The Real Reason Ina Garten Prefers To Cook With This Type Of Chicken

Ever since she first opened the doors of her speciality food store Barefoot Contessa, back in 1978, Ina Garten has been carefully honing her incredible culinary chops (via Food Network). She's had her own successful show for almost 20 years, has published multiple cookbooks, and even has her own line of helpful pantry products. Meaning, Garten knows a thing or two about whipping up the perfect dish, whether it's eggplant parmesan or triple chocolate cake.

However, one thing the celebrity chef is quite particular about is the type of chicken she uses in her recipes. On the "Ask Ina" section of her website, one of her fans asked the following, "I notice that you almost always use chicken breasts with the skin on. What is your reasoning?" Here's what the cook had to say about her choice of chicken and why she's so adamant about using it when she cooks.

According to Garten, opting for skin-on chicken breast — as opposed to the ever popular skinless alternative — makes for a juicier bite of meat. "For the most part, I always cook chicken with the skin on," she explains on her website. "I find it makes the meat much more tender and moist." And if you really don't like the skin or if you're trying to cut out excess fat, she still says to choose the skin-on chicken. "Even if you're going to remove the skin after cooking, I would recommend you roast the chicken skin-on and then remove the skin," the television personality says.

The Harvard School of Public Health echoes Garten's claims that skin-on chicken tends to be more tender and more flavorful (via Fit Day). If you're worried about the fattier content of skin-on meat, the U.S. Department of Agriculture points out that most of the fat of chicken skin is actually unsaturated fat, which is the healthy kind.