How do you figure how much your cooked chicken weighed raw?

Unfortunately, there's no foolproof way to determine the exact raw weight of cooked chicken. Here's why:

* Moisture Loss: Chicken loses moisture during cooking, primarily water. This loss can vary significantly depending on cooking methods (roasting vs. grilling), cooking time, and the type of chicken (breast vs. thigh).

* Shrinkage: The muscle fibers in chicken also contract during cooking, resulting in a decrease in size.

* Fat Rendering: Some of the fat in chicken renders out during cooking, further reducing the weight.

However, you can make a good estimate:

1. General Rule of Thumb: Many sources suggest that cooked chicken loses about 25% of its weight during cooking. This is a good starting point, but remember that it's just an average.

2. Consider Cooking Method: If you cooked the chicken in a way that resulted in a lot of moisture loss (like roasting or grilling), the weight loss might be closer to 30%. If you boiled or poached the chicken, the loss might be closer to 20%.

3. Adjust for Bone-In vs. Boneless: Bone-in chicken loses a bit more weight than boneless chicken during cooking.

Example:

If you have 1 pound of cooked chicken breast (boneless), you can estimate the raw weight by:

* Multiply the cooked weight by 1.25: 1 pound * 1.25 = 1.25 pounds

* This estimate suggests the raw chicken breast weighed approximately 1.25 pounds.

Important Note: This is just an estimation. It's better to overestimate than underestimate, as it's safer to assume you have slightly more raw chicken than you might need.