How to cook chicken breast so it doesn't dry out

13

Replies

  • dkbaron
    dkbaron Posts: 23
    I always put my chicken in a brine for a little while before baking or grilling. I also do this when I cook chicken breasts in my crockpot. Since I started doing this several years ago, no more dry chicken breast.
  • igora_soma
    igora_soma Posts: 486
    Make sure the oven temperature isn't too hot. I add olive oil when I cook mine, you can also wrap it in tin foil to hold in the moisture :)
  • Debbe2
    Debbe2 Posts: 2,071 Member
    Slow and low heat. Don't over cook.
  • kimnsc
    kimnsc Posts: 560 Member
    I do boneless skinless in a crock pot with a little bit of water, they turn out nice and juicy. another thing i do is marinate them

    I do that as well.....I season with a little Mrs. Dash. It turns out juicy and I love it...
  • tabathaduvall
    tabathaduvall Posts: 17 Member
    Put a little bit of olive oil in your skillet over med heat. Season your chicken as you'd like, sear the one side, then flip it, put a lid on it, turn the heat all the way down, set a timer for 10 mins and walk away.

    I've never cooked a dry piece of chicken since I found this trick on pinterest.
  • katedesaccord
    katedesaccord Posts: 19
    I do it in the slow cooker with water...cook em on low for 5-6 hours. Sooo tender and juicy. When I make chicken salad, I cook the chicken this way and it tastes amazing
  • wildcata77
    wildcata77 Posts: 660
    Crock-pot chicken is the easiest thing ever. I cook them plain, or my fave easy meal is to throw a can of low-sodium cream of mushroom, the boneless skinless breasts, and whatever leftover veggies we have in the crisper diced up (onion and garlic and then whatever I have b/t carrots, mushroom, celery, bell pepper, etc.) Sometimes I add poultry magic or some fresh herbs like thyme and sage, sometimes not.

    It makes plenty...we eat over rice the first night and for lunch leftovers, then I put the rest in a pot, add a quart of low-sodium broth and any other veggies I have, and a little ditalini pasta (Barilla makes it) and make chicken noodle soup out of the leftovers.
  • kcmcd
    kcmcd Posts: 239 Member
    Put a little bit of olive oil in your skillet over med heat. Season your chicken as you'd like, sear the one side, then flip it, put a lid on it, turn the heat all the way down, set a timer for 10 mins and walk away.

    I've never cooked a dry piece of chicken since I found this trick on pinterest.

    Yes, this. Quick sear, then cook. Also let it rest a few minutes before cutting.
  • LillysGranny
    LillysGranny Posts: 431
    Boneless and skinless should be fine in the crockpot -- no fat to soak back in. I use an instant read thermometer when I cook chicken in the oven or on the grill. I try to pull it when it hits 165 degrees.
  • DeepAsAPlate
    DeepAsAPlate Posts: 121 Member
    You have to brine them (submerged in very salty water).

    For less than 4 pounds of chicken, you only need to let them brine for 1-2 hours. You can add herbs and spices (brown sugar, honey, garlic, pepper, lemon zest), if you want.
  • uniqsol
    uniqsol Posts: 36
    The best way that I've found is to season with salt, pepper, garlic, various herbs... sear it first on both sides on high heat, then reduce heat to medium and cook until done, turning only once half-way through cooking. I only use a splash of olive oil in the pan. Also- NEVER cut meat open to check for doneness, you let the juices out. Allow chicken to rest after cooking- FYI it will continue to cook a bit on the inside from residual heat. Too many people are afraid of undercooked chicken, and wind up with a chunk of chicken jerky from over-cooking. I agree with the poster that said to use a meat thermometer if you're not confident in the touch method.


    Agreed!
    I've also used coconut oil - the flavor is subtle, but still there, so if you don't like that, might be best to stick with a dash of olive oil. The coconut oil I use appears as a solid in the jar, but is very soft, easy to spoon out. You don't need much (!) as it melts quickly & coats nicely.
    I've also found that once mostly cooked, if I turn down the heat & cover the pan with a lid or screen, it helps to keeping cooking but lock moisture in a bit.
  • kevin3344
    kevin3344 Posts: 702 Member
    Line a deep (maybe a couple inches deep) baking pan with foil, toss in some chicken breasts and pour light italian dressing over them. Cover with foil, bake 20-30 mins on 450 or until there's no pink in the middle.

