Help...Always tough chicken breasts

[Sandyj]

I've done the search for "tough" in the chicken forum, read the posts. I even did a web search: "how to cook chicken breasts". I have to face it, I can't seem to get it right. Last night, came home from work with the idea to either quickly saute some chicken breasts, or maybe grill them, serving them with some rice and nice fresh green veg. I had marinated them and frozen them on Sunday - thawed them out yesterday - with some leftover Italian dressing (having cleaned out my pantry). Was this my mistake? Freezing them in the dressing? In the end I asked my dh to grill them just because it was so hot inside. They were supposed to be done in something like 4 minutes per side, but they just didn't seem cooked (so said dh, usually an expert griller) 30 minutes after going outside, he came in with some shoe leather. Was he watching a Yankee game out there and did he fib? I don't think so. They did taste okay, but the texture was all wrong. Darn it! I have a package of frozen chicken breasts in the freezer, and I think I'm going to donate them to my neighbor - a better cook than me.
I pound them, sear them, bake them - they're always tough. I've started to just hate them. Help me please with my technique, or I may just quit cooking forever! (p.s. I'm looking for nicely browned, tender pieces - mainly I'd like to saute them properly) (p.p.s. I have an iron skillet, but also a heavy bottomed stainless steel skillet) (p.p.p.s. I don't have anything like Le Creuset, oh, woe).

 

[Sandyj]

p.p.p.p.s......I cut the last of them up tonight for Shelby (see avatar) and Shadow (what the hey). Shelby thought they were okay.

 

[thumpershere2]

Sounds like your cooking them to long. Otherwise sounds like you did them ok.

 

[Andy M.]

Sandy, the most common reason for tough chicken breasts is overcooking. Folks tend to overcook because they are concerned about killing off any bacterial contamination that may be present (salmonella).

Once you have marinated (I don't think freezing in the marinade was an issue), dry off the breasts and let them come to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Heat the SS skillet and add some fat. Sear the breasts on high heat for about three minutes per side and pop the pan and chicken into the oven. Cook for 12 minutes (15 minutes only if the breasts are really big).

Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the breasts to a plate. Cover and allow to rest for 10 minutes. You're done! These breasts will be juicy and tender.

Also, you can brine the breasts to add flavor and moisture. There are many brining descriptions on DC.

You can also make a delicious pan sauce from the fond left in the pan while the breasts are resting. Pour off and excess fat and toss in some minced shallots. Sauté 'til soft and add a 1.4 cup of wine. Reduce, scraping up the fond, and add a little chicken broth. Reduce again. Turn off the heat and whisk in a few pats of butter. Season and serve.

 

[Sandyj]

Andy M. you are a wise person! I can tell. Thank you for all that information. Tomorrow morning I will take those frozen chicken breasts out of the freezer and put them into the fridge. I will prepare a sauce of some sort and then I will try to do things exactly as you describe.

Wish me luck.

(Occasionally I feel like I'm living in the Twilight Zone of cooking).

 

[AllenOK]

If you grill them again, use a meat thermometer and check the temp of the thickest part of the breast. Chicken is done at 165 degrees F. Cook until they reach 160 degrees F, and carry-over cooking will finish them off when you bring them in.

 

[silentmeow]

I had this problem and I think it has to do with the chicken. The breasts were different in texture and kinda looked stringy. They even felt tough b4 I cooked them! I quit buying Tyson brand and now buy farm raised. I once threw out an entire package because it just looked strange! I used to think all chicken was the same but now I check it like I do meat b4 putting it in my basket.

 

[GB]

On the grill I go with indirect heat. I turn on the back burners and put the chick over the front burners that are off. I also brine my chicken and use a probe thermometer to see when it hits 160 at which point I pull it off the grill and let it rest until it hits 165.

 

[Sandyj]

Thanks again, everyone.

 

[PA Baker]

I agree with all of the above comments, but have also found that if the chicken has been frozen and thawed too many times, that leads to toughness, too. Sometimes you have no idea of knowing this--if they've been frozen and partially thawed a few times at the grocery store. I find I have this happen more when I buy store brand as opposed to Perdue. Other times, it's my fault (I thaw them then don't get around to cooking them for one reason or another so I pop them back in the freezer--big no-no, I know!)

Also, if the breast are really large and thick, I fillet them, making two thinner pieces out of one. That helps to reduce the cooking time, resulting in less chance of them getting tough.

 

[SizzlininIN]

Also, if the breast are really large and thick, I fillet them, making two thinner pieces out of one. That helps to reduce the cooking time, resulting in less chance of them getting tough.[/quote]

I pound out the thicker portion of the breast to equal the thinner portion.......this way it cooks evenly. Overcooking it will lead to the toughness......believe me I've done it several times by getting sidetracked when I'm grilling.

 

[jennyema]

What everyone else said ...

Overcooking
Freezing

Brining will definitely help

But also, an overly acidic marinade can toughen the chicken, too. Since you marinaded twice, that might have contributed. Try brining and marinading quickly instead.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Two other things to keep in mind:

1) Depending on how you plan on cooking the breasts, a lot of toughness problems can stem from the fact that boneless/skinless chicken breasts aren't the same thickness throughout. Unless I'm baking them in a sauce or grilling them (something I rarely do because of how easy it is to overcook them that way), I always pound them so that they are at least somewhat close to the same thickness throughout.

