7 Poultry Cooking Books That Will Elevate Your Kitchen Skills

Discover authoritative Poultry Cooking Books authored by America’s Test Kitchen, Taste of Home, Bon Appetit, and other culinary leaders to refine your poultry dishes.

Updated on June 26, 2025
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What if the humble chicken—the most commonly cooked poultry—could become your culinary canvas for creativity and skill? Poultry cooking, often underestimated, offers endless possibilities to transform simple meals into memorable dishes. Whether it’s mastering the perfect roast or exploring exotic game birds, elevating your poultry cooking can truly redefine your home dining experience.

The books featured here come from renowned culinary authorities like America’s Test Kitchen and Bon Appetit, each bringing decades of recipe testing, technique refinement, and trusted guidance. These authors bring clarity and depth to poultry cooking, guiding you through techniques from sous vide to slow cooking, and covering diverse poultry types including chicken, game birds, and barbecue specialties.

While these expert-curated books provide proven frameworks and reliable recipes, you might also consider creating a personalized Poultry Cooking book tailored to your skill level, preferences, and goals. Such a custom book can build on these authoritative insights to deliver a cooking experience uniquely suited to your kitchen and tastes.

Best for mastering diverse chicken techniques
America’s Test Kitchen is renowned for its rigorous recipe testing, backed by over 60 chefs dedicated to discovering the best cooking methods. Their expertise shines through in this book, which was crafted to transform your approach to chicken with 500 recipes and detailed techniques like whole bird breakdowns and double-frying wings. Their authoritative background ensures you’re learning from a reliable source committed to elevating your poultry cooking skills.
2021·544 pages·Poultry Cooking, Recipe Techniques, Chicken Preparation, Sous Vide, Frying Methods

Drawing from decades of testing by a team of over 60 chefs, this book turns chicken from a mundane staple into a canvas for culinary creativity. You’ll gain hands-on skills like breaking down a whole bird, mastering sous vide techniques for moist chicken, and perfecting double-fried Korean wings that stay crispy under spicy sauces. The book’s 500 recipes are organized into approachable chapters that cover everything from easy dinners to special-occasion showstoppers, making it ideal whether you’re cooking for two or a crowd. If you want to elevate your poultry cooking with reliable methods and diverse flavors, this is a solid guide, though it’s best suited for cooks ready to explore beyond basics.

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Best for broad recipe variety and practicality
Taste of Home is America’s #1 food and lifestyle brand, known for inspiring home cooks through its magazine and best-selling cookbooks. Drawing on this expertise, the authors compiled over 360 chicken recipes that cover everything from weeknight staples to international dishes. Their extensive experience in cooking and entertaining shines through, providing a trustworthy guide for anyone eager to amp up their poultry game with practical tips and diverse flavors.
2022·320 pages·Poultry Cooking, Cooking, Chicken Recipes, Weeknight Dinners, Air Fryer

Taste of Home, a leading food and lifestyle brand, compiled this extensive collection to elevate your chicken cooking. Inside, you’ll find 362 recipes spanning quick weeknight dinners to festive holiday dishes, including innovative options like Buffalo Chicken Stromboli and Mexican Chicken Lasagna. The book also offers practical features such as QR codes linking to videos and tips, helping you master techniques like air frying and Instant Pot preparations. Whether you’re refining classic roasted chicken or exploring global flavors, this cookbook equips you with diverse poultry skills. It’s ideal for anyone looking to deepen their home-cooking repertoire but may be overwhelming if you prefer minimalistic or highly specialized cookbooks.

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Best for personal cooking plans
This AI-created book on poultry cooking is crafted based on your culinary experience, preferred techniques, and specific goals. By sharing your background and interests, you receive a custom guide that focuses on the aspects of poultry preparation most relevant to you. This tailored approach helps you navigate the many methods and recipes available, making your learning process both targeted and rewarding.
2025·50-300 pages·Poultry Cooking, Cooking Techniques, Roasting Methods, Grilling Basics, Braising Poultry

This tailored poultry cooking guide explores essential techniques and recipes designed specifically for your cooking background and goals. It delves into fundamental methods like roasting, braising, and grilling, while also examining advanced skills such as sauce preparation and game bird handling. By focusing on your interests, this personalized book provides a clear, engaging pathway through the complexities of poultry cooking, ensuring you build confidence and versatility in the kitchen. The content reveals how to select, prepare, and master various poultry types with a focus on flavor, texture, and presentation. This approach makes learning efficient, enjoyable, and directly relevant to your culinary journey.

