why does my chicken taste like nothing?

natacha305
natacha305 Posts: 117 Member
edited October 1 in Introduce Yourself
I get chicken season it throw it in a pot and let it cook, the last 2 nights, once for an hour and once for half an hour high heat. (mixed with veggies). they both were lacking taste or something.

this only happens with chicken breast. when i do drumsticks comes out delicious. or anything with a bone. I usually bake my chicken it always comes out good like that. But does anyone had suggestion on how i can make healthy chicken breast without resorting to pan frying?

Replies

  • LATeagno
    LATeagno Posts: 620 Member
    Why not just buy bone-in chicken breast? It's my fave!
  • ejmcam
    ejmcam Posts: 533 Member
    Are you following a recipe? Try looking up some recipes that appeal to you....cooking magazines, websites, cookbooks....they all have healthy recipes.
  • musicgirl88
    musicgirl88 Posts: 504 Member
    One way I love my chicken is to marinate it for a few hours in olive oil and lemon juice. Then bake it at 350. Our oven usually takes about an hour to bake, but it's got some issues so the time might be different for you.
  • I_GoT_ThIs
    I_GoT_ThIs Posts: 170 Member
    Chicken breast tends to do that sometimes. Try marinating the chicken overnight or at least for a couple of hours. It will help the seasoning soak into the chicken.
  • sistermooooon
    sistermooooon Posts: 84
    If you're using boneless chicken breasts, that'd be my guess. It's amazing how much more flavorful the chicken is when you buy bone-in and cook it that way. A little less expensive too, but a bit more fussy work to clean it off the bone. Let us know if that makes a difference. :)
  • 16mixingbowls
    16mixingbowls Posts: 205 Member
    One yummy thing to do is coat it in dijon mustard and then a few bread crumbs, then bake.

    Season with salt/pepper and place a few slices of lemon on the surface, wrap in foil, bake, and voila!

    Also, cilantro and lime is a personal favorite.

    You can marinate chicken ahead of time, but just consider that anything with acid will start to break down the protein and change the texture after too long of a time. An hour is good for citrus.

    I've also been pan-sautéing chicken pieces in Indian curry simmer sauces that I get at Trader Joe's. They are yummy and have coconut milk (so therefore good fats), so go easy on the sauce. I served it to my boyfriend over rice last night and over cauliflower for myself.
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    Baking!

    My favorite is lemon pepper chicken. Take a pan, and put aluminum foil on the bottom, leave enough so that after you put in the chicken you can fold the foil over the top to cover the whole thing (so it doesn't dry out). Now take your chicken, and squeeze lemon juice on it to get it wet (I like getting messy when I'm cooking, I'm very hands on). Put a healthy amount of pepper on the chicken (to your taste of course) just make sure it's evenly on the whole piece. The pepper should stick because of the lemon juice and the chickens natural slickness. Now cut a deep slice in the middle so there's a pocket and put a big lemon wedge in so it's stuck there, fruit side facing into the chicken. Do this with all the pieces. Now you can throw in any other seasonings you want. I usually put in some garlic, onions, maybe a little rosemary or tarragon if I feel like it. Depending on who I'm cooking for I'll also put on chili powder or some homemade hot sauce for kick.

    Cover the tray, 50 minutes at 350 (more or a little less depending on your oven and the size of the chicken pieces). Whatever the exact time, about 10 minutes before it's done, pull it out and remove the foil covering the top. This makes the outside of the chicken a bit crispy, which I really like. Serve on basmati rice with steamed veggies and enjoy!


    Also note, pretty much any way I've ever cooked chicken: BBQ, curry, orange, etc. etc. the basic directions are the same if you're going to bake it, the only difference is what you put on the chicken.
  • itsanot
    itsanot Posts: 89 Member
    I put my boneless skinless chicken breasts in a pot, add onions, peppers, garlic, bullion cubes, sage or fresh herbs, and lots of black pepper. Bring to a boil, cook till done (about 30 mins), let it sit in the broth over night if possible in the frig. Next day heat it up, remove from the broth and I use it for homemade chicken salad, enchiladas, wraps, what ever floats your boat! I will cook a pot like this at least once a week I make at least 6 breasts at a time ($1.88 lb @ Walmart) I freeze them too. I strain the broth too and keep it to fix veggies and such with, it all freezes well!
    I also will fix up a big bowl of Italian marinade, 1 bottle of fat free Italian salad dressing, more garlic & oregano, and about a cup of balsamic vinegar, add my chicken breasts and let marinade for 2 days then grill them all so I have them cooked and waiting for me in the frig( they also freeze well!) Use a light spray of Olive oil Pam to help keep them from sticking to the grill. I will use these for stir frys also! I hope this helps you!
  • Elaine005
    Elaine005 Posts: 5
    I normally use pam and a frying pan to cook tasty boneless chicken breasts. For a sauce I generally use apple juice/orange juice as a base and a ton of spices. It is super important not to OVER-COOK chicken breasts because it does't take much over-cooking to turn it into jerky! The best place I know to get recipes is Allrecipes.com. It has tons of recipes and lots of user reviews and suggestions so you are not going into a new recipe blind. Marinating chicken breast in Italian dressing (I use low cal) overnight or even for a day or two, gives the most tender chicken believable especially if you grill it but you can cook it anyway you want and it is always tender and tasty. Hope this helps
  • Paddy31
    Paddy31 Posts: 115 Member
    Make sure you buy good chicken to start with. Many supermarkets sell several qualities of chicken. Battery farmed chicken is notoriously low on flavour.

    If you want a chicken dish with loads of flavour, try this: Chicken Tikka Masala

    ½ fresh red chilli, deseeded
    • 1 clove of garlic, peeled
    • 15g fresh ginger
    • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
    • a pinch of paprika
    • ½ tablespoon garam masala
    • a teaspoon of tomato puree
    • 3 sprigs of fresh coriander, leaves picked and chopped, stalks reserved
    • 400g chicken breast, preferably free-range or organic, diced into 2.5cm pieces
    • 1 small onion, peeled and sliced
    • ½ red pepper, deseeded and sliced
    • ½ green pepper, deseeded and sliced
    • a pinch of ground cinnamon
    • a pinch of ground coriander
    • a pinch of turmeric
    • 1 x 400g tin plum tomatoes
    • 200ml plain yoghurt (Use 0% fat if you can get it)

    Method
    Prepare the marinade the day before so the chicken can marinate overnight.)

    For the marinade
    Blitz the chilli, garlic, ginger and vegetable oil in the food processor. Add the paprika, garam masala and tomato puree, plus the coriander stalks, and blitz again to form a paste. Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl, coat them with the marinade and leave in the fridge overnight.

    The next day…
    In a little vegetable oil, on a medium heat, fry the onion, peppers and spices in a large saucepan. Cook gently for 10 minutes then add the tin of tomatoes and 100ml of the yoghurt. Add the chicken pieces and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes until cooked. Just before serving, stir through the rest of the yoghurt and chopped coriander leaves.

    Serve with fluffy boiled rice and a mixed leaf salad. Serves 4

    Adapted from Jamie Oliver's recipe. It is LUSH!
  • natacha305
    natacha305 Posts: 117 Member
    WOW SO many awesome suggestions thanks everyone! i love this website!
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