2) Check the package to see if it says that the breasts have had a "solution" added. And unless you're buying organic poultry, all the major brands (Perdue, Tysons, etc.) use it, but they must put it somewhere on the package. Whether chicken or turkey, this "solution" has a tendency to give the interior of the meat a pinkish tinge which many people take for underdoneness. I can't tell you how many times I overcooked both chicken & turkey products before I realized that it was the solution & not the doneness of the meat that was causing the pinkness.

 

[VegasDramaQueen]

ANDYM's advice on cooking chicken breasts is right on target. Breasts cook in a very short time and if you sear them quickly and put them in the oven for a few minutes they will come out juicy and tender. I like making them on the grill too, but I butterfly them if they're thick and only cook them on direct heat for 3 minutes per side max. If you put them on indirect heat, they will take longer to cook and will overcook and become dry.

Unfortunately, most people don't know that supermarket chicken always comes in frozen, so if you are refreezing your chicken be they breasts, parts or whole chickens, you are taking a chance on the chicken becoming dry and tough. When I buy chicken I make it the same day so as not to refreeze it. Makes a difference.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Oh - & one thing about freezing. While I completely agree with all the "refreezing" comments/advice, I purchase all of my boneless/skinless chicken breasts in large quantities (CostCo) already flash-frozen.

The economy, & more important, the quality is so excellent that I never purchase the small supposedly "fresh" packages at the supermarket anymore. I can take out as many breasts as I want for a recipe & defrost them in the microwave as needed. Regardless of how I prepare them, whole, sliced, cut up for stirfries, etc., etc., they're always flavorful & moist throughout.

 

[auntdot]

Agree that the cooking should be done very quickly and in a very hot pan.

But for grilling (and baking or broiling) usually prefer the bone in chicken breasts.

They are so much juicier and are more forgiving about overheating.

 

[cara]

]Unfortunately, most people don't know that supermarket chicken always comes in frozen, so if you are refreezing your chicken be they breasts, parts or whole chickens, you are taking a chance on the chicken becoming dry and tough. When I buy chicken I make it the same day so as not to refreeze it. Makes a difference.

is this allowed??
here in Germany you risk your licence if you thaw meat and sell it. Everybody tells you that refreezing it's the worst you can do to your health...

I usually buy fresh chicken (or turkey), so I can see the quality of the flesh.. fat, tendons, fibers etc. I prefer to portion them myself and freeze then if I don't need them right away.
I stopped buying the cheapest meat, because I had this problems with that kind.. and of course care about the time 30min on a grill is definetely tooo much.
If you don't have a thermometer, just take it from the grill and cut at the thickest part.. then you can see if it's done

 

[jennyema]

is this allowed??
here in Germany you risk your licence if you thaw meat and sell it. Everybody tells you that refreezing it's the worst you can do to your health...

I don't think refreezing is a health issue, assuming the thawed meat was still fresh when refrozen. It's a textural one.

Just about every piece of "fresh" fish you see in a supermarket was previously frozen. They often freeze fish right on the boat.

 

[VegasDramaQueen]

You're right Jennyema. I have asked the fishmonger both here in Michigan and in California and Nevada where I now live and they all said that the only fish that is fresh is salmon. All other fish and shellfish comes in frozen. Everytime you re-freeze meat, poultry or fish you lose some of the quality in either taste, or texture. I try to buy fish and poultry on the day I intend to use them. Meat, of course, isn't pre-frozen so I freeze meat products.

It isn't illegal for supermarkets to pre-freeze fish or poultry, but if you look closely you'll often see the words "previously frozen" on the price tag in the counter. This is usually done with fish and shellfish.

 

[kittyno]

re: tough chicken breasts

It is probably the quality of meat you are buying. Buy your chicken from a good quality butcher's shop. When the butcher is sloppy about cutting the meat, it turns out tough when cooked. I have no idea why, but that is why it happens. I hope this helps.

I've done the search for "tough" in the chicken forum, read the posts. I even did a web search: "how to cook chicken breasts". I have to face it, I can't seem to get it right. Last night, came home from work with the idea to either quickly saute some chicken breasts, or maybe grill them, serving them with some rice and nice fresh green veg. I had marinated them and frozen them on Sunday - thawed them out yesterday - with some leftover Italian dressing (having cleaned out my pantry). Was this my mistake? Freezing them in the dressing? In the end I asked my dh to grill them just because it was so hot inside. They were supposed to be done in something like 4 minutes per side, but they just didn't seem cooked (so said dh, usually an expert griller) 30 minutes after going outside, he came in with some shoe leather. Was he watching a Yankee game out there and did he fib? I don't think so. They did taste okay, but the texture was all wrong. Darn it! I have a package of frozen chicken breasts in the freezer, and I think I'm going to donate them to my neighbor - a better cook than me.
I pound them, sear them, bake them - they're always tough. I've started to just hate them. Help me please with my technique, or I may just quit cooking forever! (p.s. I'm looking for nicely browned, tender pieces - mainly I'd like to saute them properly) (p.p.s. I have an iron skillet, but also a heavy bottomed stainless steel skillet) (p.p.p.s. I don't have anything like Le Creuset, oh, woe).