Problem cooking tasty chicken breast

[noob007]

I am new to this forum, so a little about myself. I am a student in St. Louis and recently I have decided to eat clean and lean and work out and all that.

Now, the problem is, I have baked a few batches of Chicken breast, so I can have them over a week. Unfortunately, none of them have been tasty. I gulp them down for the heck of it and don't think I can do that for long.

The one I made yesterday is the worst! My marinade consisted of the following:

- Lime
- Salt
- Pepper
- Soy Sauce
- Cilantro

I have also tried the "Honey and Garlic" marinade before, how much ever I put it, i can never taste it once the chicken is baked, it just tastes bland!

I baked it in Owen at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. I have attached a picture to show how it looks like. Looks quiet ok, but tastes really bad.

I wanted opinions on how to improve the chicken breast taste while baking them? Any suggestions or directing towards resources will be much appreciated.

Thank you

 

[Mad Cook]

I am new to this forum, so a little about myself. I am a student in St. Louis and recently I have decided to eat clean and lean and work out and all that.

Now, the problem is, I have baked a few batches of Chicken breast, so I can have them over a week. Unfortunately, none of them have been tasty. I gulp them down for the heck of it and don't think I can do that for long.

The one I made yesterday is the worst! My marinade consisted of the following:

- Lime
- Salt
- Pepper
- Soy Sauce
- Cilantro

I have also tried the "Honey and Garlic" marinade before, how much ever I put it, i can never taste it once the chicken is baked, it just tastes bland!

I baked it in Owen at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. I have attached a picture to show how it looks like. Looks quiet ok, but tastes really bad.

I wanted opinions on how to improve the chicken breast taste while baking them? Any suggestions or directing towards resources will be much appreciated.

Thank you

Most of the time it depends on the quality of the chicken If you buy the 3 for £10 then you aren't going to get very tasty cooked chicken. (Yes, I know, sometimes one has to economise.

The ingredients you mention should make it taste nice. How about a little more salt? I'm not trying to persuade you to OD on salt but a bit more might help boost the flavour.

"Looks quiet ok, but tastes really bad" That worries me a little. By bad do you mean it tastes as if it's gone off? How are you storing the meat when it's raw and when it's cooked.

 

[noob007]

Hello Mad Cook, thank you for your prompt response.

By "Tastes really bad", I meant it is just bad in taste. I am sure its not gone bad. I usually buy a pack of 5 breasts, bring them home and keep them in the fridge until I bake them all together, so, they remain in the fridge for 1-2 days max.

I just tried mixing the chicken I posted with Spinach and Balsamic sauce, it tastes a little better. But I wanted to cook, really tasty chicken breasts, which would taste good just on its own. I remember I went to a Vietnamese restaurant and the chicken they served was a little sweet and so awesome to eat. I just wish I could make something like that at home so my tongue enjoys what I eat and not just my body.

 

[GotGarlic]

Hi, noob. How long did you marinate the chicken? I would marinate them for at least two hours. If they are bone-in, skin-on breasts, I would marinate them at least four hours.

 

[noob007]

Hello GotGarlic,

I marinate them for long! Last time I marinated them for a whole night.

Also, last time I put the following:
- Celery Seasoning
- Garlic Powder
- Olive oil

But somehow, the taste of seasonings and the spices do not go into the meat, so it tastes quiet bland. I do make deep cuts before marinating though.

 

[Dawgluver]

I wouldn't marinate chicken for longer than 30 minutes. The salt in the marinade may be drying it out.

 

[CatPat]

This is probably not very nice, but Gwen's chicken breasts are very dry and tasteless. But DA and I have found out that if we have a least two brandies before Gwen's chicken breast dinner, we do not care how it tastes so it does not bother us.

I make a very soggy rub with chicken stock, melted butter, cracked black pepper, minced garlic, finely chopped onion, rosemary, sage, thyme and white wine. I place the breasts in the airtight Rubbermaid container covered with this marinade or rub, and put it in the refrigerator for eight hours. Every hour, I take the container out, stab the breasts with a fork very many times to push all the flavors in, and rub in all the marinade as possible into it. Then I bake it in the oven covered very tightly in foil with the marinade in it at 400 until the insides of the breasts are 170 degrees.

I do not use salt at any time on this.

I have discerned that poultry can dry out very quickly. DA taught me of this.

I hope it helps you.

I am a college student also. I am majoring in journalism. What is your major?

Your friend,
~Cat

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Brine your chicken breasts first, for 4 to 8 hours, in a gallon of water with 1 cup of salt and 1/2 cup of sugar, plus any other flavours you like. Sliced oranges and/or lemons in the brine works wonders, and you can also add smashed garlic cloves and quartered onions. Then drain them, dry them thoroughly with paper towels, dredge them in flour, then egg wash, then bread crumbs, and bake them in the oven to an internal temperature of 160F (70C). Be sure to let them rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing into them.

