Okay...how do you make chicken breasts?

Saint Nick

Lifer
Jan 21, 2005
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Every time I cook them with a few spices and olive oil in the pan, they always turn out dry. I am using Smart Chicken breasts, by the way.

Anyone have any tips to making juicy, pan-cooked chicken breast?
 
Feb 25, 2011
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My not helpful answer:

I chop them into little pieces, still semi-frozen, and put them in a saute pan with olive oil and random spices. The trick is to cut them small enough that they cook quickly and take them off the heat before they dry out. Then they go on salads and stuff.

Alternatively, I bake them, covered. Or slice them filet-style and grill them on a foreman. (Which actually works pretty well without drying them out.)

I've never tried cooking an entire uncut chicken breast in a pan.
 

herm0016

Diamond Member
Feb 26, 2005
8,393
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i like to sear in a cast iron pan on med heat and then put in the oven at about 350 for a few min.

Many people just cook them way too long. I like to make them with a bit of cheese and salsa on top. sear, then pour over a bit of salsa and some cheese. Put in the oven for about 10 min. at 350. nice and juicy.

or with Italian dressing, left over gravy, capers and lemon. really anything goes with chicken.
 
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Saint Nick

Lifer
Jan 21, 2005
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6
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Thanks for the tips! I should have added that I always cook them to 165F. I also typically filet them because they are really thick.
 

quackagator

Senior member
Jul 1, 2002
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I sear them on the grill then put them in the crock pot with a can of mushroom soup for about 5 hours on low
 

djnsmith7

Platinum Member
Apr 13, 2004
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For baking, I use several different wet or dry marinades & they all work great. If you like Teriyaki, there are tons to choose from. Sure, there will be variations from one to the next, but just buy a couple & find the one you like.

For dry rubs, it might be a trial & error deal, but I say go for it. I have, on several occasions, & only once did I totally dislike the dry rub. Don't over do the dry rub. Use it in moderation.

I bake 2 - 3 breasts for 40 - 55 minutes @ 375. You'll want to adjust the timing slightly to your liking, just make sure they're thoroughly cooked (make small incisions to confirm no pink).

Until you feel like you're an "expert", check on it every 20 minutes. Slice & dice em up however you want once baked. Much easier to do once cooked.

Good to go.
 

Merad

Platinum Member
May 31, 2010
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You're overcooking them.

Start with the pan on high - but just until the meat starts to sizzle. Immediately turn down to medium. Cook maybe 3-4 minutes per side, then turn the heat down slightly, cover and cook an additional 3-5 min. Uncover and turn the heat back up to med, but all you want to do at this point is get rid of the excess moisture from them being cover. As soon as they're dry-ish on the outside, they're done.
 

dullard

Elite Member
May 21, 2001
25,069
3,420
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Every time I cook them with a few spices and olive oil in the pan, they always turn out dry. I am using Smart Chicken breasts, by the way.

Anyone have any tips to making juicy, pan-cooked chicken breast?
You are getting them way too hot. Chicken is usually recommended to be cooked to 165°F, but that is because they are usually cooled in what is often called "fecal soup". The cooling bath transfers any bacteria from any chicken to almost all chickens. But even then 165°F is an over-reaction. You have Smart Chicken which avoids the fecal soup issue. Contamination is far less likely. Try 155°F and adjust a bit hotter or colder from there according to your preferences. (I cook nothing over 140°F and have never been sick from meat - raw veggies did a number on me once though).
 

GagHalfrunt

Lifer
Apr 19, 2001
25,297
2,000
126
If they're dry they're overcooked, it's that simple. Practice a little more, use a meat thermometer or try some wet cooking methods like stew, braising, poaching or poulet "En papillote".
 

DesiPower

Lifer
Nov 22, 2008
15,366
740
126
No offense OP, but it's like the worst form of meat, seriously, dry, bland, chalky, fat-less... I never understood why its the most expensive part of the hen... stop wasting your time..
 

Matthiasa

Diamond Member
May 4, 2009
5,755
23
81
For baking, I use several different wet or dry marinades & they all work great. If you like Teriyaki, there are tons to choose from. Sure, there will be variations from one to the next, but just buy a couple & find the one you like.

For dry rubs, it might be a trial & error deal, but I say go for it. I have, on several occasions, & only once did I totally dislike the dry rub. Don't over do the dry rub. Use it in moderation.

