Chicken breasts

TheOnlyTrueTodd
TheOnlyTrueTodd Posts: 2 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have no way of getting fresh cooked food at work so I rely on bringing food that I make in a lunch box every day and microwaving it. The microwave seems to totally destroy chicken breasts that are any more than one or two days old by drying them out beyond anything appetizing at all and/or just making the texture/taste barely tolerable.

Things I've tried to remedy this are all kinds of different dry spices, olive oil, and also even putting coconut oil directly on the chicken as I microwave it. None of these options have really worked to preserve the quality of the chicken. Any advice appreciated, thank you!!!

Replies

  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    Do you need to microwave it? Could you not have a cold lunch - chicken and salad?
  • greaseswabber
    greaseswabber Posts: 238 Member
    edited June 2015
    Try not cooking it all the way at home. If you leave it pink, the microwave can finish the cooking and it will be closer to properly cooked, maybe overlooked a little. This is what I do and it works great.

    Alternatively, don't heat it so much if it is already cooked all the way through. It only needs to be warm throughout. Try a lower power setting.
  • Firefly0606
    Firefly0606 Posts: 366 Member
    Slightly under cook anything you are going to reheat in a microwave.

    I cook up a of batch of soup / curry / stew / casserole, put it in a chinese takeaway style container with a little rice if I want it. Freeze the batch then just take one on the way out the door. Reheating chicken in some sort of sauce helps stop it from being completely nuked - so the chicken survives in the stew / soup / curry.

    If you are trying to cook raw chicken breasts in a microwave...well....I wouldn't. You would get more taste, better texture and more nutrition from eating the sole of your shoe. Good luck!
  • MamaBirdBoss
    MamaBirdBoss Posts: 1,516 Member
    Or else cut in into squares when you cook it and cook it just barely to done. Then when you microwave it (spread out), you're not trying to heat the center of a big chunk of meat.
  • Michael190lbs
    Michael190lbs Posts: 1,510 Member
    Throw some water in a bowl with the chicken
  • br3adman
    br3adman Posts: 284 Member
    Brine the chicken in salt sugar water pepper overnight it will stay more juicy. Don't over heat it I only heat chicken for 30 seconds
  • TheOnlyTrueTodd
    TheOnlyTrueTodd Posts: 2 Member
    Thanks for the tips everyone!
  • beachhouse758
    beachhouse758 Posts: 371 Member
    Saran Wrap! Traps the moisture in much better than a paper towel
  • milleloo67
    milleloo67 Posts: 3 Member
    I season and put frozen veg (the kind meant to to be steamed in the microwave) in with chicken breast in a microwavable tupperware the night before. The veg is thawed by the time lunch rolls around the next day, and I nuke it all together with the lid unsnapped and covering the food for 2 and a half minutes. Works perfectly every day. I think the moisture from the veg keeps the chicken from drying out. Hope this helps.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    edited June 2015
    This content has been removed.
  • mhuntrn4
    mhuntrn4 Posts: 8 Member
    Use a damp paper towel as a wrapper and don't nuke it too long
  • strong_curves
    strong_curves Posts: 2,229 Member
    A damp paper towel helps. And there are times I have my chicken cold in a salad but I don't eat chicken breasts (too dry and not very tasty imo) I eat chicken thighs instead.
  • HHEHEA
    HHEHEA Posts: 17 Member
    strong_curves wrote: »
    A damp paper towel helps. And there are times I have my chicken cold in a salad but I don't eat chicken breasts (too dry and not very tasty imo) I eat chicken thighs instead.

    So agree with you. .. I love skinless/boneless chicken thigh...

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