 

[taxlady]

I have found that too much oil in a marinade seems to keep the marinade on the outside of the meat.

 

[forty_caliber]

Try some Lea & Perrins Marinade for Chicken. Wonderful stuff.

Try using an injector on larger bone-in split breasts.

.40

 

[noob007]

This is probably not very nice, but Gwen's chicken breasts are very dry and tasteless. But DA and I have found out that if we have a least two brandies before Gwen's chicken breast dinner, we do not care how it tastes so it does not bother us.

I make a very soggy rub with chicken stock, melted butter, cracked black pepper, minced garlic, finely chopped onion, rosemary, sage, thyme and white wine. I place the breasts in the airtight Rubbermaid container covered with this marinade or rub, and put it in the refrigerator for eight hours. Every hour, I take the container out, stab the breasts with a fork very many times to push all the flavors in, and rub in all the marinade as possible into it. Then I bake it in the oven covered very tightly in foil with the marinade in it at 400 until the insides of the breasts are 170 degrees.

I do not use salt at any time on this.

I have discerned that poultry can dry out very quickly. DA taught me of this.

I hope it helps you.

I am a college student also. I am majoring in journalism. What is your major?

Your friend,
~Cat

Hey CatPat, this is a very good description of your process, I don't think I will get time to stab the chicken so often during the marination process, but I can probably do it twice. Again, thank you for the detailed description, I think making the sauces go inside the chicken can work towards my goal.

Oh, and I am doing my MBA. Journalism is cool, I always wonder how journalists can be so creative with every article they write, something I can never do

 

[noob007]

Try some Lea & Perrins Marinade for Chicken. Wonderful stuff.

Try using an injector on larger bone-in split breasts.

.40

Wow, that injector looks so cool!

So, one gotta inject the marinade inside the chicken breast?

 

[pacanis]

Good idea on the injector.

 

[Mad Cook]

Hello GotGarlic,

I marinate them for long! Last time I marinated them for a whole night.

Also, last time I put the following:
- Celery Seasoning
- Garlic Powder
- Olive oil

But somehow, the taste of seasonings and the spices do not go into the meat, so it tastes quiet bland. I do make deep cuts before marinating though.

Perhaps slashing cuts into the breasts before marinating would help the flavour get into the meat?

 

[Rocket_J_Dawg]

These things are available in the grocery stores by us.
FRENCH’S® Flavor Infuser

I haven't used one myself but friends did a pork roast with the Teriyaki one and it was really good.

 

[CarolPa]

I like Cat's idea of having 2 brandies before dinner! LOL That would work for me.

I have a friend who is on a healthy diet and she likes to make chicken breasts ahead to have ready for several days. She puts hers in a casserole dish with pasta sauce and bakes it. She said it is tasty, moist, and healthy.

 

[Rocklobster]

Your marinade is only going to penetrate a bit. Let's face it. Chicken breast can be bland, which is why people have come up with so many recipes that include sauce, stuffing, breading, etc. You almost need something else to help it go down. I would try and pound the thick part of the breast out a little to make it less dense, give it a quick fry in a pan and don't over cook. Frying will enhance the flavors. You could even add a few tblsps of water or chicken stock to the pan, let it simmer and stir up the cooked bits, then season with salt and pepper to taste, serve the broth on the chicken.

 

[CarolPa]

These things are available in the grocery stores by us.
FRENCH’S® Flavor Infuser

I haven't used one myself but friends did a pork roast with the Teriyaki one and it was really good.

How do you know how much to inject? Does it have instructions? I don't want to over-flavor.

 

[Rocket_J_Dawg]

How do you know how much to inject? Does it have instructions? I don't want to over-flavor.

It isn't exact, but I did find these additional tips on their web site.

Don't over pierce. Inject protein every 2 to 3 inches.
<LI id=infuser-hint>Keep injection areas evenly spaced to allow for even distribution of marinade.
<LI id=infuser-hint>Squeeze with firm, even pressure as you pull infuser tip from deep within meat to the outer surface.
<LI id=infuser-hint>Gently 'wiggle' infuser tip as you pull back for more even distribution.
<LI id=infuser-hint>For thin cuts, insert the infuser tip at an angle.

 

[taxlady]

How do you know how much to inject? Does it have instructions? I don't want to over-flavor.

From the site:

Q: How much meat can one tube of French's Flavor Infuser™ marinate?
A: Recommended usage is 3-4 pounds of protein, enough to feed a family of four.