1 cup/120g goat cheese 3 egg whites, beaten into stiff peaks Preheat oven to 400F/200C/Gas

Why Chocolate Feels So Good ... It's All Down To Lubrication

  Date: January 13, 2023 Source: University of Leeds Summary: Scientists have decoded the physical process that takes place in the mouth when a piece of chocolate is eaten, as it changes from a solid into a smooth emulsion that many people find totally irresistible. By analyzing each of the steps, the interdisciplinary research team hope it will lead to the development of a new generation of luxury chocolates that will have the same feel and texture but will be healthier to consume. During the moments it is in the mouth, the chocolate sensation arises from the way the chocolate is lubricated, either from ingredients in the chocolate itself or from saliva or a combination of the two. Fat plays a key function almost immediately when a piece of chocolate is in contact with the tongue. After that, solid cocoa particles are released and they become important in terms of the tactile sensation, so fat deeper inside the chocolate plays a rather limited role and could be reduced without having

9 Professional Styling Tips From Odysseus Bogioglou

Sharing from Odysseus Bogioglou ---wonderful Greek Chef and Food Stylist 1)Garnishing – Garnish has to be something you eat and not there just to decorate. 2) Po sitioning – There is talk of a virtual clock where meat is at 2 o’clock, starch at 10 and veggies at 6. 3) Less is more is one of the rules. A big plate with a relatively small portion puts the food more in focus. 4) Plates – White or off-white plates make the food stand out more too. 5) Color – There has to be a certain color match. 6) Focus – The main part of the dish, usually the meat should be put most in focus for example a little elevated. 7) Plating - Food has to be simply plated so the person eating should be able to eat without having to go through an intricate design to be able to eat. 8) Setting the Stage – The dish has a face and the part in focus (usually the prettiest) should be towards the person eating, I think we can safely say the "eater" in this case is the camera. 9) Sketch

Italian Easter Bread Recipe

The Italians love to celebrate holidays with food and Easter is one of those special holidays.  The breads come in every shape and size. Many are sweet, braided  and wrapped around eggs. The Neapolitans have a delicious savory one stuffed with ricotta and sausage or ham. This recipe is more along the lines of a Calabrian bread. Easter is preceded by Lent, a time of fasting for many Christians. Come Easter Sunday, it is time to come together... 3 cups/375g all purpose flour 1/4 cup/48g sugar 1 package active dry yeast 1 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup/158ml warm milk (120F/49C) 2 tablespoons butter/29g, softened 2 large eggs  grated orange zest 1/4 cup/43g chopped blanched almonds 1/2 teaspoon anise seeds 5 hard boiled eggs neutral oil Glaze 1 cup/130g confectioner's sugar, sifted 2 to 3 tablespoons/30-45ml orange juice sprinkles or nonpareils, for decorating In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup/125g flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add milk and butter; beat 2 minutes on