Tailored Guide
Culinary Technique Focus
1,000+ Happy Readers
Best for slow cooker poultry enthusiasts
Hope Comerford is the new author and face of Fix-It and Forget-It cookbooks, known for her blog “A Busy Mom’s Slow Cooker Adventures.” With years of experience writing about slow cooking and healthy recipes, she brings practical knowledge to this collection. Comerford's passion for easy, delicious meals shines through, making this book a solid choice if you want reliable slow cooker chicken recipes that work in everyday life.
2019·336 pages·Poultry Cooking, Slow Cooking, Chicken Recipes, Casseroles, Soups

After analyzing thousands of slow cooker recipes, Hope Comerford developed this collection to simplify poultry cooking with a slow cooker. You’ll learn to prepare a wide range of chicken dishes—from easy five-ingredient meals to more elaborate casseroles and soups—each tested by home cooks for reliability and flavor. Sections like "Five or Fewer Ingredients" and "Wings" offer targeted inspiration whether you want quick weeknight dinners or crowd-pleasing appetizers. If you want to master slow cooker chicken with dependable recipes that fit various tastes and occasions, this book provides clear, straightforward options without fuss.

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Best for adventurous cooks exploring game birds
Adrienne Hew, known as the Nutrition Heretic, challenges conventional health theories with her background as a Certified Nutritionist and training in Chinese dietetics. Her expertise informs this spirited exploration of game bird cooking, blending culinary wisdom with humor. She wrote this book to help you tackle the unique challenges of preparing cock, sharing recipes and cultural insights that bring this often-overlooked ingredient back to the table with flair.
2013·166 pages·Poultry Cooking, Cooking, Recipe Development, Culinary Culture, Nutrition

Adrienne N Hew CN, a Certified Nutritionist with expertise in Chinese dietetics, brings a playful yet informed approach to poultry cooking in this collection. She exposes the challenges of preparing tougher game birds like cock, providing recipes that transform dry, stringy meat into succulent dishes such as Risotto Cock Balls. Beyond recipes, the book explores folklore, nutrition, and culinary traditions, making it ideal if you want to expand your cooking skills with an unconventional poultry focus. Its humor and cultural insights add flavor, though it's best suited for cooks willing to experiment beyond standard chicken dishes.

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Best for healthy Mediterranean-inspired poultry
Vesela Tabakova lives in Bulgaria with her family and has a rich tradition of experimenting with family recipes to suit modern tastes. Her love for cooking and natural homemade products inspired this cookbook, which brings a fresh Mediterranean perspective to everyday chicken dishes. You’ll find her approach approachable and rooted in tried family favorites, making this collection a reliable companion for anyone wanting to blend health and flavor in poultry cooking.
2017·80 pages·Poultry Cooking, Mediterranean Diet, Healthy Recipes, Slow Cooking, Soups

What started as Vesela Tabakova's passion for family cooking evolved into a vibrant collection of Mediterranean-inspired chicken recipes designed for everyday meals. You gain practical skills in combining wholesome ingredients like superfood vegetables and legumes with poultry, mastering dishes from quick salads to comforting slow cooker stews. The book shines in chapters like Mediterranean Chicken Soup and Moroccan Chicken Tagine, offering flavorful variety without complexity. If you want to enrich your poultry cooking with a healthy, budget-friendly Mediterranean twist, this cookbook fits perfectly, though those seeking advanced culinary techniques might find it more straightforward than intricate.

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Best for daily cooking plans
This AI-created book on poultry cooking is tailored to your skill level and specific culinary goals. By sharing what you want to focus on and your current experience, you receive a personalized guide that walks you through daily steps to boost your confidence and skill in preparing poultry. Such a custom approach helps you learn more efficiently by concentrating on the techniques and recipes that matter most to you, making your cooking journey both focused and enjoyable.
2025·50-300 pages·Poultry Cooking, Cooking Techniques, Recipe Development, Roasting, Frying Methods

This tailored book explores a step-by-step poultry cooking plan designed to accelerate your culinary skills over 30 days. It covers essential techniques, from selecting quality birds to mastering roasting, frying, and braising, all matched to your cooking background and preferences. By focusing on your interests and goals, it provides a personalized pathway through diverse poultry preparations, including chicken and game birds, helping you build confidence in the kitchen. The book reveals how to approach each cooking method with clarity and enthusiasm, transforming complex culinary concepts into achievable daily lessons tailored to your pace and taste.

