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CHICKEN · Portion · Compare

Tenderloin vs Oyster

Two cuts people weigh at the counter — fat, cook method and price meters side by side, including lamb shoulder versus breast.

Side by side

TenderloinOyster
Tenderness 88 90
Fat 10 55
Umami 45 94
Price 50 88
Tenderloin
Tomás Castelazo · CC BY-SA 3.0

Tenderloin

Inner fillet · goujon · sasami

The small strip lying under the breast, attached along a tough white tendon. It is the most tender muscle on the bird and cooks in a fraction of the time, which is why it is the natural candidate for skewers, goujons and a lightly seared sashimi in Japan.

74°CA few minutes only

Pull the white tendon out before cooking by gripping it and scraping the meat back with a knife; it never softens.

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Oyster
Tomás Castelazo · CC BY-SA 3.0

Oyster

Sot-l'y-laisse · solomillo de pollo

Two coin-sized nuggets sitting in hollows on the back, either side of the spine. They are the most tender and best-flavoured meat on the entire bird and there are only two per chicken, which is why the French name translates roughly as "the fool leaves it there".

74°CWith the whole bird

Turn a roasted chicken over before carving and scoop them out with a spoon — they are hidden from above.

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Which one to buy

  • Better forTenderloin : Oyster
  • SkewersTenderloin90 : 80
  • FryingTenderloin84 : —
  • PoachingTenderloin70 : —
  • RoastingOyster— : 92

Other comparisons

All cuts

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Temperatures are guidance for whole-muscle cuts. Ground meat and poultry need 71°C / 160°F throughout.