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CHICKEN · Portion · Compare

Tenderloin vs Oyster

Two cuts people weigh against each other at the counter — here is what actually separates them.

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.