Blahhh Chicken! Help Please?

2

Replies

  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    This thread is awesome!
  • HerbertNenenger
    HerbertNenenger Posts: 453 Member
    Hungarian style (my favorite go-to for simplicity and ease)

    Sauteed chopped onions in bottom of pan
    Chicken breast on top of that
    Mix 1 tablespoon low fat sour cream with 1 teaspoon Worcestire sauce, put on top of breast
    then sprinkle sparsely with bread crumbs
    top with Hungarian paprika
    and bake

    soooo simple and a much-requested pot-luck dish, scaled down for one
  • Mygsds
    Mygsds Posts: 1,564 Member
    RANCH CHICKEN - ADD A PACKET OF HIDDEN VALLEY RANCH POWDER
    CHEESY SALSA CHICKEN - ADD SALSA & CHEESE
    TACO CHICKEN - ADD PACKET OF TACO SEASONING
    ONION CHICKEN - ADD PACKET OF ONION SOUP SEASONING & CRISPY ONIONS ON TOP IF YOU LIKE
    LEMON GARLIC CHICKEN - ADD GARLIC, LEMON, OREGANO, AND OTHER SPICES TO YOUR LIKING

    COME ON NOW...DID YOU REALLY NEED A POST FOR THAT? THERE ARE 1000'S OF IDEAS

    Come on now as you stated above, why so rude and what's with the caps??????.
  • Bonnys57
    Bonnys57 Posts: 1 Member
    My favorite easiest way to cook chicken is in my crock pot--2 boneless breasts sprinkle of pepper (I fresh grind it) and Chef Paul's seasoning blend for chicken, cook 4 hours on high
    This is so yummy and great for salads, rice, sandwiches or whatever
  • FitFroglet
    FitFroglet Posts: 219 Member
    I love the recipe below, I substitute different cuts of chicken as the mood suits me, it definitely isn't bland. If you don't want to make so much chicken make up all the marinade then freeze half for next time.

    http://caribbeanpot.com/a-non-traditional-stove-top-jerk-chicken/

    ETA: I normally omit the salt as the soy makes it salty enough for my tastes - each to their own though
  • If you overcooked chicken, and if you like BBQ sauce you can cut up the chicken into bite sized pieces and put it in a dish or zip lock bag. Put a few tablespoons of water and BBQ sauce and shake and then cover and heat up in the microwave ... Maybe 1 min 15 secs. Don't overheat it.

    You can also make a casserole with overcooked chicken. My friend used to make one with cream of chicken soup, instant rice and cooked chicken. You bake it until bubbling. I don't have the recipe at the moment as I'm having house renos done and it is packed. If you want me to send it to you later, message me and I will follow up with you when I unpack.

    Also, when you cook chicken pieces, it is best to let them sit for 10 minutes after you take them out of the oven. It helps to seal in the juice. Same goes for a whole chicken or turkey. Let it sit for 15-20 minutes before carving; otherwise it dries out fast if you cut into it right away. FYI
  • Sun24Spot
    Sun24Spot Posts: 4 Member
    Try a basic Chicken Adobo recipe in the crock pot. Garlic, Onion, Apple Cider Vinegar, Soy Sauce.

    Boneless and Skinless? Add a little olive oil.

    For some reason the vinegar tends to make it more moist.

    Now you can play with oregano or whatever spices you like. Dill is good too. Turmeric and Dill is a good combo...
  • judychicken
    judychicken Posts: 937 Member
    Bump
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    RANCH CHICKEN - ADD A PACKET OF HIDDEN VALLEY RANCH POWDER
    CHEESY SALSA CHICKEN - ADD SALSA & CHEESE
    TACO CHICKEN - ADD PACKET OF TACO SEASONING
    ONION CHICKEN - ADD PACKET OF ONION SOUP SEASONING & CRISPY ONIONS ON TOP IF YOU LIKE
    LEMON GARLIC CHICKEN - ADD GARLIC, LEMON, OREGANO, AND OTHER SPICES TO YOUR LIKING

    COME ON NOW...DID YOU REALLY NEED A POST FOR THAT? THERE ARE 1000'S OF IDEAS

    Come on now... stop shouting, it's rude. And can you come up with thousands of ideas that don't involve packets of sodium? That'd be cool.
  • FindingAmy77
    FindingAmy77 Posts: 1,268 Member
    I like the swanson broths to cook chicken with. My favorite is the tortilla soup one but original works too. Use this instead of oil or butter and it turns out yummy and moist. I also make chicken tacos. I have a recipe I am trying tomorrow that calls for a glaze made out of brown sugar, fresh garlic, and olive oil but I am using the cooking spay instead of oil. You just glaze and bake. I found it on facebook (myfridgefood.com), I am also planning on making a sesame chicken and stir fry vegie (low cal style)... chicken doesn't have to be dry and bland. Just try out new recipes. I have many recipe pages that show up on my facebook page and I also go on youtube for ideas. You can also make mashed potatoe flake or corn flake "breaded" chicken. its really good.
  • FindingAmy77
    FindingAmy77 Posts: 1,268 Member
    Great responses and great ideas. I'm sure a lot of it is my cooking method, I tend to over cook chicken in fear of poisoning my family LOL and I grew up on rawhide steaks and pork chop hockey pucks....I love you mom hahaha I will give some of these ideas a try and change things up. I love using my slow cooker in the winter months :)

