Boneless skinless chicken breasts are a healthy eater's best friend. They're lean, vitamin-rich, and incredibly versatile – hello, salads, soups, sandwiches, casseroles. Their leanness makes them good for us, but it also means they can dry out quickly when cooked (which is why they get such a bad rap).
Well, not on our watch – behold the 5 tips and tricks that will transform your chicken breasts from dry and tough to juicy and satisfying.
Photo by Craving Tasty
HOW TO PERFECTLY COOK CHICKEN BREASTS
Remove your chicken from the fridge for about 20-30 minutes before cooking. Taking the chill off the meat will give you juicier, more evenly cooked end results.
Chicken breasts are not uniformly sized – they're thick in the middle and thin at the edges. Unless you're poaching your chicken breasts, you should pound them thin to ensure more even, quicker cooking. Place your raw chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound them with a meat mallet or rolling pin until they're evenly sized.
At this point, your chicken breasts can be seasoned simply with salt and pepper or a rub, and cooked immediately. Or they can be placed in a marinade and put back in the fridge for a later cooking time. When ready, you can either grill or pan-fry your chicken breasts, about 4 minutes on the first side and then 3-4 minutes on the second side.
As with cooking any protein, temperature is the measurement that matters. A guessing game is not going to work here. Invest in a good instant-read thermometer and cook your chicken until it registers 165 degrees – not any less and try to catch it before it goes too much over.
Give it a rest by covering them loosely with foil for about 10 minutes. If you cut up your breasts right after cooking, the juices will run out of the meat and onto your cutting board instead of being redistributed back into the meat.
Now that you're a chicken cooking pro, why not give Craving Tasty's 10-Minute Pan-Fried Chicken Breast recipe a try?
Enjoy!