How do you BAKE a Juicy Chicken Breast??

2

Replies

  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
    First of all, I start with a thigh. Either way though, curing in a salt/sugar rub overnight will do the job.
  • BurtHuttz
    BurtHuttz Posts: 3,653 Member
    Have you tried pounding the chicken out? It's the best way, makes it juicy & tender!

    :blushing:
  • magj0y
    magj0y Posts: 1,911 Member
    Okay so I have never been much of a "cook" but I have been trying as I find trying to lose weight and preparing your own meals to be very important.

    What I want to learn is how to make BAKED CHICKEN without it being super dry. I'm talking like the oven-roasted chicken breasts like they put on a Subway Sandwich...I can use that as a main meal, chop it up in a salad or put it in a wrap. My mom used a crockpot once with dijon mustard and it was really good

    Any relatively EASY recipe ideals would be great! THANKS :)

    You can have all the recipes in the world and still make a disaster. It's all about cooking it at the right time for the right temp.

    I usually cut my breasts in 3 diagonal slices, and bake at 375 on a broiling pan for about 18 mins. The key is to not over cook it.
    Bone in, skin off can also be tasty.
  • Alyssap03
    Alyssap03 Posts: 1
    A very very VERY easy way to do it if you are a person who likes convenience is to purchase a "New wave oven" I think they call them convection ovens or something like that. I love cooking but sometimes when I am super busy I need something faster and this thing shocked me on how juicy everything turned out! It is quite the machine I love mine :) I do veggies in it to and they turn out pretty great and in 1/2 the time! I am not a saleswoman by the way I just really like mine.
  • pixtotts
    pixtotts Posts: 552 Member
    my aunt does them really nice! she seasons them with pepper then places them in foil fills around them with lemon juice and wraps them into little parcels stays so moist and yummy and isnt sour at all
    x
  • heidimaggott78
    heidimaggott78 Posts: 203
    I hammer mine with a meat tenderising hammer, then I bake it for minimal time, and I have found that works best
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
    A very very VERY easy way to do it if you are a person who likes convenience is to purchase a "New wave oven" I think they call them convection ovens or something like that. I love cooking but sometimes when I am super busy I need something faster and this thing shocked me on how juicy everything turned out! It is quite the machine I love mine :) I do veggies in it to and they turn out pretty great and in 1/2 the time! I am not a saleswoman by the way I just really like mine.

    I looked into getting one, but the reviews deterred me. There are other brands of convection ovens that come with glass domes instead of the plastic ones the NuWave comes with, if I were to get one I would choose one of those since people tended to have trouble with the plastic on the dome cracking over time.

    *Also read that their customer service was a nightmare... hopefully you will not have these experiences. :)
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
    I prefer dark meat but:

    1. If I get good quality chicken, such as free range, I leave the skin on AND eat it.
    2. I don't over cook it. (common mistake)
    3. If I have to cook skinless chicken breast on their own (I usually only use them in multi ingredient recipes where I add healthy fat) I add mayonnaise and seasonings prior to baking. Yum.

    Most of my recommendations require non-fat phobic attitude. :wink:
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
    I buy chicken breasts with the bone in and skin on to keep them juicy. I rub them, even under the skin, with a mixture of olive oil, fresh minced parsley,garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and enough paprika to really give them a lot of color and flavor. I let them marinade for a few hours sometimes but you don't have to.Bake or grill until cooked all the way through, without over cooking. When they are done, I let them cool, tear the skin off, remove the bones, cut into the sizes I want and toss them in the freezer. I cook an entire cookie sheet of these and then freeze them with a foodsaver. I use them for sandwiches, salads or just alone. They are full of flavor, moist and convenient to have for a quick meal.
  • bgelliott
    bgelliott Posts: 610 Member
    Always tenderize your chicken breasts, they will retain moisture and be juicy and tender. I use a fork and poke millions of holes in it. Then I either soak in lemon juice for about 30 minutes , then dry season prior to baking or grilling. I will also soak it in beer sometimes and then dry season before baking or grilling. My meat is ALWAYS juicy and moist. If you grill, do 350 for roughly 10 min each side, if you bake, do 425 for 20 minutes and let the breast sit in about 1/4" of the lemon juice while baking.

    Good Luck!
  • Lrdoflamancha
    Lrdoflamancha Posts: 1,280 Member
    I bought a pack of split chicken breasts with rib meat, skin-on, and roasted them last night at 350° for about 50 minutes. I brushed them first with olive oil and then seasoned them. The skin helps protect the meat and keeps it from getting too dry, and you can remove it before eating. Also, this particular type of chicken breast is usually quite a bit cheaper than the boneless skinless chicken breasts, so you can buy a big package, cook it all at once, and then have lots of leftover chicken for the week. Easy peasy. :)

    Also! Get a meat thermometer. They are inexpensive, but priceless as far as making sure your meat is cooked to doneness and not over/undercooked, which is often the reason for dry chicken.

    http://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/ChickenCook.htm <- cooking temperatures.

    Get a digital thermometer not a dial type. $15. at Bed Bath n Beyond. Dial thermometers are off as much as 50 degrees. See amazingribs.com cook chicken on the stove top covered until the internal temperature just reaches 165 degrees. Use Simon and Garfunkel spice, again see amazingribs.com for recipe. No I am not affiliated with the site.
    Simon and Garfunkel spice... Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.
  • Curvatures
    Curvatures Posts: 27
    Brine it, definitely!