    just pick yourself up a meat thermometer. it works wonders for knowing the safe range of meat. practice makes perfect.
  • Tiabi
    Tiabi Posts: 8 Member
    I found this online. It's not really a recipe but a cooking method. It makes my favorite texture of chicken -hands down. It's not chewy or rubbery at all.

    Ingredients

    • Chicken breasts (as many as you’ll need), pounded thin to about one inch
    • Salt
    • Pepper
    • 1 – 2 tbsp olive oil

    Directions

    1. Salt & pepper both sides of the chicken.
    2. Heat a skillet that has a lid over medium-high heat.
    3. Add enough olive oil to barely coat the bottom of your pan and allow to heat for a minute.
    4. Add chicken breasts in a single layer. Cook for one minute, then turn them over.
    5. Put the lid on the pan and turn the pan to low.
    6. Cook for 10 minutes. Do not take the lid off the pan. At all.
    7. Turn off the heat and leave the lid on the pan for another 10 minutes. Do not take the lid off the pan. At all.
    8. After the second 10 minutes, take the lid off, check to make sure the chicken is cooked all the way through (no pink inside), and you’re done.

    I also really like this recipe for lemon caper chicken breasts. The chicken texture is good, it's not too hard to prepare, and I've reduced the amount of butter it calls for with no problems:
    http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/lemon-chicken-breasts-capers.aspx
  • There's always the quick and easy standby of using shake n bake on your chicken....crispy or bar b q for approx. 20 minutes in the oven.


    Light Chicken Fajitas

    I prefer to marinate chicken breasts in 1 tbsp. olive oil, minced garlic and lime juice for at least two hours.
    Grill chicken for 20 minutes
    Grill halved red and green peppers
    Grill halved onion with root attached so it doesn't fall apart on the grill
    Grill 4 large Portobello mushroom caps

    Serve chicken and veggies on mushroom cap without tortilla...Add light sour cream and salsa as desired. It's yummy!!
  • Kate7294
    Kate7294 Posts: 783 Member
    My new favorite is a walmart jerk seasoning marinade. I also make a healthy version of marsala chicken even my 16 yr. old son likes.
    MccCormick? has some pretty good seasonings I sprinkle on and bake. I like the "Kicken chicken" and "Smokehouse maple".
  • JulieGirl58
    JulieGirl58 Posts: 158 Member
    The trick to moist wonderful chicken from the crockpot is to put the boneless breasts in frozen.
  • I make them breaded/baked. I will coat in breadcrumbs (usually with spices added) and spray with Pam, then bake in the oven. I find the breadcrumbs stick fine but if they're not you can use an egg white for dipping. If they're not browning nicely I will turn on the broiler for a minute.

    Then either put redhot sauce for buffalo chicken or marinara and a thin slice of provolone (and bake after...again with the broiler to make it bubbly).
  • ASH2038602
    ASH2038602 Posts: 215 Member
    I like to cook chicken in the crockpot covered in water, and after that I shred it. It doesn't get dried out that way. I add lime and cilantro to the chicken for tacos or cool it and add greek yogurt, mustard, celery, onion, and some lime for chicken salad sandwiches/wraps. Sometimes I just add Franks wing sauce to the shredded chicken for sandwiches, wraps, or salad. You could also do BBQ sauce. My boyfriend hates chicken so I have to be creative lol.
  • Mygsds
    Mygsds Posts: 1,564 Member
    One of our favorites. Eat warm or cold

    I use boneless chicken breasts, use a brush and cover with sour cream lite, mixed with lemon juice and oregano... Roll in Panko bread crumbs mixed with Parmesan cheese.... Bake in a slightly oiled pan 375 till done. So good even the next day.
  • aNewYear123
    aNewYear123 Posts: 279 Member
    Cut it up small and thin and stir fry it. I will also bake it with World Harbor Island Mango marinade or just with a light Italian dressing.

    Make sure your chicken pieces are all about the same size so that you aren't overcooking some while under cooking others. If you overcook the chicken it won't taste good, so while you don't want any part of it uncooked - keep an eye on the time so it doesn't overcook.
  • srmchan
    srmchan Posts: 206 Member
    Great responses and great ideas. I'm sure a lot of it is my cooking method, I tend to over cook chicken in fear of poisoning my family

    This is the beauty of sous vide cooking. With slow cooker, oven and similar traditional cooking approaches, you use a heat source higher than the target temperature to cook the food which requires more precise timing lest the food dry out. Moreover, you have to elevate the target temperature to meet the USDA guidelines for safe food temperatures.

