This TikToker Revealed The Unexpected Ingredient That Makes "The Juiciest Chicken You Will Ever Have" (And After Tasting It Myself, It's Definitely Not An Exaggeration)
"I know it looks weird, but just trust me."
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Amidst the hysterical-yet-baffling chaos of the FDA warning Americans not to cook their chicken in NyQuil (based on a TikTok "trend" that actually never existed), one real chicken hack has been steadily making its rounds on the app. This one, however, sounds objectively more delicious than cough medicine-poached chicken, and it involves a simple marinade using a pretty common fruit.
In his viral video, TikToker Elliott Norris (aka @callmebelly) reveals "the key to the juiciest chicken you will ever have." The key, in this instance, is a literal kiwi. And according to Elliott, it "melts in your mouth."
While kiwi might not be the first ingredient you think of when it comes to a chicken marinade, there's actually a whole lot of science behind why this method works as well as it does.
"I learned about this technique this past summer in Tunisia," Elliott told BuzzFeed. "I was staying with my best friend's family, and her father explained that there are many fruits that contain different enzymes that help to tenderize meats."
As Elliott noted, other plants also have the ability to tenderize meats. The same could be said for pineapple, figs, papaya, and even ginger. Basically — and not to get too sciencey on you — any plant containing proteolytic enzymes has the ability to break down proteins.
Actinidin, the enzyme within kiwi, is actually one of the most efficient meat tenderizers out there since it's highly active at room temperature, which can't be said for the proteolytic enzymes present in all other fruits. The ultimate effect, Elliott told BuzzFeed, is said to be similar to that of buttermilk on chicken, which is a popular marinade here in America: soft, velvety meat that just so happens to be super juicy, too.
As someone who will do everything in his power to fight Boring Chicken Syndrome — a term coined by yours truly at this very moment — I knew I had to test this out in my own kitchen. Ultimately, I realized that it's a pretty foolproof way to amp up the flavor and texture of your chicken, and the simplicity of the ingredients involved was just the cherry on top.
While we're on the subject of ingredients, let's talk about them. Here's what you'll need to make kiwi-marinated chicken. (And BTW, this amount of chicken will serve about four people.)
When it comes to your seasonings, the sky's the limit. I used a garlic sea salt blend and some cracked black pepper, but you can swap in anything you'd like, as long as salt is included in the mix. Paprika or Italian seasoning would both be great choices, or you could even use a simple poultry spice blend of your choosing.
STEP #1: Use a spoon to scoop the kiwi flesh from the brown skin...
...and then give it a good mash with a fork. You'll want to do this in a bowl large enough to hold your chicken.
(It'll look something like this when it's done.)
STEP #2: Add in the seasonings of your choosing (don't forget the salt!) and one tablespoon of olive oil. Give everything a mix until it's fully combined.
STEP #3: Evenly coat your chicken in the kiwi marinade.
STEP #4: Cover with a tight-fitting lid or plastic wrap, then allow it to sit in your refrigerator for at least one hour, per the instructions in Elliott's video.
STEP #5: Once your chicken has marinated, let it rest for 20 minutes on your counter to bring it to room temperature. Then, cook it using your preferred method. I pan-seared mine, as Elliott did in his video, but I think you'd have delicious results on the grill or in an air fryer, too.
If you're pan-searing your chicken, add a decent drizzle of olive oil to your skillet before placing it over medium-high heat. Once your skillet is hot, sear the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side or until both sides are browned and the centers register at 165ºF using an instant-read thermometer.
THE FINAL STEP: It's an annoying one, I know, but let your chicken rest for 5-10 minutes. We're going for optimal juiciness here, so letting it rest on a cutting board will allow the juices to redistribute through the chicken before you cut it, and it makes a MASSIVE difference. Trust me on this one.
That's all! When you're ready to serve your kiwi chicken, slice it up. And if you used cut-up breast meat, like Elliott did, you can also leave it whole. The choice is yours.
THE VERDICT: I don't quite know what I was expecting, but this kiwi chicken absolutely blew me away.
When I first watched Elliott's viral TikTok, I admittedly chuckled at the "melt in your mouth" description. I mean, it's just chicken? But after trying it for myself, it's honestly the perfect descriptor. The meat itself was pleasantly soft and not even the slightest bit tough. And the juiciness? Out of control! It delivered results that were very comparable to a buttermilk-marinated chicken — but with much, much better flavor.
