Trouble Browning Chicken

[suziquzie]

I've been cooking a long time..... I must be an idiot.
Every time I am browning / sauteeing a boneless skinless chicken breast, no matter how medium or medium high I have the heat, they are always crusty on the outside before they are cooked through, unless I pound them or cut them thinner.
Am I just getting overly large pieces? Last night I tried again not cutting or pounding, when I saw they were getting too brown outside again I covered them up and finished in the oven. It works out nicely they are very juicy that way, but should I have to be doing an extra step every time? Thoughts?

 

[expatgirl]

when you say medium or medium high---what temps are you exactly talking about? If they're juicy when you wrap them up then yeah, I would say take the extra step...too many times people end up with overcooked dried out fillets instead of juicy ones

 

[suziquzie]

i dont cook them on high, my dial goes lo to hi, 9 is the highest # before hi.... I'm usually between 5 and 7.

 

[Andy M.]

For chicken breasts, I brown over fairly high heat then put them in the oven to finish coooking. You need the high heat to get the browning but if you try to cook them through at that heat they will dry out.

Breasts that have been pounded thin can be cooked through on the stove top as they will cook through faster.

 

[suziquzie]

Thanks I'm glad it's not just me Andy.... they always look so perfect on the cooking shows, it drives me nuts that I can't do it myself!!!!

 

[Jeekinz]

Ah man, chicken breasts are easy. What kind of pan are you cooking them in? I drop the heat to med-low and cover, sometimes even add some chicken stock to keep them super moist. Makes a great sauce after. The cover and lower temp to finish alows you to do other things than baby sit the chicken. Moist meat everytime.

 

[Robo410]

chicken, like steak, ... a thin cutlet, a thin steak: in the pan all the way. Thicker: brown in pan then finish in oven, (or with a lid and some liquid.) You are doing the right thing.

 

[suziquzie]

Depends on how many.
1 or 2 I use my Emeril All-clad 10 inch non-stick
If its for more I use the 12 inch copper bottom non-stick skillet. Heavy sucker!
If I had a lid for the 12 inch it would be easier. For some reason thats my only piece in the set that came without one, but they sent me 4 10 inch lids, like I would be using all 4 10 inch pieces at the same time? right.
I end up putting it in a covered casserole in the oven.

 

[Jeekinz]

Once you get the color you want on one side, flip it to finish on the other. I use the poke test to check for doneness. Once it feels somewhat firm, remove from the pan and cover. I always use SS pans, so once the chicken releases, it gets flipped.

Adding some sort of liquid will help with moisture. Do this after you get some color. You can pick up a lid for your pan at any store like Target or Kmart.

 

[Jeekinz]

Don't forget to drop the heat when you turn them.

 

[suziquzie]

Alright. I'm gonna thaw 1 piece (very carefully, submerged in cold water, touching nothing else ) and mess with it in the 10 inch that came with a cover.
It's gonna be too hot soon (I hope) to be firing up the oven AND stove.
If it works I'm ordering my 12 inch lid sooner than later. (gotta match ya know?)
Thanks.

 

[Jeekinz]

If you use the lid, you really don't need to finish in the oven.

"Become one with the chicken breast."

LOL

 

[mbasiszta]

Once you get the color you want on one side, flip it to finish on the other. I use the poke test to check for doneness. Once it feels somewhat firm, remove from the pan and cover. I always use SS pans, so once the chicken releases, it gets flipped.

Adding some sort of liquid will help with moisture. Do this after you get some color. You can pick up a lid for your pan at any store like Target or Kmart.

This is what I do, too. Brown on high heat with a nice EVOO; when I get the color and smells I want, I put in liquid that will go with the rest of the meal, cover and lower heat to medium to medium low. Don't overcook chicken, just as you shouldn't overdo fish. Temp @ 170 F. is done.

 

[ChefJune]

main reason for pounding the chix breasts is so they will cook evenly. When you don't pound, you will have some unevenness. Finishing them in the oven helps even it out.

I turn down the heat to medium immediately after browning the first side, even on the pounded chix. The underside is going to get brown as the meat finishes cooking.

 

[mbasiszta]

main reason for pounding the chix breasts is so they will cook evenly. When you don't pound, you will have some unevenness. Finishing them in the oven helps even it out.

I turn down the heat to medium immediately after browning the first side, even on the pounded chix. The underside is going to get brown as the meat finishes cooking.

Sure, this is another fine way of cooking chicken. I just normally like to do my meat cooking in one venue, i.e. fry pan or oven. BBQ is of course always a
wonderful way to cook any parts of the chicken, but you have to cook for
different periods of time, turning often, depending what parts of the chook
are being loving prepared for devouring.

 

[jkath]

SQ, permit me to throw a fly into the ointment...
I've found to get the best browning while:A) fully cooking the chicken, B)keeping the meat moist, C) eliminating the use for pounding, and D) using only one venue like mbasiszta said, is by baking in the oven.
FWIW, here's a recipe that's super easy and makes an outrageously perfect browned outside: Low Carb Recipes - Lime-Garlic-Ginger-Sesame Chicken Thighs

 

[suziquzie]

MMMM thanks jkath (glad to see you back!) that looks yummy.
I'm putting that one on the list!

 

[jkath]

it really is tasty. I make it a tiny bit different: I use the chicken leg quarters (since they always seem to be on a great sale) and I use lemon rather than lime (since I have a ton of juice/zest in my freezer from my tree)

(ps - and it really is good to see all my foodies again!)

 

[mbasiszta]

SQ, permit me to throw a fly into the ointment...
I've found to get the best browning while:A) fully cooking the chicken, B)keeping the meat moist, C) eliminating the use for pounding, and D) using only one venue like mbasiszta said, is by baking in the oven.
FWIW, here's a recipe that's super easy and makes an outrageously perfect browned outside: Low Carb Recipes - Lime-Garlic-Ginger-Sesame Chicken Thighs

Many thanks for this additional recipe for dark chicken meat which I prefer. Thanks even more for the new website: Low Carb Recipies. I am sure
Noreen's recipe would be great with any part of the chicken, dark or light
meat.

 

[GotGarlic]

Baking chicken certainly is an option, but there it takes about twice as long as cooking in a pan, since it gets more direct heat, and I try really hard not to use the oven at all during the summer. It just makes the kitchen too hot.

Sounds good, though. I might try it on the grill, with indirect heat.