Chicken Help Please!!

[bluespanishsky]

Hi...

I've been a lurker here for awhile now, and have a chicken question for anyone willing to help!

I've been a semi-vegetarian since I was 16, so 10 years now. I just started eating fish about a year ago. My boyfriend is a meat eater, and I'm trying to learn some meat dishes for him. I've made him a flank steak and sweedish meatballs, but I can't figure out chicken. I don't have an outdoor grill, (we have an old george foreman) and I don't really know how to get started. We eat pretty healthy, we avoid fried foods, and he mostly eats boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

Last week I expereimented with chicken cutlets and breaded and fried them in olive oil (this frying was an exception becuse I didn't know what else to do to make sure it was cooked!) He really liked them, but this is not something I can make often, and will make it again only as a special treat.

Tonight I got a chicken breast and marinated it in some EVOO, red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes and some thyme. I then attempted to cook it up in a skillet, but it turned out a bit dry for him.

I'd love to get some ideas of some easy ways to cook up chicken for my sweetie. Thanks in advance for the help.

-n

 

[middie]

this looks pretty easy for a beginner like yourself.
good luck bluespanishsky

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13869

 

[abjcooking]

I like to put my chicken into a brine before cooking. Just take 1/4 cup sugar and 1 1/2 t. salt and pour in 1/2 cup really hot water. Let the sugar and salt melt. Now pour in 7 1/2 cups cold water and submerge chicken for 45 minutes. This will keep the chicken moist while cooking.

Don't be afraid to make a small cut into the chicken breast to see if it is done. It will be done when you don't see any more pink.

Here is one of my favorite chicken recipes.

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7688&highlight=balsamic+chicken

 

[Constance]

Here are tons of easy chicken recipes. Check it out!

http://www.campbellkitchen.com/RecipeSearch.aspx?searchText=

 

[TomW]

... Tonight I got a chicken breast and ... then attempted to cook it up in a skillet, but it turned out a bit dry for him.

For years I avoided cooking chicken breasts because they always turned out dry. After consistently getting good chicken in restaurants, I finally decided that dryness was not a characteristic of chicken breasts when they are cooked the proper amount of time.

If your chicken breast cooked in a moderately hot skillet for more than around nine minutes total, it was most likely overcooked.

The next time you cook chicken breasts, be mindful of the cooking time. At around eight minutes into the cooking, stick a thermometer into the thickest part. I would quote the correct temperature, but have forgotten since my thermometer has a "cooked chicken" mark on it.

Good luck,
Tom

 

[GB]

Like abjcooking, I like to brine my chicken before cooking. This will help with the dryness. I make my brine a bit differently though. Neither way is wrong. There are many ways to make a brine just like making a marinade.

For my brine I go very basic and I don't measure anything. I take a tall container and fill it about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way with COLD water. I then add salt. I don't measure, but I try to get it to taste "pleasantly salty". When you taste it you should not want to spit it out because it is so salty. Sometimes I add a few tablespoons of soy sauce, but usually I just go with salt and water. I then add the chicken. I usually cook boneless breasts and for those I like to brine them for two hours. I find this is the perfect amount of time for me. You could go three hours if you wanted, but any longer than that (for boneless breasts at least) and the texture of the meat will start to get gross.

What ever brining method you use, make sure to put the chicken and brine in the fridge for however long you are letting it sit. If you use abjcooking's method of starting with hot water then make sure the water is COLD before putting the chicken in.

The other way to keep you chicken moist and juicy is to watch the temperature. The reason your chicken came out too dry is that it was overcooked (most likely). I find the perfect temp for chicken is 165. The best way to tell when it is done is to use a thermometer. A probe thermometer is the best as you put the probe in the breast at the beginning of the cooking process and leave it there. Most probe thermometers have an alarm that you can set to go off at the desired temp. Once you hear the alarm, your chicken is done. There probe thermometers cost around $20 and are an invaluable tool in the kitchen. Polder is a good brand to look for.

 

[jennyema]

Brining your chicken is a pretty foolproof way to make sure it's moist.

And I agree that overcooking is the most likely cause of a dry chix breast.

Did you know you can "oven fry" chicken ?

Take a chicken cutlet or breat and dust it with some flour (seasoned to your taste), then dip it in egg (again, seasoned if you like with mustard, hot sauce, worcestershire, soy sauce, etc), then coat with some kind of coarser crumb, like bread crumbs, crumbled cereal, panko, or what i like best: crushed melba toasts (this last coat should also be seasoned unless you want a very bland product).

Pour about 1-2T of oil on a foil lined baking sheet. Rub it around so that the sheet is evenly coated with just a little oil. Lay the chicken on the sheet. Bake in a 425 oven for 15 minutes. Take out and turn over. Return to oven till done (this will depend on thickness/size of the chicken and whether it's on the bone, etc. USE a meat thermometer)

 

[bluespanishsky]

Thank you all for the tips and recipes! I will try it again next week!!

P.S. Thanks for not laughing, I know it sounds ridiculous not to know how to cook chicken!!!