    Ta-DA!

    Perfectly juicy, falvorful chicken that you can put in a salad or snack on it by itself. Not too many added cals or anything if you get the right dressing. It's lovely! oh, and cheap!!

    That's exactly what I do too! Its soooooooo good! :)

    Actually found this because I had to ask the Cafe where I work what made their chicken so good. It's yummy! And to think it's just italian dressing....
  • Ben2118
    Ben2118 Posts: 571 Member
    A very hot wok, some 1 cal olive oil spray, sprinkle of garlic, mixed spice, paprika and 3 minutes.....

    *note - works just as well plain*
  • allisonmrn
    allisonmrn Posts: 721 Member
    Bacon. Wrap it in bacon. Whatever the question is, bacon is the answer.


    I like that answer....YUMMMMMM BACON...... :-)
  • delilah47
    delilah47 Posts: 1,658
    Preheat the oven to 400 F. Use pan spray or a little olive oil to heat an oven proof pan on medium high heat. Wait until you hear the SIZZLE when you put in the chicken breasts. Cook on each side about 3 minutes to get a little brown on them (leave them alone; don't be poking at 'em or peeking under 'em), then transfer them to the oven for about 10 minutes. DON'T POKE THEM WITH A FORK OR MEAT THERMOMETER! Take out and test by cutting into them (juice is clear) or a meat thermometer should read about 165-170 F. If they still seem overdone, decrease the pan time to 2 min on each side. (Some people's pans are hotter than others due to stoves and personal perception.) That's how most chefs prepare them on the stove top and they should be tender and juicy. Mine are, every time.

    Edit: This method also adds a lot of flavor from the browning. Steaming, braising, or boiling allows the inside moisture to seep out. You can get dry chicken breasts even from the crock pot.
  • FerociousKitty
    FerociousKitty Posts: 40
    People pick on me all the time for it but i cook all my meat in a pan with water, all the fat and what not you just dump out with the water when it's done
  • jesspi68
    jesspi68 Posts: 292
    You don't over cook it. Or if you've already over cooked it then you'll have to cook it until it falls apart and dress it with some kind of sauce.

    Exactly. I would never crockpot white meat chicken because it will dry out, and if it isn't dry, it is only because the crock pot liquid is making up for the moisture that got pulled out from the chicken. Lean meat like that isn't meant for the low and slow cooking method. I find overcooked chicken to be disgusting, so I am very picky about it!.

    When I cook chicken breast, I pound out the thicker end so the whole breast is even thickness, ensuring it will cook evenly. After that, it just takes time to learn the art of feel-testing chicken when it is done OR use a thermometer and pull that chicken off the heat the second it hits 165 degrees F.

    And if you let the chicken rest after cooking, you can pull it out when the temp is 5-10 degrees lower. A meat thermometer is great. I found a fantastic book on crock pot cooking and it advised NEVER put chicken in a crockpot all day or overnight. I think they said at most 4-6hrs (and I think six was pushing it)

    Also marinating and cooking it in water/broth/marindae/juices etc is great, but will not make up for it if you overcook it! I could not go without temperature gauging.
  • Trostlegirl
    Trostlegirl Posts: 91 Member
    bump
  • cushygal
    cushygal Posts: 586 Member
    Sorry, but I have chicken breast once a week and I do deep fry it. We use buttermilk, breadcrumbs and all and it is the best chicken ever.

