Chicken techniques!

I use all kinds of sugar free jelly and jams on pan grilled chicken breast for add taste and some red pepper for spice. I use about 1-2 tablespoons melted and then add just dash of red pepper or any ohter kind of spice just what ever I am in the mood for.

My personal favorite, and is amazingly simple.... I use either chicken tenders or cut the chicken breasts into strips. Line a pyrex pan (try to not make it over crowded). Spritz each piece with a little parkay butter spray. Sprinkle McCormicks salad supreme and a little parmesan cheese (to taste), cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes at 350. Great for sandwiches, pasta, salads... simple, fun and great flavor!

Bump!

I am obsessed with stuffed chicken! But because I love to cook and have a small budget, I have to use what I have as kitchen gadets. Before I stuff my chicken, I pound it thin with hammer and potato masher ! Weird I know but it gets the job done. I know mallets probably are not expensive but I always forget to buy one or at least look for one.

One very easy way to keep chicken moist and one I use fairly often is cooking it on top of vegetables. Here's a recipe of mine with pictures that shows a butterflied whole chicken but it can just as easily be done with parts. An extra added bonus is that leftover roasted veggies, bone, and skin make great stock.

http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/main-course/chicken/moist-roast-chicken-butterflied.html

Bone-in chicken is not only cheaper than boneless but to my mind tastes better.

But to keep boneless chicken moist, try wrapping it in parchment paper with some cut up veggies.

Here's my favourite recipe. It is really tasty to have in salad or a sandwich or with cous cous, basically however you like.


1½ tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, plus a few sprigs
1 garlic clove, bashed to bruise
4 organic/free-range skinless boneless chicken breast fillets, about 140g/5oz each

Marinate the chicken. Mix the lemon juice, oil, thyme and garlic in a shallow dish. Add the chicken and turn it over in the marinade to coat well. Season with freshly ground pepper and leave for up to 2 hrs.

Heat a griddle pan until very hot. Lay the chicken on the griddle, on the side that had the skin on. Cook for 15-16 mins, turning once or twice, until cooked through. Remove, then let the meat sit for 5 mins before slicing.

This is copied straight from chicken Caesar salad recipe:
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/6296/the-ultimate-makeover-chicken-caesar-salad

I work in catering and come into this constantly! How to get a boneless skinless breast to taste good and moist without all the calories. This is a favorite I got from one of the sous chefs and its really so simple!! Coat the breasts in either lite Italian or lite Caesar dressing and bake uncovered for 20 minutes at 450 or 35-40 minutes at 350. That's it! Most people get into trouble freaking out too much about chicken being done enough it gets overcooked. The thing with chicken is its different from other meats where it's beneficial to cook "low and slow". It's actually better to cook high and fast for chicken.

Brown chicken breasts with plenty of onions in a cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven. Mix 1-2 packages of your favorite taco seasoning blend with 1-2 cups water. Pour seasoning mix over chicken. Cover and bake at 375F for an hour or so -- until the chicken is almost disintegrating. Shred with forks. Use for salads, mix with grains, roll in wraps, have tacos, whatever.

bump

I prefer to cut it into cubes and stir-fry it.

Easiest thing in the world. I wrap frozen boneless skinless breasts in foil and toss them in the oven for an hour at 350°. They turn out perfect every time, and you can use them for anything. I save the juice, and use it later for gravy, soup, or whatever.

Lately I have been using a lot of the dry seasoning/dressing packets or even some of the light/fat free dressings. You can find them with the dressings (I love the garlic and herb or italian), or even the ones for Bruschetta chicken. I don't use all of the ingredients or even all of the seasoning. I usually mix it with some lower sodium chicken broth or

Great ideas! Bump for later.

Usually I cook chicken in large batches in my crockpot. Usually I buy a few pounds of boneless chicken breasts and either throw them all in as is, or chop a few in half if they won't all fit. Add a little bit of water to help them stay moist, seasonings, turn it on Low, and go about your business for several hours. I then portion them into freezer bags and freeze most. You could even measure out 1-2 cups per bag if you wanted. Usually for my seasonings I just do a good amount of pepper, garlic powder and onion so that I can always add to the chicken later when I go to reheat and it's not just a big batch of taco flavored chicken or something.

PS - if you're trying to save money by buying bone in chicken (chicken leg quarters in particular can be as low as $0.59/lb), you can cook those easily in the crockpot as well! Follow the instructions above and the bones will literally slide right out when it's done cooking.