Chicken help please...

karchie31
karchie31 Posts: 12
edited October 3 in Recipes
Hi..I am a new member on this forum..and also a very very new chef ;-)

My cooking skills are next to zero.

But i am motivated to make a change in my lifestyle..and start eating healthy meals at home everyday,

So, I just bought a george foreman grill.

Few days ago...I marinated chicken breasts overnight in italian dressing,..and grilled them next day...but dont know why..the chicken was so dry...and kind o not good to eat..

anyone can guide me a simple way to make an easy chicken dish tonight??

All ideas will be much appreciated!! :)

Oh by the way..I have the frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts from costco...thanks again! :)

Replies

  • april_beth
    april_beth Posts: 616 Member
    you probably overcooked them which is super easy to do.

    www.skinnytaste.com

    go here and youll have 213818430 ideas at your fingertips...and buy a crockpot...best investment ever :)
  • kschhr
    kschhr Posts: 103 Member
    Boiling chicken is really easy, but seasoning it is near impossible to get right. I usually bake my chicken. Just put it in glass with some pam olive oil spray, lemon juice, garlic, and maybe some parsley and cover with foil. Bake until it's done, usually around 350degrees.
  • karchie31
    karchie31 Posts: 12
    thanks for the ideas...

    inthis4me -- i will check the site..thanks! :)

    kschhr -- can i directly bake the frozen patties? how long will it take?? especially if i m wapping them in foil..how to know when they are done?? oops..sorry...may be its a dumb ques..but all help will be appreciated!! ;-p
  • SarahBrown1979
    SarahBrown1979 Posts: 229 Member
    Allrecipes.com, easy recipes and gives you ur nuturtion facts, just put in the ingred. you have and it'll find you a recipe! love that website!
  • Jemmuno
    Jemmuno Posts: 413 Member
    go to www.eatingwell.com this is a great website with tons of recipes not just about chicken.
  • karchie31
    karchie31 Posts: 12
    i meant.."Frozen chicken breasts"...
  • Maria_t02
    Maria_t02 Posts: 73
    Just grill it and put whatever seasonings you like on it...I like it with Lawrys season salt :)
    With the george...try to not over cook it, so its not so dry and just that alone will make it great, you can even try baking it
  • karchie31
    karchie31 Posts: 12
    oh wow!! thanks everyone! i am so checking out all these sites :-))
  • irisheyez718
    irisheyez718 Posts: 677 Member
    If you have a crockpot you can throw the chicken breasts in there, with a jar of salsa on top. They come out so moist and delicious!
  • cillytilly
    cillytilly Posts: 243
    One thing I like to do when I can't think of something else is that I:
    Preheat my oven to 350

    Place chicken breasts in a 9x13 glas or metal pan.
    Sprinkle chicken breasts with garlic powder (not garlic salt), Onion Powder and a little black pepper

    Add the juice of one lemon or about 1/4 cup of lemon juice

    Add water to the pan to go halfway up the chicken breasts.

    Cook for 45 mins

    And serve.

    I also do:

    Preheat oven 350

    In a bowl add low fat cream chease and microwave in 30 sec increments until soft

    Mix in 1 cup of Salsa I use medium

    Place chicken breasts in a 9x13 pan you can do 4 to 6 depending on the size of breasts

