Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda

When baking powder is mixed with salt and coated on chicken it dries out the skin, leaving it crisp and crunchy. It happens because the addition of the baking powder raises the pH level in the chicken, allowing the peptide bonds in the skin to break down, thus letting the skin get more crisp and brown.

Meat is treated with baking soda dissolved in water to keep it tender. Briefly soaking meat in a solution of baking soda and water raises the pH on the meat's surface, making it more difficult for the proteins to bond excessively, which keeps the meat tender and moist when it is cooked. Tenderizing with a baking soda solution is faster than using a saltwater brine. Meat only has to sit in a baking soda solution for 15 to 20 minutes.