Help with Stuffed Chicken Rolls

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Nyeer

Senior Cook
Joined
Sep 29, 2009
Messages
106
Location
Texas
I prepared Stuffed Chicken Rolls for our Sunday dinner. It was very tasty but I found it to be quite dry. I used chicken breasts, cut them open and pound them to become thinner. Seasoned with salt and pepper. Prepared a stuffing: fried a few pieces of bacon, set it aside. In olive oil I sauteed some onions and garlic, added sage, parsley, salt and pepper, bread crumbs, and the reserved bacon, moistened everything with a little bit of cream, let it cool dowm. Put a couple of tablespoons of filling on each chicken breast, rolled them and tied each one. Again, olive oil in a frying pan, seared the rolls on all sides. Added a little bit of chicken broth, put in the oven to finish cooking for (can"t remember how long). Like I said, it was very tasty but dry. What should I do next time? Do you think I cooked for too long? Should I have added something more fattening to the filling (like sausage)? I try never to prepare anything too fattening, but I certainly like moisture. Thank you for any replyes.
 
bake it

I prepared Stuffed Chicken Rolls for our Sunday dinner. It was very tasty but I found it to be quite dry. I used chicken breasts, cut them open and pound them to become thinner. Seasoned with salt and pepper. Prepared a stuffing: fried a few pieces of bacon, set it aside. In olive oil I sauteed some onions and garlic, added sage, parsley, salt and pepper, bread crumbs, and the reserved bacon, moistened everything with a little bit of cream, let it cool dowm. Put a couple of tablespoons of filling on each chicken breast, rolled them and tied each one. Again, olive oil in a frying pan, seared the rolls on all sides. Added a little bit of chicken broth, put in the oven to finish cooking for (can"t remember how long). Like I said, it was very tasty but dry. What should I do next time? Do you think I cooked for too long? Should I have added something more fattening to the filling (like sausage)? I try never to prepare anything too fattening, but I certainly like moisture. Thank you for any replyes.

Usually when i make chicken rolls i bake it right away than searing it..i've usually do a cheese stuffing coz the cheese melts and keeps the inside tender. Also, there are lean sausages you can use for the stuffing that will minimize the fat in the dish:chef:
 
I never sear the chix first. I have stuffed with rice mixture and stuffing mixture. I pound them out so they are thinner, roll them up like fold an egg roll. After i get them in the pan i coat them with lil olive oil or a few dabs of butter on top. season the top s&p. i add a lil chix broth to the pan and cover tight then about 10 min before done uncover. They have come out very moist. I always leave the skin on when making rolls. If I know someone hates the skin on I leave them covered all the way. Then pull fresh chopped parsley on top .
 
Keeping the skin on helps with keeping the breasts moist, but I usually use the boneless, skinless breast, too. I would agree that searing them is unnecessary, sometimes a light spritz of oil is fine.
But, I like to wrap them in bacon...
 
I like to brown the rolls too. That nice brown color adds to the flavor of the rolls and any sauce you make in the pan.

Your rolls were too dry because they were overcooked. That's what happens with white meat. Use an instant read thermometer and cook to a minimum temperature of 161 F. Beyond that, the meat starts to dry out.
 
Yup, I learned the hard way.
If you sear them, then you probably don't need much oven time at all, especially
if the chicken was pounded thin.
Just enough to heat everything through.

I like to use bone in, skin on chicken breasts and stuff them. I cook them with the
skin on, then remove it before serving. It helps to naturally baste them and keep the meat moist.
 
Yup, I learned the hard way.
If you sear them, then you probably don't need much oven time at all, especially
if the chicken was pounded thin.
Just enough to heat everything through...

With a rolled breast, it's more than just heating it through. You have to ensure the center is at or above the minimum temp.
 
That's what I was thinking, Andy. Definitely want the interior well cooked, which can dry out the white meat unless it is protected with skin, or some other fat/breading. (maybe the searing of the outside helps with that)
 
I believe the rolls were overcooked, that's all I can think happened, because I kept the skin on, or removed the skin but before tied in a roll replaced the skin. I seared because I like the golden color it adds. Andy M. you are right the sauce I made in the pan was delicious. Thank you so much to everybody that replied, I love simple dishes like that and that won't be the last time I prepared chicken rolls.
 
Just make sure that when you temp them, to get a reading from the center of the filling. (if you use a thermometer)
 
I usually check the temperature but I didn't this time, that was one biggest mistake.
 
I think searing in this case helps to hold moisture in. I’d say you over cooked it. The breast is the easiest thing to over cook. Also maybe adding a little bit more of broth would help, personally I like to add some red wine, but that may or may not work with your recipe. Also it might help to cover the dish you are baking in to keep moisture inside.
 
Oh yes, definitely make sure your food is properly cooked. Apologies for my poor choice of wording!!!
 
I like to brown the rolls too. That nice brown color adds to the flavor of the rolls and any sauce you make in the pan.

Your rolls were too dry because they were overcooked. That's what happens with white meat. Use an instant read thermometer and cook to a minimum temperature of 161 F. Beyond that, the meat starts to dry out.

I also brown the rolls. That won't dry them out. Andy's suggestion of the thermometer (I use a digital probe and pull from the oven BEFORE it reaches 160 degrees, as they will continue cooking from the residual heat, usually at least another 10 degrees.)

Overcooking chicken will always dry it out, and wrapping it in bacon won't prevent that from happening.
 
Back
Top Bottom