Trim Fish, Chicken Cooking Time to 20 Minutes or Less

There is more than one way to quickly cook a meal with chicken or fish. Zap, skewer, stir-fry, simmer or steam fish or chicken for a flavorful main dish in less time. Read on to explore additional methods, recipe ideas, and tips to get fish and poultry done fast.

1. Chop it

Size matters when one wants to cook something fast. Opt for smaller boneless cuts of chicken (4 ounces or less per piece) to speed your meals along. Fish are not so size-critical, but the rule still holds true. Smaller pieces cook faster.

2. Zap it

Fish works better than meat or even poultry in the microwave. Some chefs say microwave cooking can lead to moist, flaky results that are as good or better than conventional methods.

Microwave Steamed Fish Recipe

- Tilapia or other white fish
- garlic salt
- fresh garlic or shallots, minced
- spring onions, diced

In a lightly greased microwaveable serving dish, space thawed fillets (or whole gutted fish) evenly. Sprinkle with salt, garlic, shallots, and spring onion pieces. Cover with plastic wrap, avoiding contact between fish and plastic. Microwave for 1-2 minutes on high. Check fish and repeat cooking 1 minute at a time until flesh flakes easily with a fork.

While some are skeptical of microwave-cooked chicken, people who have tried it were pleased with this Parmesan chicken recipe:

Parmesan Chicken (via Microwave)

- 1.5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half or tender sizes
- 1 egg or egg white, beaten (can substitute milk)
- 1 c. dried breadcrumbs OR crushed corn flakes OR crushed crispy rice cereal
- 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
- dried parsley
- Italian seasoning
- spaghetti sauce
- Mozzarella cheese, sliced or grated

Mix together breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese; add garlic salt and spices to taste. Coat boneless chicken breast pieces with egg and then dredge chicken in crumb mixture. Place pieces in a greased microwavable dish. Microwave chicken on high (uncovered) for 6-8 minutes (or longer), until cooked through. Top with mozzarella cheese and microwave until cheese is just melted. Drizzle chicken with warm spaghetti sauce and serve with pasta, salad, and/or vegetables.

3. Broil it

It can be overlooked, but broiling is among the fastest and simplest of ways to get chicken or fish to the table. Season, broil, done. Restaurants do it all the time, so why not the rest of us?

4. Skewer it

When a fast-prep meal is what is needed, there can be plenty of juicy kebabs awaiting diners when the cooking is done. All kitchens should be equipped a supply of bamboo or metal skewers so that these are always an option. Season simply with oil and salt and pepper or garlic salt, or marinade kebabs for a flavor twist. Grill or broil and moments later, everyone is happy.

5. Boil it

Boiling is another way to ensure your pieces of poultry or fish are full cooked in less time. One can even boil first and then further cook the chicken via grill, wok, or otherwise. Or just make a simple pot of steaming chicken and rice soup or fish chowder.

6. Stew it

Whipping up a stew takes less time than most people would expect. The smaller pieces of chicken or fish are submerged in broth and cook faster that way.

7. Pressurize it

Many cooks have discovered and rediscovered pressure-cooking as one of the speediest of ways to prepare chicken or meat. Safety is modern pressure cookers is excellent, and one can enjoy the tender results within minutes, even with boned chicken.

8. Stir it

Asians have been stirring up chicken and fish medleys in their woks for centuries. Once the components have been chopped, the savory results are only minutes away. Let stir-fry become a quick and common appearance in your meal rotation. Or it can be your faithful "plan B" when time runs short.

9. Steam it

With a steamer basket for the stove or in the rice cooker, fish steams quickly and easily. Steamed chicken can be done in the same rice cooker, either suspended above in the basket or cooked amongst the rice grains below.

10. Simmer it

Speed cooking along by putting a lid on it. Fish and chicken cook fast when simmered or sautéed with the lid on the pan. Almost any fish can be cooked by seasoning with garlic salt and sauteing it in a little bit of oil, finishing it by simmering with the lid on to preserve moisture. Or if chicken is what everyone is hankering for, snag a speedy chicken skillet recipe on-line (or from a favorite cookbook).

Safety Note: With any of these 10 preparation methods, check the internal temperature of the poultry or fish with a meat thermometer to help ensure optimum safety. Cook food until the recommended temperature is reached.

* Bonus Tip: Thawing it

Some folks delight to cook but may struggle with thawing the poultry or fish in time. One can of course, thaw in the microwave. Or plan ahead and thaw items in the refrigerator starting a day before. However, advance meal planning is not everyone's forte. If there are those in the house who disdain microwave-thawed chicken or fish, or if the cook forgets to start the fish or chicken thawing soon enough, what can be done? A person still does not have to order take out.

Try "quick-thawing" by submerging the wrapped or bagged chicken or fish in a bowl or sink full of water. This will still take a couple of hours, so one may have to resort to another thawing method, or go pick up some refrigerated cuts or chicken or fish that are not frozen. Attempting to cook frozen cuts or fillets take much longer and give sub-par results.

Lessons Gained, Time Saved

Whatever recipe one chooses or invents, reducing cooking time to get speedy results should satisfy everyone, from the cook to all who partakel. With so many routes for quick cooking available, chicken and fish dishes can appear in the menu as often as the chef desires. Broiled chicken tonight anyone?