I bake 2 - 3 breasts for 40 - 55 minutes @ 375. You'll want to adjust the timing slightly to your liking, just make sure they're thoroughly cooked (make small incisions to confirm no pink).

Until you feel like you're an "expert", check on it every 20 minutes. Slice & dice em up however you want once baked. Much easier to do once cooked.

Good to go.

The bolded is not actually true. Pink chicken is just fine as long as it reached the correct temperature for the required amount of time.
I had pink turkey today and I have had red and pink chicken wings in the past... no food poisoning from that here. :p
Temperature and time matters not color.
 
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ussfletcher

Platinum Member
Apr 16, 2005
2,569
2
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I typically cook mine in the oven, whole from the package, covered in spices at 425F for about 20 minutes, they turn out moist and tender every time. Sure sounds like you are overcooking them.
 

DisturbedRamm

Member
Nov 20, 2010
131
7
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all u gotta do is marinate the chicken overnight in the fridge, then throw on grill or in a pan, it will stay nice and moist
 

ttown

Platinum Member
Oct 27, 2003
2,412
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0
I recently tried brining for an hour before baking based on watching "cooks country"

Half cup salt disolved in about 8qt of water... let the chicken pieces soak for an hour.. bake 350 lightly covered for about 40min or until it gets to temp. Bake a few minutes more uncovered.

turned out great
 

Leros

Lifer
Jul 11, 2004
21,867
7
81
I take a frozen chicken breast and cook it in the oven for 30-40 minutes at 350F. They always turn out nice and moist.
 

HomerJS

Lifer
Feb 6, 2002
36,060
27,791
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One quick method I use is marinade in italian dressing overnight. Grill med-high heat. Poke thick end. When it springs back take off grill immediately. Let sit 10 min.
 

destrekor

Lifer
Nov 18, 2005
28,799
359
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No offense OP, but it's like the worst form of meat, seriously, dry, bland, chalky, fat-less... I never understood why its the most expensive part of the hen... stop wasting your time..

Chicken is not one of those meats, like beef, where pure and still red in the center is the best form.

Plain chicken breast is just that, plain. It's essential sustenance, and if raised properly, some good nutrients - otherwise, it's a damn good serving of protein.


With that said, if you are looking to keep chicken breast on the menu without adding any kind of flavor to it, you are doing it wrong. Very wrong.

It's basically the most versatile meat in the world. You can make just about any kind of dish wrapped around chicken breast.

One of my favorites, in the very simple and minimal additions category, is lemon and herb. Simple to get decent, at least, but you'll know when you get it just right. Especially if you fancy it up a bit with a lemon and herb sauce instead of relying entirely on an oil-based marinade. Herb is of your choice, but rosemary, thyme, and sage work great together. For a little some different, tiny chopped flakes of fresh shallots or green onions change it up a bit. Though, that last part, I might be confusing with another dish come to think of it. I don't know if I ever used those oniosn for said chicken dish, but I definitely used them in lemon risotto. Speaking of which, that shit is also super tasty.

I made a meal of lemon risotto and lemon and herb chicken. There were comments from the peanut gallery suggesting it was just a touch too much lemon in one meal, to which I might humbly agree - it's better to have distinct flavors as separate dishes of the main meal. But yet, to my palate, it was an orgasmic summer dinner. :D It would be wonderful in the winter too... but I can have lemon-based foods just about whenever and never feel remorse. :D


That's one example out of about a bajillion. Is it "bad" that chicken needs to be dressed up? IMHO no - that's what makes chicken so wonderful. It doesn't really need to be to be decent enough to eat, as in "checking off the food block for this part of the day." But it goes a long way to offer cheaper sustenance that can actually still taste wonderful when put together well. Cheap beef feels like corners have been drastically cut, beef is always better when you spend a little extra. But chicken, even cheap chicken breasts, when properly cooked and prepared, will leave one longing to have it again.

And if chicken breast is chalky and dry, you are doing it wrong. That, or it was raised very wrong, and your have done it wrong just made it that much worse.

Good chicken breast will be flaky but very tender and super juicy. Bland, it will basically always be, but that's ultimately the star quality that lends to such versatility. Get creative in the kitchen and on the grill - super delicious meals with a dead animal protein-rich component are awaiting.
 

Saint Nick

Lifer
Jan 21, 2005
17,722
6
81
Thanks everyone. I make chicken breasts a few times per week. It seems that the best flavor would be had baking or grilling them.