    For my lunches, I will use chicken thighs, no skin or bone and cook them in the oven with salt, peper, garlic on 350 for about 40 minutes and check the internal temp. I use a pampered chef baking stone, so all the juices stay in the pan and help with the flavoring of the thighs.
  • momof2winsplus
    momof2winsplus Posts: 137 Member
    Food thermometer - the deepest part should read around 140 degrees F

    Only if you want to lose extra weight due to food poisoning!
    Cooking chicken to 165F is the only way to kill bacteria such as Salmonella and Listeria that are commonly found in chicken.
  • Halfangel
    Halfangel Posts: 49
    Don't forget to all meat rest before cutting into it. You want all the juices to havea chance to redistribute instead of just spilling out and leaving your meat dry. I say for chicken breasts, let them rest AT LEAST five mins. also keep in mind, food continues to cook even after you've taken it off the heat. Just enough to make lean cuts of chicken dry or perfect shrimp rubbery. With enough practice, cooking chicken perfectly will become intuitive ;)
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
    All I do is liberal extra virgin olive oil and Famous Dave's seasoning with added garlic and pepper... heat the oil, add chicken, then I cover the skillet with an upside down round baking pan. Juicy and perfect every time. I cook all my meat that way, it steams the flavor in.
  • SPBROOKS68
    SPBROOKS68 Posts: 561 Member
    I put mine in the roasting pan and cover before I cook and it always somes out moist. I take the lid off and broil it for 5 minutes because I like it brown and drier.
  • boggsmeister
    boggsmeister Posts: 292 Member
    Preheat the oven to 400 F. Use pan spray or a little olive oil to heat an oven proof pan on medium high heat. Wait until you hear the SIZZLE when you put in the chicken breasts. Cook on each side about 3 minutes to get a little brown on them (leave them alone; don't be poking at 'em or peeking under 'em), then transfer them to the oven for about 10 minutes. DON'T POKE THEM WITH A FORK OR MEAT THERMOMETER! Take out and test by cutting into them (juice is clear) or a meat thermometer should read about 165-170 F. If they still seem overdone, decrease the pan time to 2 min on each side. (Some people's pans are hotter than others due to stoves and personal perception.) That's how most chefs prepare them on the stove top and they should be tender and juicy. Mine are, every time.

    Edit: This method also adds a lot of flavor from the browning. Steaming, braising, or boiling allows the inside moisture to seep out. You can get dry chicken breasts even from the crock pot.

    This is a good method, but pull them at 145 and let them rest for 10 minutes. They will be just fine.
  • Im_NotPerfect
    Im_NotPerfect Posts: 2,181 Member
    Grill. My husband ALWAYS grills our chicken breasts and they are SO freakin' juicy, it's ridiculous. It's really the only way I'll eat them anymore!
  • VMarkV
    VMarkV Posts: 522 Member
    Food thermometer - the deepest part should read around 140 degrees F
    My bad, google whatever meat you are cooking because there are different temps depending on what you are cooking
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    Marinate with low calorie citrus marinade and bake, or if I am running short of time and forget to marinade I cover them with a thin layer of cream of chicken soup and bake under foil. They are never dry. The secret if you're baking them is to use the thicker ones and don't overcook! The very middle should still be SLIGHTLY pink when you cut into it. By the time you get it out of the oven and cut up, the rest will have cooked. Nothing worse than overcooked chicken. Blech!
  • ki4yxo
    ki4yxo Posts: 709 Member
    Pressure cooker...
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,785 Member
    slowly and you don't have to cook it till it's dry, only until there is no pink left.. I cut mine up in cubes, two breasts, with a tablespoon of butter and salt pepper onion powder and garlic powder and just for few minutes, then I throw in a couple tablespoons of soysauce, turn it off, cover for about 10 minutes, lets it finish cooking and soak up the soysauce and it's good for almost the whole week. I eat about 3 oz at one time, for me that's enough.
  • Zarebeth
    Zarebeth Posts: 136 Member
    Per breast:
    1 cup water
    1 Tablespoon kosher salt
    1 Tablespoon honey
    1 boneless skinless chicken breast

    Mix brine ingredients in a ziplock bag until dissolved. Add chicken breast(s), squeeze all of the air out. Let it soak for 1, or no longer than 2 hours. It will cause the chicken breast to suck up the water, and change the proteins so it has to be hotter to release liquid. And it makes it taste really good.

    But most important of all, do NOT overcook! Then let is rest for 10 minutes before you slice it.

    Heaven, I tell you.

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