How to cook boneless chicken breast that's not dried out

jules12121 · June 2017

I get so bored with chicken and I love it grilled but every time I try to grill they get so dry. Anyone have a good method?

Geocitiesuser · June 2017

I've asked this question so many times, on so many forums in my life. One thing, over and over, that I'm bewildered by is the tenderness of FAST FOOD GRILLED CHICKEN, whether it's wendies, mcdonalds, whatever, their grilled chicken is always ridiculously moist and tender.

Over the years I've come to 3.5 answers:

1. Never ever ever overcook chicken, or it will be dry and stringy.

2. Fast food places brine their chicken (a fast marinade in highly salted water)

3. A good marinade soak works pretty much just as well as brine. (this goes for all marinades, most marinades include salt and a bit of sugar which breaks down the meat fibers)

3.5 Italian places hammer out their chicken breasts. You can always manually beat the toughness out of it.

number 1 is the most important. Over cooking kills chicken because it is so lean. Beef is a little more forgiving in that aspect

Audreydhunt · June 2017

Find a marinade or maybe drizzle a little olive oil over it with some season for flavor.

wefts · June 2017

Poached Chicken you can add the herbs as you poach or poach plain or brined to season later. Poach slow as whole breasts a rolling boil will toughen them , for even more flavor poach on the bone breast . I do a few for the week and store tightly closed in containers in the back of the fridge , then it is available all week to slice or cube or shred into salads,or veggies and omelettes or even for a snack . Just an oz rolled in lettuce with chopped vidallia onion makes a nice snack ( or for chicken salad for hubby ) and I make soup with the stock and an extra breast .

L1zardQueen · June 2017

Try chicken thigh instead.

usmcmp · June 2017

I boil it. Adding seasoning to the water adds flavor without really adding calories. After it's boiled I chop or shred it to mix with a variety of vegetables.

jgnatca · June 2017

Chicken schnitzel that has been pounded flat, breaded, and cooked quickly.

The breaded coatings prevent the outer layer from getting overcooked.

MoiAussi93 · June 2017

I just bake it...mine is always tender. I usually either coat it with some dijon mustard alone or with parmesan cheese, or I do a yogurt marinade. Yogurt marinades make the most tender chicken I've ever had.

But even when I just use salt & pepper with some olive oil, it is still tender...you just can't overcook it.

Chadxx · June 2017

I sometimes boil it, shred it, and mix in salsa for tacos.

Butterfly it and cook it in a covered skilled and it will be very juicy. This is my usual method.

As far as grilling, low, slow, spray butter, and do not overcook it and you can keep it good and most.

dklibert · June 2017

I have found that any way you cook it baked or grilled. Let it rest about 10 minutes or more before you cut it. If you cut it right out of the oven all the juices will run out on the board. If you let it rest they redistribute into the meat.

Also get a quick read thermometer to test it. 160 is what you are looking for it will actually rise while it is resting.

It is also juicer when cooked on the bone. I usually bake chicken breast on the bone with skin, season with seasoning of choice, 350 for 1 hour or internal temp 165, let rest 10 or 15 minutes and serve.

Here is a marinade. soupspiceeverythingnice.blogspot.com/2015/03/piri-piri-chicken.html

MarvinsAMartian · June 2017

For chicken breast I marinate with olive oil + salt. If you want to add spices that's your call. I usually use a bit of dried thyme, basil and black pepper. Let sit in the fridge for min 2 hours to overnight. Then pound them out and grill until internal temp is at least 160. I usually serve it with a salad.

I work as a cook in a hospital so I can't get too crazy with my menu, but I've found this method does well with both patients and the cafeteria.

dc8066 · June 2017

Marinating meat before cooking usually helps. I use teryaki marinade but any marinade would do

JeromeBarry1 · June 2017

The thigh suggestion is valid. Fat is the joy of eating. Skinless chicken breast has none.
You can either adorn the chicken breast with spices through marinades and rubs, or you can add fat or oils.

Brolimom · June 2017

I get GREAT results with my Sous Vide cooker. I cook a bunch ahead of time and use it all week in salads and other recipes.

HermanLily · June 2017

Chicken thighs! White meat is.....dry

Hearts_2015 · June 2017

jules12121 wrote: »

I get so bored with chicken and I love it grilled but every time I try to grill they get so dry. Anyone have a good method?

When I bake chicken breasts now I cover the pan loosely with foil. Amazing difference ...they turn out nice and moist/juicy. Until I tried that mine came out the same.. dry.

mjhaze2013 · June 2017

I often use oven cooking bags. Everything stays moist, and not much to clean.

akfugatt · June 2017

Never place chicken directly over fire, use some kind of marinade (I use olive oil, some beer and of course seasoning)

When grilling I'm constantly spraying chicken with beer and never leave the grill comes out great

ktekc · June 2017

i like the ziplock steam bags or just a regular microwave steamer, but i also second that you have to let them rest as well.

AceyMadrox · June 2017

Cook it uncovered at 450° for about 18 minutes. I just figured this out. I had been cooking it much longer in lower heat and it always came out dry, but since I switched to this time/temp it always comes out perfect!

mjbnj0001 · June 2017

Lots of good suggestions here above: marinade, yogurt marinade (buttermilk is even better), flat like schnitzel, thermometer and proper meat temperature control, use thighs on the grill, etc.

The "flat" suggestion is actually quite good. To add my two cents, I buy large packs of boneless/skinless for the price break. We joke at home that sometimes these packs contain "mutant" breasts - so large and unwieldy. So I trim and shape them before marinading and sending them to the grill. I cut the breast in half horizontally (to make two fairly-evenly-thick thinner pieces), after trimming off the chunk of rib meat and the pointy, thin end so that I wind up with four roughly equal and thin pieces (2 rectangular-ish, 1 triangular and whatever mess the rib meat chunk can be described as, LOL) that should grill faster and in more equal intervals (I wont give you a time, that depends on your setup - but it should be faster than the cook-the-thick-stuff-till-it-dries-out approach). Faster means moister (faster till properly done, of course!).

How to cook boneless chicken breast that's not dried out

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