    Spread salsa cream cheese on top of the breasts

    Cover dish with foil

    Bake for 45 mins.
  • karchie31
    karchie31 Posts: 12
    mtalbot -- i have george foreman..dont know why the chicken was so dry when i made it the other day...
    do u think its coz i used frozen chickn breasts?
  • Maria_t02
    Maria_t02 Posts: 73
    well you could try to thaw it out before you cook it, i would reccomend that :) And dont cook it as long as you did before.
  • julie204
    julie204 Posts: 130
    welcome to site i eat alot of chicken usually i get a chicken breast slit it at the side fill it with a tablespoon of philidelphia light then wrap bacon around it fat cut off then bake in the oven .serve with salad new potatoes. or do tandorri chicken if you get low fat natural yoghurt and tandori spice mix add2 table spoons of spice to natural yoghurt id say a small tub if just for you and 1 tablespoon of spice . make 3 slits in top of chicken breast and marinate in yoghurt for 2 /3 hours then wack on your foreman or in oven .serve with rice salad low fat nan bread .:happy:
  • geri1955
    geri1955 Posts: 106
    My best is throw a chicken breast in a pot of water add carrots , a whole onion, celery , minced garlic and a 99% fat free can of chicken broth!!cook an hour.... u can have best of both worlds- 2 meals in 1 ..(soup) and (chicken for a chicken salad)! then u can make noodles to your liking!! I make breadcrumb soup- its ITALIAN- I get egg beaters , grated cheese , salt and pepper to taste - add whole wheat bread crumbs - add those ingrediants all together and mix and when the soup broth is done stir it in lil' by lil' ...-cook another few minutes and its done and delicious!!
    The texture of eggs, breadcrumbs should be like a cream of wheat texture!!
    good luck!! If u bake ur chicken , "rosemary" is a great herb to add in it, i always bake my chicken in a small can of 99% fat free broth so it dont dry out!!! :smile:
  • Bigaug
    Bigaug Posts: 395 Member
    Definitely thaw the chicken first. You should invest in an 'instant read thermometer.' This one is about 11$ http://www.walmart.com/ip/EKCO-Instant-Read-Thermometer/17478452

    To prepare just a breast: allow it to thaw, it should be close to room temperature when you're about to cook it, season it, and pat it dry with a paper towel - a drizzle of olive oil won't hurt. Preheat your Foreman before you put your breast on it . When the temperature of the chicken reaches 155-160F stop. Let the chicken rest, preferably covered or wrapped, for a few minutes, then comsume.

    A cheaters way (mine) to avoid dry chicken is to brine it. Brining it will give you a much longer cooking window before it gets dry (from 160 to 185 will still be moist). Let's say you are going to prepare 2 breasts for dinner tomorrow, to brine them you simply put your chicken in a container - bag tupperware anything that holds water - and cover the chicken with water. Add about 2 tablespoons of salt to the water. Store it over night in the fridge. Before you cook the breasticles rinse them with water and pat dry with paper towel. Don't add any more salt though.
    aug
  • limex
    limex Posts: 81 Member
    I brine my chicken breasts for a half hour or so. Just put some tap water in a large bowl, sprinkle a little salt, and dump the chicken breast in there. I usually forget to defrost ahead of time, so I put it in warm water so it defrosts at the same time.
  • sailed2japan
    sailed2japan Posts: 17 Member
    If you are new to cooking you should also definately invest in a meat thermometer. you can then figure out exactly how long to cook your food and have it be safe to eat without drying it out.

    I like putting mine in the broiler 8 minutes on the first side, 6 on the second then check the temp, flip and add about 1 more minute for every 10 degrees under temp. remember to always check the THICKEST part of the breast. If your breasts are quite different in size check each individually the prevent ovr cooking one and under cooking the other. if they are about the same, just check the thicker one
  • sailed2japan
    sailed2japan Posts: 17 Member
    Limex, you should NEVER put meat in warm water to defrost. It crates the perfect environment for bacteria to grow. Always use cool water, change it ever 10 minutes or so to keep it from getting too cold if you want it to defrost faster. When I worked in the resteraunt we would let the water run over something if we needed it in the midst of dinner rush.
  • karchie31
    karchie31 Posts: 12
    wow!!

    thanks for all the lovely ideas!

    you all rock!! :flowerforyou:

    I also one more "very very very dumb question"...how do u broil anything?? :embarassed: I mean...what is the difference between baking and broiling? I have a gas stove with a drawer below the oven. Also, there is a broil setting on the stove. So do i keep the chicken in that drawer? Also..what should i keep it in...regular tin baking sheet..or line the drawer with foil??

