Dry chicken?

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  • Steff46
    Steff46 Posts: 516 Member
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    When I bake chicken I bake it in Swanson Chicken Broth/Stock and salt and pepper. Keeps it moist and you can use the liquid as a soup.
  • Red_Pill
    Red_Pill Posts: 300 Member
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    It's all in the foil. And another tip, soak it in salty water for a few hours before seasoning to cook. Plus cook it on medium heat. If you do all three things you'll fall in love with chicken. It's like an Art you perfect with every time you cook it. *Be generous with the seasoning.
  • Ultima_Morpha
    Ultima_Morpha Posts: 895 Member
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    A few hours in a brine solution works wonders!
  • tuckerrj
    tuckerrj Posts: 1,453 Member
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    marinate or baste with a little lo-cal Italian dressing. it makes for a little more flavor
  • chrismcc56
    chrismcc56 Posts: 2 Member
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    I like to use a gorge Forman grill pre season a bit in the gf for like 7 minutes result some good juicy chicken
  • laur357
    laur357 Posts: 896 Member
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    @Habiteer - honestly, I'd go cheap. They all seem like they fail after a while. I don't think that the the $200 Williams-Sonoma wireless probe thermometer is going to hold up much better than those in the $20-$30 range.

    This one has been working well for me:
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AUIKDD0?psc=1
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,931 Member
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    I wrap it in tin foil that I fold into an envelope (all sides closed). I've never had it be dry this way, even if I leave it in the oven for 30 minutes LONGER than it needs.
  • vingogly
    vingogly Posts: 1,785 Member
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    Some ideas: Leave the skin on when you cook it, throw the skin away when done. Put a "tent" of foil over it when you cook it. Put it on a rack over broth or water in the pan and baste it while it cooks. Rub it with oil or butter before cooking. Marinating or brining helps.

    I've personally decided I like dark chicken (and turkey) meat better because it's not as dry and is way more flavorful.
  • one1fast68
    one1fast68 Posts: 51 Member
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    I'm like vingogly, I prefer dark meat better. But for chicken breast I usually smoke them but will occasionally put them in the oven. If I put them in the oven, I bake them at 225-240 degrees for about an hour. I check them with a thermometer and if their over 155* I take them out. Never dry and safe enough to eat.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
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    norma111107 wrote: »
    Do you guys have any tips on how to prevent baked chicken to be so dry? I usually just drizzle some mrs dash seasoning on it and put it in the oven but it ends up being really dry. Any tips? Or maybe another way to fire up some flavor on it? Thanks!

    You might be overcooking it.
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
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    There is hardly any fat on a boneless, skinless chicken breast.
    Pound them to the same thickness. Brine in a zip loc bag. Grill.
    Perfect every time. End to dry chicken breasts.
  • MistressPi
    MistressPi Posts: 514 Member
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    It's harder to get the legs and thighs to be fully cooked without overcooking the breast on a chicken. Brining/marinating helps, but I prefer to cook EITHER breasts or legs/thighs, that way you can cook to "doneness" without overcooking or undercooking the other. Also, as someone else mentioned, you should let your meat "rest" for at least 5 minutes before cutting into it, so all the juicy goodness doesn't run out. Who said to throw out the skin?! Don't do that! My favorite part.

    I've heard that steaming chicken breast is an excellent way to cook it, if you're looking for meat for salads, etc.
  • tattygun
    tattygun Posts: 447 Member
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    It really is all about brine. Only needs an hour, wash the brine off, bake, fry, grill and it'll be amazing.
  • vingogly
    vingogly Posts: 1,785 Member
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    Just clipped this recipe from the NYT:

    http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013203-chicken-negimaki
  • not_my_first_rodeo
    not_my_first_rodeo Posts: 311 Member
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    Marinating helps.

    Someone above said it best--get the kind with the skin on and the bone in. You can always remove the skin and the bone.

    If the chicken is going in any kind of a hearty sauce or stew, I think you're better off with chicken thighs. They stand up to the intensity of flavors better than the breasts will.

    Any time I have meat going into the crock pot, I sear it.

    If you've cut up the meat into smaller pieces, it's going to cook faster so make sure you take that into account.

    If you're doing a whole chicken kind of preparation, brining is totally the way to go.
  • corinatolamaa
    corinatolamaa Posts: 3 Member
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    The temperature of the heating vessel matters less than the final internal temperature of the chicken.
    Invest in a kitchen thermometer! Chicken should be cooked to 165 degrees F for the sake of safe eating. Any cooking beyond that and your chicken will be dry. Brine also helps. Osmosis pulls fluid into the cells of the meat. So even if you do overcook your chicken a bit, you have some more leeway.
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
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    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    I brown it before baking, it seals in the juices.

    1000x this. If you're going to bake it, brown it in a pan, I use a cast iron with 1 tbsp canola oil, then once it's brown on all sides bake it at about 375-400F until it reaches 160-165 IT. Pull it out when it gets about 160, let it sit in the cast iron pan lightly covered in foil or a lid for a few minutes and it'll climb to 165 and re-absorb all its juices. If using a grill, make sure the grill is pre-heated HOT to get a good brown/grill marks on all sides, then move it to lower heat or indirect heat until it hits 160ish or a bit more, and do the same thing.. pull it, lightly cover in foil and let it sit until it hits 165 IT. It'll be much more juicy that way.

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