supermarket curries ready meals cheapest way to get chicken soft.

BooJewels

Most ready meals give a couple of cooking times for different output microwaves, so choose the closest and maybe adjust slightly. Mine's 900w, so I often have to reduce the time a smidge as they often quote 650w and 800w.

I have no idea why you're having difficulty unless one of your devices is faulty - or you've chosen a particularly poor product, chicken-wise.  If nothing else, cooking it hotter than recommended will either melt the disposable container and/or totally decimate the chicken.  It sounds like you're over-cooking rather than under.  The meals are usually already cooked, you're largely defrosting and heating in one step.  

Something like a chicken curry is probably best microwaved and not cooked in the oven anyway - which could well dry out and burn the rice too.

Robin9

I think you are trying to incinerate it.

I have a similar product -  (from chilled) Gas Mk 5, 190 -  fan 170 - 25 mins  (microwave 900w 6 mins)

I take out of fridge 10/15 mins  -    stir after 10, stir after another 10, check pipping hot after end of 25

jvjack

Yes does melt the container in oven at above recommended.
I have tried microwave at 6 mins then more and chicken is still solid/tough.
Hi robin what is youre similar product . is it chicken
edit  thank will try that

k_man

jvjack said:

Yes does melt the container in oven at above recommended.
I have tried microwave at 6 mins then more and chicken is still solid/tough.
Hi robin what is youre similar product . is it chicken
edit  thank will try that

As stated above, you are reheating the ready meal, not cooking it.
The only reason to cook for longer is if it is not hot enough.
The already cooked chicken won't get less tough the longer you cook it (unless by tough you mean frozen 😉), only more tough.
And this can happen very quickly when microwaving for a minute or 2 too long.

I would suggest microwave for a minute, stir and repeat a few times until it is hot.

Robin9

@k_man Waitrose Chicken Jalfrezi 

jvjack

Will try that. thanks

 Going to Morrisons tomorrow and will try theirs.
Hadnt thought about it that simply warm those curries with chicken up .

Hope i'm wrong and i might be but i have tried to microwave them at instructions and chicken is tough /solid
Get home then 6mins mins later dinner.  I'm hoping too much i think.

jvjack

Ahh  Robin9 Waitrose Chicken Jalfrezi
I pass M and S on motorway 
I'll try them them all to have a meal in 6 mins after getting home.
If the chicken is chewable..

Robin9

When my wife and I cook meat or reheat which is what you are doing with a ready meal take  we put a small piece on saucer , see how easily it cuts with a teaspoon and then do a test eat to see if has been cooked through.


The rice at 260C must have been like bullets

EssexHebridean

OP - this is remarkably simple. Pop one of these meals in your microwave, and cook it exactly as per the instructions - stirring mid way, resting time, whatever. Then check the very centre of the meal - it is piping hot - ie, too hot to eat immediately in anything other that tiny forkfuls? If so it is heated correctly, and ready to eat. If you feel that the chicken is still “solid”  at that stage on a single meal, it could be a fault with the meal. If it is happening routinely though, then perhaps it is simply that the texture of chicken is not to your taste in that setting - maybe consider a different meat, or a veggie option instead.  If the meal is NOT piping hot after following the cooking instructions correctly, and indeed if by “solid” you mean still cold/frozen, then that suggests an issue with your microwave. 

I’m struggling to believe that if you had cooked one of these meals for an hour in the oven at the temperatures you mention, that your first concern would be tough meat - I would expect the bigger issue here to be either to totally congealed and inedible sauce, or the rice that would essentially have dehydrated back to its uncooked state. 

diystarter7

Robin9 said:

When my wife and I cook meat or reheat which is what you are doing with a ready meal take  we put a small piece on saucer , see how easily it cuts with a teaspoon and then do a test eat to see if has been cooked through.


The rice at 260C must have been like bullets

Hi
Best advice on the thread,

We rarely follow to the letter instruction on the packet but as a guide only and as above and then you have mastered it

Good luck