    I have a bit of a cheat and time saver, however - I buy chicken breasts in big packages, and marinate the whole package. I usually do a simple marinade of lemon juice, splash of olive oil, salt, pepper or red pepper and garlic. A touch of dijon mustard and rosemary are also nice, if you like that. then divide up, and stuff into freezer baggies, squeeze out all the air (but leave the marinade!) and throw into your freezer. You can take them out one breast at a time, leave them out to defrost in the morning, and have it be ready for cooking at night.

    You don't HAVE to bake them to be healthy, either. I fry mine without additional calories - a nice non stick or cast iron skillet, a mist of olive oil, and fry it on both sides (butterfly it if it's very thick).

    You can do different marinades, too! I also use a soy ginger one, and a lime-cilantro-red onion one. There are is nothing better than knowing your freezer contains a variety of yummy premarinated chicken breasts to fit with any meal!
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
    good tips thanks

    a lot of what you get out of a chicken is based on what you put in - you want juicy and full of flavour? make sure it's a really good piece of chicken. Chicken that has been pumped full of water just to make it look plump and juicy will dry out and be tasteless. A good quality (free range/organic - doesn't have to be but chances are you'll get better flavour if it is) is what you need to start with.
  • heykaraoke
    heykaraoke Posts: 191 Member
    I wrap my chicken in tinfoil before I bake it. And then, when it's done, I take it out of the oven, but I leave it in the tinfoil for five minutes. For whatever reason, leaving it in the tinfoil instead of immediately unwrapping it makes a huge difference. I get delicious, juicy chicken instead of some awful lump of dry meat.
  • stofteland
    stofteland Posts: 19 Member
    Pour a can of diced tomatoes over the chicken breasts before you bake them. You can add diced onions and other veggies, whatever sounds good. Bake at 350 for about 30-45 min.

    You can also toss them in a ziplock bag with 3/4 c buttermilk, then toss in another ziplock bag with 1c Panko bread crumbs or regular bread crumbs crumbs, parmesan cheese(shredded, salt, pepper, paprika, curry powder, and tumeric( about a 1/2 tsp. per spice). Place on Parchment lined baking pan. Bake at 350 for about 30 min. Spray with a little cooking spray and bake 15 min. more. They will be golden brown. Use 4-7oz. chicken breast. This is crunchy and good. Great on salad greens.
  • mslynn1007
    mslynn1007 Posts: 25
    Have you tried pounding the chicken out? It's the best way, makes it juicy & tender!

    :blushing:

    Lol
  • adfabus
    adfabus Posts: 178 Member
    I poach my chicken breasts and they turn out super tender! I add celery, carrots, peppers (I like it hot), and onion which makes for a great broth to drink in between meals at work.

    http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/chickenbreastrecipes/r/poachedchicken.htm
  • mousepaws22
    mousepaws22 Posts: 380 Member
    Bump
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    Bone in-skin on with salt and pepper. Bake in oven for 35-45 min. remove skin and meat from bone. Delicious and simple every time.
  • wigglypeaches
    wigglypeaches Posts: 146 Member
    Professional here: Dryness frequently comes from a lack of fat and over-cooking. As far as technique goes, brown the outside and bake at 350 until just under done. Let it rest 5 minutes. The carryover heat will finish the job, and you'll avoid overcooking your chicken.
  • hattie491145
    hattie491145 Posts: 85 Member
    ^^ this - although i find everything i cook on the griddle ends up juicy :)
  • mconway79
    mconway79 Posts: 49 Member
    Do your self a favor and get a meat thermometer. A big mistake people make its way over cooking their meat. You will find you have much better results this way. My standard go to chicken for wraps and salads is just salt, peppers and a generous amount of garlic powder.
  • ashleybr1980
    ashleybr1980 Posts: 70 Member
    bump
  • AmyP619
    AmyP619 Posts: 1,137 Member
    Bump!
  • girlykate143
    girlykate143 Posts: 220 Member
    I mix greek yogurt with seasonings of choice and coat the chicken in that. It keeps it moist while giving a crispy crust.
    this.
    what i also do is put foil down on the baking tray and fold up the sides a bit so the juices stay on. I bake at 350-375 for at least 40 minutes. it's always moist and yummy.
  • ATclassof2021
    ATclassof2021 Posts: 232 Member
    Use a George Forman Grill, throw the skinless/boneless chicken on the grill while still frozen.....season to your liking after a couple minutes and the most important thing to remember....Do Not Overcook. My son and I love it with blackened seasoning. Comes out nice and juicy every time.
  • snwills32
    snwills32 Posts: 15
    bump
  • JustineMarie21
    JustineMarie21 Posts: 437 Member
    Pre heat oven to 350
    Grab a glass baking dish and pour in water just to cover the bottom. Place your chicken in the dish season or whatever your doing with it and cover with foil. Depending on how big your chicken breats are bake for 30-35 minutes.
  • RedRunner82
    RedRunner82 Posts: 29
    For all things roasted, I turn to Barefoot Contessa :)

    In her chicken salad recipes, she always cooks the chicken the same way:

    Use bone-in, skin-on breasts.
    Rub with olive oil; season with salt and pepper.
    Roast on a sheet pan at 350 for 35-40 minutes.
  • Amazonbella
    Amazonbella Posts: 338
    You all are AWESOME! I copied and pasted each recipe you gave me onto one Word Page so I can take it home and try your suggestions! I love eatting chicken, but just never knew how to make it myself, this will help immensely!!! THANKS!!! :happy:

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