Sauteing and Grilling Chicken

[knight76]

I am going to be cooking one of the creamy pasta recipe's from my other thread but am after tips on how to saute or fry chicken so it does not come out dry?

Chicken for me, seems to cook through, but be dry and quite hard. I am guessing sauteing in butter would help this but what is the secret for this?

I tend to cook chicken so it is completely white all the way through as I am worried about being poisoned.

[GB]

I can not recommend this enough...Try brining your chicken before cooking. You will be amazed at how juicy and flavorful it turns out even if you overcook it.

Just mix up a batch of salt water. I do not measure, but it should be pleasantly salty. Maybe a little less salty than the ocean. Soak the chicken in this brine for 2 hours in the fridge. You can go as long as three, but I would not go past that. I find 2 hours is idea though. This is for breasts by the way. A whole chicken can brine for longer.

Dry the chicken and cook however you want.

[pacanis]

I trust my thermometer when it comes to chicken, so as not to overcook it. It's always moist, whether done in a pan or on the grill. I don't see as how the switch to butter will change your results.
But you are better to overcook it rather than undercook it.
I go by 180F for breast meat and 160F for thighs. Stuck in the meat and not a bone. And actually, I usually like the thighs a bit warmer, as dark meat is juicier anyway.
I'm sure others will post their temps, too.

[Andy M.]

Chicken breasts are uneven in thickness so you cannot avoid thin parts being overdone by the time the thicker parts are cooked properly. You can minimize this by cooking the breasts until they are just done and no more.

If you are cooking them whole, I recommend browning them in a skillet on both sides then putting them into a 350 F oven to finish the cooking with a gentler heat.

Cook the breasts to an internal temperature of 161 F measured at the thickest part of the breast. They are done and safe at that temp. Remove them to a plate and cover loosely with foil for 20 minutes to rest and allow the juices to be reabsorbed by the meat.

I cook thighs to 180 F. They remain juicy longer.

[knight76]

Hmm, Brining. after the brining period can I just take the chicken pieces out and put them straight into the skillet with a bit of a drain off, or do I need to let them sit to get rid of surface wetness?

Found a bit of an article here: Brining - How to Brine Poultry, Fish and Meat with recipes and information.

[Andy M.]

Pat them dry with paper towel.

[Constance]

You might also consider steaming the chicken.

[GB]

Originally Posted by knight76

after the brining period can I just take the chicken pieces out and put them straight into the skillet with a bit of a drain off, or do I need to let them sit to get rid of surface wetness?

Well if you put them into the pan still wet then it will be harder to brown and they will steam a bit. If that is OK with you then yes you can put them right in the pan. If you want to brown then then patting them dry first would be beneficial.

[knight76]

For the purpose of the fettuccine dish I would like to brown it as it will look better against the white of the sauce.

With brining - Couldn't you brine a nice thick piece of ribeye and then pat dry, sear and oven cook to finish for a nice juicy steak? I was reading in my link I posted about brining that you need to add some saltpeter to the brine to ensure the meat does not turn white during brining.

[GB]

There is no need to brine steak. If cooked properly it will not be dry.