How to cook chicken breast so it doesn't dry out

I always put my chicken in a brine for a little while before baking or grilling. I also do this when I cook chicken breasts in my crockpot. Since I started doing this several years ago, no more dry chicken breast.

Slow and low heat. Don't over cook.

Put a little bit of olive oil in your skillet over med heat. Season your chicken as you'd like, sear the one side, then flip it, put a lid on it, turn the heat all the way down, set a timer for 10 mins and walk away.

I've never cooked a dry piece of chicken since I found this trick on pinterest.

Crock-pot chicken is the easiest thing ever. I cook them plain, or my fave easy meal is to throw a can of low-sodium cream of mushroom, the boneless skinless breasts, and whatever leftover veggies we have in the crisper diced up (onion and garlic and then whatever I have b/t carrots, mushroom, celery, bell pepper, etc.) Sometimes I add poultry magic or some fresh herbs like thyme and sage, sometimes not.

It makes plenty...we eat over rice the first night and for lunch leftovers, then I put the rest in a pot, add a quart of low-sodium broth and any other veggies I have, and a little ditalini pasta (Barilla makes it) and make chicken noodle soup out of the leftovers.

Boneless and skinless should be fine in the crockpot -- no fat to soak back in. I use an instant read thermometer when I cook chicken in the oven or on the grill. I try to pull it when it hits 165 degrees.

The best way that I've found is to season with salt, pepper, garlic, various herbs... sear it first on both sides on high heat, then reduce heat to medium and cook until done, turning only once half-way through cooking. I only use a splash of olive oil in the pan. Also- NEVER cut meat open to check for doneness, you let the juices out. Allow chicken to rest after cooking- FYI it will continue to cook a bit on the inside from residual heat. Too many people are afraid of undercooked chicken, and wind up with a chunk of chicken jerky from over-cooking. I agree with the poster that said to use a meat thermometer if you're not confident in the touch method.

Agreed!
I've also used coconut oil - the flavor is subtle, but still there, so if you don't like that, might be best to stick with a dash of olive oil. The coconut oil I use appears as a solid in the jar, but is very soft, easy to spoon out. You don't need much (!) as it melts quickly & coats nicely.
I've also found that once mostly cooked, if I turn down the heat & cover the pan with a lid or screen, it helps to keeping cooking but lock moisture in a bit.

A very hot wok, some 1 cal olive oil spray, sprinkle of garlic, mixed spice, paprika and 3 minutes.....

*note - works just as well plain*

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Use pan spray or a little olive oil to heat an oven proof pan on medium high heat. Wait until you hear the SIZZLE when you put in the chicken breasts. Cook on each side about 3 minutes to get a little brown on them (leave them alone; don't be poking at 'em or peeking under 'em), then transfer them to the oven for about 10 minutes. DON'T POKE THEM WITH A FORK OR MEAT THERMOMETER! Take out and test by cutting into them (juice is clear) or a meat thermometer should read about 165-170 F. If they still seem overdone, decrease the pan time to 2 min on each side. (Some people's pans are hotter than others due to stoves and personal perception.) That's how most chefs prepare them on the stove top and they should be tender and juicy. Mine are, every time.

Edit: This method also adds a lot of flavor from the browning. Steaming, braising, or boiling allows the inside moisture to seep out. You can get dry chicken breasts even from the crock pot.

You don't over cook it. Or if you've already over cooked it then you'll have to cook it until it falls apart and dress it with some kind of sauce.

Exactly. I would never crockpot white meat chicken because it will dry out, and if it isn't dry, it is only because the crock pot liquid is making up for the moisture that got pulled out from the chicken. Lean meat like that isn't meant for the low and slow cooking method. I find overcooked chicken to be disgusting, so I am very picky about it!.

When I cook chicken breast, I pound out the thicker end so the whole breast is even thickness, ensuring it will cook evenly. After that, it just takes time to learn the art of feel-testing chicken when it is done OR use a thermometer and pull that chicken off the heat the second it hits 165 degrees F.

And if you let the chicken rest after cooking, you can pull it out when the temp is 5-10 degrees lower. A meat thermometer is great. I found a fantastic book on crock pot cooking and it advised NEVER put chicken in a crockpot all day or overnight. I think they said at most 4-6hrs (and I think six was pushing it)

Also marinating and cooking it in water/broth/marindae/juices etc is great, but will not make up for it if you overcook it! I could not go without temperature gauging.

Sorry, but I have chicken breast once a week and I do deep fry it. We use buttermilk, breadcrumbs and all and it is the best chicken ever.

For my lunches, I will use chicken thighs, no skin or bone and cook them in the oven with salt, peper, garlic on 350 for about 40 minutes and check the internal temp. I use a pampered chef baking stone, so all the juices stay in the pan and help with the flavoring of the thighs.