 

[GB]

Nope it doesn't sound ridiculous at all. No one is born with the knowledge of how to cook chicken or anything else for that matter. The way you learn is by doing it and asking questions and making mistakes. Before you know it you will be eating delicious juicy chicken Let us know how your next attempt turns out.

 

[jennyema]

Chicken is actually pretty tricky to get right!

 

[Sandyj]

abjcooking - I feel like this is a dumb question but....if you marinate the chicken as in your roasted chicken with balsamic vinaigrette recipe....would you still have brined it beforehand?

gb, I'm having luck with a little Taylor instant read thermometer available just about anywhere for just under $8 - have you seen these?

These tips are great, BTW, I've cooked disappointingly dried out chicken breasts many times, and I'm looking forward to improving my skills. -Sandyj

 

[GB]

gb, I'm having luck with a little Taylor instant read thermometer available just about anywhere for just under $8 - have you seen these?

Yep, those are good two. The difference between those and the probe type thermometers is that the probe style you put it in the meat and leave it there. The kind that you have you need to guess when the meat is done and then check it. If it is not done then you pull the thermometer out and cook the meat some more then check the temp again in a short while. This creates (possibly) a number of puncture holes in the meat out of which the juices can escape. With the probe type you just have one hole and most of them have alarms so it will tell you exactly when to pull the meat out of the heat. Don't get me wrong though. Both types have their merits.

Here is an example of one of the probe style thermometers.

 

[Constance]

Here's something I do with chicken...I use breasts and thighs, but you can skip the thighs if you wish.
Season chicken with S&P. Heat a couple tbls of olive oil in a skillet, and brown chicken quickly over high heat. Remove chicken, reduce heat, and caramelize some onions (and peppers if you wish.) Deglaze pan with a little water, then add a can of Golden Mushroom Soup, the chicken, baby carrots and potatoes cut into fourths or eighths, depending upon size of potato. Simmer on low until chicken and vegies are tender, then add a drained can of green beans and continue to simmer until beans are warm. You could also put some sliced tomatoes on top after you add the beans. Be sure to season all vegies as you add them, but remember that the soup has a lot of salt in it already.
At this point it's delicious and ready to eat, but you could top it with cheese and run the pan under the broiler for a few minutes.
Serve with crusty bread...a meal in a pan.

 

[Sandyj]

Mmm...sounds good! I haven't tried adding soup mixes before - for the Golden Mushroom Soup - any particular brand?

 

[abjcooking]

Sandy J, if I marinated it over night or for 1 day I would not put it in a brine. I might decide to brine it if I decide to marinate for only 1 or 2 hours. Others might have other opinions, but that's how I would chose to do it. I always make sure to marinate for 8-12 hours on this recipe though because I think it makes a huge difference.

I have briened a chicken before for 45 minutes and then put it in a marinade for an hour or so and have had great results.

 

[Constance]

Sandy, I use Campbells.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Unless your chicken has air dried and lost much of its moisture, there is no reason to both brine and marinade. And remember, if you are using an acidinc marinade, that is, one with citrus or vinegar, it will cause the outer meat to tighten up due to protien's reaction to acids, and prohibit any brine from entering the muscle tissue. You would need to brine first, and then marinade.

Also, the single most important thing to remember about cooking poultry is to avoid overcooking, that is, bringing the meat to temperatures above 165. That's the maximum. When you take poultry above 165, it begins to dry out and toughen.

Use a meat thermometer, either digital or dial-type, that can be left in the meat while it's cooking. This will insure you success.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[kitchenelf]

Haven't read through all the threads but boneless, skinless, chicken breasts are tricky at best. I have found that letting them soak in buttermilk for about 3 days before cooking makes them VERY tender and juicy. You can add some rosemary and garlic to the buttermilk and be all set to put on the george foreman grill - or just saute in a pan, adding salt and pepper also. After about 20 minutes I remove the breasts and place on a plate covered with foil - this allows them to continue cooking and the juices to soak back into the breast (about 10-12 minutes or so).

 

[Andy M.]

The difficulty in cooking a chicken breast is that it is thick and the pan is hot. This can lead to overcooked exteriors by the time the inside is cooked.

Preheat your oven to 375-400 F. Prepare the chicken and pan as usual and sear the chicken over high heat for about 2-3 minutes per side. Then place the pan and chicken into the preheated oven and cook for about 10 minutes. Check the temp as mentioned above.

The high heat gives you a nice brown crust and the gentler heat of the oven will cook the interior without drying out the exterior.

Give it a try.

 

[bluespanishsky]

Nope it doesn't sound ridiculous at all. No one is born with the knowledge of how to cook chicken or anything else for that matter. The way you learn is by doing it and asking questions and making mistakes. Before you know it you will be eating delicious juicy chicken Let us know how your next attempt turns out.

Thanks again everyone for all of your help and suggestions. I tried again today, this time baking the chicken using this recipe http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14144 and substituting breast for wings. My boyfriend was quite pleased and enjoyed it very much. Next time I'll attept brining, as many of you recomended, and I need to pick up the thermometer. Thanks again for all the tips and suggestions!

-nadia