Having to juggle a job and housework means I do resort to shortcuts in the kitchen. Yes, I’m not averse to using frozen, ready-to-cook foods! But I do choose products carefully by reading the labels.

One brand that I’ve tried before is CP Foods. What I like is that their products are preservative-free. So when their PR people asked if I’d like to try out their full range, I readily agreed!

CP Mexican Wings (RRP*: S$4.95)

The Mexican Wings are one of my favorites! Crispy, spicy, and juicy, the drumlettes (about 7 in a pack) are meaty too! I oven-baked them, and they still turned out crispy! These are perfect party finger foods, great with beer. Very yummy when dipped in Thai sweet chilli sauce!

Cooking method: Deep-fry or oven-bake.

CP Roasted Mexican Chicken Wing Stick (RRP: S$4.40)

These were coated in a fiery red hot marinade. Reminded me of tandoori chicken, but with a lot of pepper, and a lot spicier! Great with plain rice. Juicy and tasty, but a little too spicy for me.

Cooking method: Microwave or immerse the bag in boiling water.

CP Honey Wings (RRP: S$5.60)

For kids or those who can’t take spicy food, the sweet and sticky Honey Wings are a wonderful alternative. I enjoyed the moist, tender mid-joint wings, but the sweetness was a little excessive.

Cooking method: Microwave or immerse the bag in boiling water.

CP Golden Crispy (RRP: S$4.40)

This is another favorite; I’ve bought this a couple of times before! It’s actually similar to karaage (Japanese-style chicken nuggets). CP’s Golden Crispy is made of boneless chicken leg. The chunks are meaty and tasty, without being being too salty.

I’ve tried both methods, and found that deep-frying produces better results. Compared to oven-baking, deep-frying produces a crispier coating and the nuggets stay crispy longer.

Cooking method: Deep-fry or oven-bake.

CP Glazed Teriyaki (RRP: S$4.00)

Another Japanese-inspired creation, the Glazed Teriyaki is also made using boneless chicken leg. It’s definitely too sweet, but that’s probaby because the chicken had been marinating in the package. Pair with rice, or use in stir-fries or noodles.

Note: Sesame seeds not included!

Cooking method: Microwave or immerse the bag in boiling water.

CP Pepper Kicks (RRP: S$4.00)

From my experience with the Glazed Teriyaki, I guessed that the Pepper Kicks would also be very well-seasoned, so I made it into a stir-fry with onions and bell pepper! It worked! The veggies complemented the sweet-peppery chicken cubes perfectly, and I didn’t have to add any other seasonings.

Cooking method: Microwave or immerse the bag in boiling water.

Here’s what I did for Pepper Kicks stir-fry:

1. Saute diced onion and bell pepper in a little oil till slightly soft. Remove from pan.

2. Place the uncooked Pepper Kicks chicken into the pan. Squeeze any remaining marinade from the package into the pan.

3. Add 3 tablespoons of water (more if it’s too dry), then stir-fry till chicken is cooked.

4. Return veggies to the pan. Toss to mix evenly, plate up and serve!

Hmm, I’m thinking other veggies like asparagus, fresh mushrooms, snow peas, or baby corn would also work well with Pepper Kicks. Maybe I could also try the same with Glazed Teriyaki!

On the whole, I find that the CP chicken products look and taste good, without any artificial, processed taste. More importantly, they are made without preservatives. Convenient to prepare, it really saves a lot of time preparing and cleaning up, which is a god-send for busy working women like me!

Look out for my next taste test of the shrimp products from CP Foods!

*RRP = recommended retail price