Tailored Guide
Skill Progression
3,000+ Books Created
Best for mastering barbecue chicken and sauces
Frank Mueller is the owner and pitmaster of Tex Barbecue in Austin, Texas, recognized for his expertise in American barbecue traditions. With multiple books on the subject, he brings authoritative knowledge to this collection of barbecue chicken recipes and sauces. His background as a celebrated pitmaster informs the detailed instructions and variety of flavors presented, making this book a resource for anyone serious about mastering barbecue chicken.
2020·238 pages·BBQ, Poultry Cooking, Sauce Making, Grilling Techniques, Chicken Recipes

Frank Mueller, an esteemed pitmaster from Austin, Texas, channels his deep expertise in barbecue to craft this extensive guide on barbecue chicken and sauces. You gain not only 20 distinct barbecue chicken recipes but also an impressive 212 sauce variations that cover a breadth of flavors and techniques. The book also offers bonus beef recipes, making it a versatile tool if you want to expand beyond poultry. If you’re looking to elevate your grilling skills with authentic barbecue practices and nuanced sauce crafting, this book provides detailed insights and practical recipes to experiment with. It suits anyone from backyard grillers eager to master classic barbecue to seasoned cooks wanting to deepen their sauce repertoire.

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Best for exploring versatile poultry preparations
Poultry (Cooking With Bon Appetit) offers a rich exploration of poultry's culinary potential, guided by Bon Appetit's well-honed approach to accessible, flavorful cooking. This book highlights poultry as a versatile ingredient, adaptable to a spectrum of techniques from roasting to poaching, and suitable for meals throughout the day. It benefits anyone looking to expand their cooking repertoire with poultry, offering ideas that range from straightforward herb roasting to sophisticated dishes like galantines and pates. Its clear, approachable style makes it a valuable companion for cooks eager to understand and enjoy the many facets of poultry preparation.
Poultry (Cooking With Bon Appetit) book cover

by Bon Appetit·You?

112 pages·Poultry Cooking, Cooking, Recipe Techniques, Roasting, Stuffing

Drawing from Bon Appetit's extensive culinary expertise, this book explores the broad versatility of poultry, including chicken, turkey, duck, goose, and game birds. You'll learn a wide range of preparations—from simple herb-roasted dishes to complex pates and galantines—each showcasing different techniques and flavor profiles. The book offers practical insights into balancing piquant spices and subtle seasonings, as well as adapting recipes for various meals like brunch, lunch, or dinner. If you enjoy experimenting with poultry or want to deepen your cooking skills with these proteins, this book provides a solid foundation without overwhelming complexity.

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Conclusion

This collection of seven poultry cooking books reveals three clear themes: mastering essential techniques, exploring diverse poultry varieties, and embracing flavorful global influences. If you’re aiming to perfect your cooking fundamentals and experiment broadly, start with "The Chicken Bible" and "Poultry" by Bon Appetit. For slow cooker simplicity, "Fix-It and Forget-It" offers dependable recipes, while the "BBQ Chicken Cookbook" and "50 Ways to Eat Cock" invite you to dive into advanced flavor profiles and less common poultry options.

Combining books like "Taste of Home Ultimate Chicken Cookbook" with Mediterranean-inspired recipes from "Chicken Cookbook" can accelerate your path to varied and healthy meals. Alternatively, you can create a personalized Poultry Cooking book to bridge general principles with your specific needs and culinary ambitions.

These books offer expert knowledge and practical recipes that can help you refine your poultry cooking skills and make your meals stand out. Delve into this curated library to accelerate your learning journey and enjoy the rich flavors poultry has to offer.

Frequently Asked Questions

I'm overwhelmed by choice – which book should I start with?

Start with "The Chicken Bible" for a broad foundation. It covers diverse techniques and recipes, making it ideal for cooks ready to explore poultry cooking comprehensively.

Are these books too advanced for someone new to Poultry Cooking?

Not at all. Many books, like "Taste of Home Ultimate Chicken Cookbook," offer approachable recipes suitable for beginners while still providing room to grow skills.

Do I really need to read all of these, or can I just pick one?

You can pick based on your interests. For slow cooking, choose "Fix-It and Forget-It." For barbecue, "BBQ Chicken Cookbook" excels. Each offers focused expertise.

Which books give the most actionable advice I can use right away?

"Fix-It and Forget-It Best Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes" and "Taste of Home Ultimate Chicken Cookbook" provide practical, easy-to-implement recipes for quick weeknight meals.

Are any of these books outdated given how fast Poultry Cooking changes?

These books are current and reflect tested, reliable poultry cooking methods. For the latest trends, combining them with personalized content can keep your skills fresh.

Can personalized Poultry Cooking books complement these expert guides?

Yes! While these books offer trusted knowledge, personalized books tailor insights to your experience and goals, making learning more efficient and relevant. Check out creating your custom Poultry Cooking book for a perfect fit.

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