    I know i sound pretty retarded...but i hope someone can enlighten me! :tongue:

    thanks again!!! :bigsmile:
  • CityOnAHill
    CityOnAHill Posts: 136 Member
    This is exactly what we had for dinner tonight. The Foreman Grill is fabulous.
    If you have a full chicken breast, George (as we call it in our house) will cook it fully in about 6-7 minutes depending on how thick.
    If you do more of a chicken tender size, you can be done cooking in as little as three minutes.
    Also, don't slap it on the grill dripping wet with dressing; it's more apt to burn. I'm not saying dry it off, but give it a sec to drip off most of the liquid.
    Hope that helps!!

    Oh...And I can't cook either so I feel your frustration! :wink:
  • mamamc03
    mamamc03 Posts: 1,067 Member
    If you have a crockpot you can throw the chicken breasts in there, with a jar of salsa on top. They come out so moist and delicious!

    This sounds AH-Mazing!
  • kiasmithlewis
    kiasmithlewis Posts: 5 Member
    I actually don't thaw my chicken breasts (and I have ones very much like you, pre frozen) I put them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, you can shaken bake, or even as simple as putting a bit of BBQ sause over the top, or a nice other kind of sause, sometimes i use terriki and that's yummy. They don't take to long to cook and because it's from frozen, they are always juicy!!
  • waskier
    waskier Posts: 254 Member
    One easy trick to really moist chicken is to marinade it for about 20 minutes in lime juice before cooking. (I also like to throw in a little tequila for flavor) The lime juice starts to cook the meat, searing in all the juices. Be careful not to leave it in the juice longer than 30 minutes. From there, cook it however you like (grill, bake, BBQ sauce, salsa, etc). Juiciest chicken I've ever had.
  • fordster99
    fordster99 Posts: 181 Member
    I have had the same problem with dry chicken. I now let it thaw and that has helped a lot and I don't cook it as long. I make sure its done but I don't overcook it.

    I eat a lot of chicken. I make low fat chicken chimichangas. Boil chicken and dice it in food processor. Add low sodium canned diced tomatoes and onions (or add fresh). Put this mixture in a whole wheat tortilla and add a sprinkle of cheese. I also add some black beans. I fold it up like a chimichanga and spray it with cooking spray or lightly brush it with extra virgin olive oil and bake it at 350 degrees until it gets golden brown. Throw a salad with it and its a pretty good meal.

    I also love oven baked fried chicken. I marinade my chicken in low fat buttermilk for awhile and then I roll it either in a mixture of corn flakes and spices or panko crumbs. I bake this until the inside is done. I usually make mashed cauliflower to go with it and I feel like I am getting fried chicken and mashed potatoes.

    Good luck.
  • Bigaug
    Bigaug Posts: 395 Member
    The broiler on your oven is usually used for putting some color on things. I use mine, for a few minutes when I have slow roasted a whole chicken to put some color on the skin. Occasionally I will broil some steaks, fish, or burgers - but I like the grill better - by the way there is NO replacement for charcoal.

    Baking is like surrounding your food with a really warm blanket of air. Broiling it is like holding your food in the superheated exhaust of a jet engine. My charcoal grill can get up to 900F, the closest you can come to that indoors is usually the broiler.
  • shtaylor
    shtaylor Posts: 54
    I put boneless chicken breast, green peppers,onions and spaghetti sauce in the slow cooker. Then serve it over noodles or rice.
  • ExYoYoGirl
    ExYoYoGirl Posts: 83
    If you have a crockpot you can throw the chicken breasts in there, with a jar of salsa on top. They come out so moist and delicious!

    Agree! Nothing beats meat cooked in the crockpot if you want to get it really moist and tender, and it's almost impossible to overcook it (providing there is enough liquid in the crockpot!)
  • carlson06
    carlson06 Posts: 22
    I've noticed that chicken breasts tend to be dryer. I buy chicken tenders and I have actually only had them be dry a couple times. I also love the crock pot, something you can just start in the morning and leave all day! And so many options.
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