    Sous vide cooks at the target temperature. For instance, if I'm cooking a steak to medium-rare that target temperature is 135F, so I set my sous vide bath to 135F. Once the food reaches the target temperature, it stays there and doesn't go higher. Moreover, because you can hold a given temperature for a longer period of time, you can safely cook food at lower temperatures because the food is effectively pasteurized. I cook boneless skinless chicken breasts to ~145F for 30-60m when I sous vide, and it's safe to eat.

    The tables at this link shows the pasteurization time required for safe food.

    http://www.douglasbaldwin.com/sous-vide.html#Government_Pasteurization_Tables

    Sam
  • srmchan
    srmchan Posts: 206 Member
    just pick yourself up a meat thermometer. it works wonders for knowing the safe range of meat. practice makes perfect.

    And this too. I always cook to temperature - not just time. A high quality, digital thermometer is imperative. I'll use an analog one that I leave in place to know when I'm in the approximate range and then verify with a precise digital thermometer once I'm close to done because "if you're looking, you ain't cooking". I have a ThermoWorks Thermapen and find it to be very accurate based on boiling water tests. It's in my top 5 of most-oft used kitchen tools; probably right behind my chef's knife and pepper grinder.

    Sam
  • cindytw
    cindytw Posts: 1,027 Member
    My favorite chicken recipe is one I adapted from Lipton Recipe Secrets to not need the "Packets of sodium". Coat chicken breasts lightly in mayonnaise mixed with garlic, thyme, lemon pepper, whatever seasonings you really like. Sprinkle with a mixture of parmesan cheese and depending on your diet, almond meal or bread crumbs. Bake at 375 until browned and delicious! Never comes out dry, even if you totally overcook it!
  • MABoxall
    MABoxall Posts: 24 Member
    1 - marinate in lemon and ginger. That really adds flavor.
    2 - make moo goo gai pan. I stir fry with peapods and mushrooms. Add garlic.

    Yum!
  • LianaG1115
    LianaG1115 Posts: 453 Member
    I love most foods and I'm a pretty decent cook, however chicken is like my arch nemesis. I like chicken...when it's drowning in sauces and coatings so basically when it's prepared to be horrible for you. I want to be able to bake or use a slow cooker to make chicken and it be good for me but I always find it so bland and pasty/chewy. Would love to hear how you are prepping and cooking your chicken without a million ingredient expensive recipes :) Thanks!!

    Marinade chicken breasts in Chiavetta's sauce for about a half hour and then grill, use some of the sauce on it while its grilling for more flavor!! OMG to die for!!!!
  • 8Bee
    8Bee Posts: 11 Member
    bump for recipes
  • lmarshel
    lmarshel Posts: 674 Member
    I think the trick to great chicken breast is pan searing. I use my All-Clad skillet, get it hot enough to smoke, add about a tablespoon of olive oil or canola oil and add the chicken breasts. The searing immediately locks in all the juicy goodness. Then I finish it in the oven at 400 degrees.

    One of my favorite recipes is garlic chicken breasts. The only extra thing I add is some bloomed minced garlic. I bloom in the pan before adding chicken, remove garlic, add chicken, sear both sides. Right before chicken breasts are ready to go into the oven, spoon the bloomed garlic over each breast and finish in the oven. They spend about 15-20 minutes in the oven, depending on how thick they are. They don't need any other seasoning...perfect! :)
  • MississippiMama87
    MississippiMama87 Posts: 204 Member
    The trick to moist wonderful chicken from the crockpot is to put the boneless breasts in frozen.

    What a great tip! Thank you!
  • forgivensins
    forgivensins Posts: 90 Member
    Am I the only one that wraps it in foil and bakes it with the seasonings to keep it from drying out?
  • SweatLikeDog
    SweatLikeDog Posts: 319 Member
    Best easy one: Beer Chicken

    4lbs of packaged chicken parts
    1 large onion, 1 large bell pepper, 1 large tomato, 1 beer 12 oz, 1 bay leaf
    small potatoes (Yukon, etc) x half pound

    throw veggies (except potatoes) into blender until liquid & transfer to large pot, add beer, add 2 cups of water, add chicken, add potatoes, add bay leaf

    heat to simmer, add salt, pepper, and your favorite spices, cover x 2 1/2 hours, serves 6+
  • mave34
    mave34 Posts: 109 Member
    Why do you feel like you need to eat chicken? Especially if you don't like it? There are plenty of other much healthier protein choices out there! For example, beans, quinoa, tempeh, tofu... You can substitute tofu really well in almost any chicken recipe!

    I do like chicken, I didn't say I didn't I am just not good at cooking it :) I do prefer fish but I like a lot of food and a lot of meals with chicken in it. I just like to mix things up and if I can learn ways to cook chicken that I enjoy I would love to incorporate more into my diet.