How to Cook Pasture-Raised Chicken from Ayers Valley Farm

General Cooking Tips

✅ Cook all chicken — whole birds, cuts, or ground — to an internal temperature of 165°F.
To keep it juicy, pull it off the heat a few degrees early and let it rest. It’ll finish cooking as it sits.

✅ Use a quality thermometer and check in the thickest part of the meat (away from bone or fat).

✅ Avoid overcooking. Pasture-raised chicken is naturally leaner and benefits from gentle cooking methods and moisture-retaining fats like butter, olive oil, or lard.

Chicken Breasts

Pasture-raised chicken breasts are tender, clean-tasting, and versatile — perfect for busy weeknights or meal prep.

Our Favorite Ways to Cook:

 Air Fryer Perfection

Sprinkle with your favorite seasoning (we love curry or smoked paprika), then air fry for 25 minutes at 375°F — 15 minutes on one side, flip, season again, and cook about 10 more minutes.

 Grilled & Glazed

Grill over medium heat until nearly done, then brush with barbecue sauce in the final few minutes to caramelize.

 Quick Skillet Stir-Fry

Slice partially frozen chicken breasts into thin strips or cubes for easy cutting. Sauté in a cast iron pan with onions, garlic, and your favorite veggies. Serve over rice for a quick, clean, high-protein meal.

Pro Tips:

• Let chicken sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.
• To cook evenly, butterfly thick breasts or pound slightly thinner.
• Pull off the heat around 160°F and rest — it’ll rise to 165°F naturally.

Drumsticks & Thighs

These dark-meat cuts are rich, juicy, and forgiving — ideal for air frying, baking, or slow roasting.

Cooking Ideas:

• Air Fryer or Grill: Use the same methods as for chicken breasts — quick, crispy, and full of flavor.
• Oven-Baked: Bake at 350°F for about 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. If using sauce, baste every 15 minutes for a sticky, flavorful glaze.
• Slow-Roasted: Line a pan with foil, cover with drumsticks or thighs, and bake low and slow at 300°F for 3 hours.Shred the meat and save the pan drippings — that’s your homemade broth!
• Smoked: Both cuts are bone-in, making them perfect for low-and-slow smoking.

 Chicken Wings

Simple, crowd-pleasing, and always a hit.

Directions:

• Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
• Coat wings with BBQ sauce or dry rub.
• Bake uncovered at 400°F for about 40 minutes until the skin is crispy and the meat is tender.

Done Right When:
The skin is golden and the meat easily pulls from the bone.

 Whole Chicken Broiler

Our whole broilers are perfect for Sunday dinners — or for cooking once and eating all week. Roast, pull the meat, and use it in soups, tacos, casseroles, and sandwiches.

Basic Method:

• Roast or slow-cook your bird until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F.
• Save every bit of goodness — once you’ve pulled the meat, simmer the carcass for a rich chicken bone broth.

Good to Know:
Our chickens are raised clean and chemical-free, so your broth will be pure, golden, and naturally gelatinous.

🧡 From Our Family Kitchen

Cooking pasture-raised chicken is about slowing down and savoring the simple things — like a meal that came from the land, raised by hands that care.

Every time you cook Ayers Valley Farm chicken, you’re choosing real food, raised with respect for the animal and the soil that sustains it.

Taste the difference. Feel the goodness. Feed your family well.