Help me to like chicken breast

[Ilovemeatloaf]

I really don't like eating chicken breast unless its one of those fried chicken breast sandwiches from a fast food place. Otherwise, it is too dry. Baked chicken breasts are GROSS. I usually like chicken legs or thighs but they have too much fat which is bad for you so I am trying to learn to like breasts. What are some recipes or ways you prepare chicken breasts to make them more flavorful?

 

[Dawgluver]

Eat chicken legs or thighs if that's what you prefer! The fat difference between chicken parts is negligible, and life is too short to eat something you don't like. Have a look around, many recipes for chicken here.

 

[Dylan]

This is simple and easy but very tasty.

Grill Chicken – serves 4

Ingredients
4 Tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp sunflower oil
2 tbsp lemon juice *
ground black pepper
4 chicken fillets
50g butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
juice of half a lemon **

Method
1. make diagonal cross cuts in the chicken breasts on both sides. Marinade for 10 minutes in the soy sauce, sunflower oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice and black pepper.
2. Preheat the grill (broiler) and cook the chicken, frequently basting with the marinade. Grill (broil) for about 8 minutes on each side.
3. Meanwhile, heat the butter, garlic and the juice of half a lemon. Cook gently for 1 minute and add the parsley. Pour over the grilled chicken just before serving. Serve with boiled rice.

* Optional, add the zest of a lemon to the marinade. As an alternative to the lemon juice, substitute balsamic vinegar.

As an alternative to the lemon juice, substitute balsamic vinegar.

Try using lime juice in place of the lemon juice if using.

 

[CraigC]

Brine them for a hour or so. I assume you are referring to boneless/skinless breasts. Bone in, skin on can be marinated or not and then grilled (my preferred method) or baked with little chance of drying out unless over cooked.

 

[Andy M.]

I agree with dawgluver.

If your chicken breasts are dry, it's because you overcooked them. Consider brining as Craig suggested and cook them to an internal temperature of 161ºF in the thickest part of the breast.

 

[RPCookin]

I really don't like eating chicken breast unless its one of those fried chicken breast sandwiches from a fast food place. Otherwise, it is too dry. Baked chicken breasts are GROSS. I usually like chicken legs or thighs but they have too much fat which is bad for you so I am trying to learn to like breasts. What are some recipes or ways you prepare chicken breasts to make them more flavorful?

Buy bone in and skin on, cook them that way, then don't eat the skin - that's where most of the fat is in chicken anyway. They will tend to be much more moist. I always go this way for any recipe that asks for chicken breast. Once cooked and cooled enough to handle, it's easy to remove the bones and chop or shred the meat for various dishes.

I use a Thermapen instant read thermometer to ensure that I don't overcook them. Typically about 45 minutes in a 350° F oven will bring them to 160° to 165° internal temp.

 

[GotGarlic]

Buy bone in and skin on, cook them that way, then don't eat the skin - that's where most of the fat is in chicken anyway. They will tend to be much more moist. I always go this way for any recipe that asks for chicken breast. Once cooked and cooled enough to handle, it's easy to remove the bones and chop or shred the meat for various dishes.

I use a Thermapen instant read thermometer to ensure that I don't overcook them. Typically about 45 minutes in a 350° F oven will bring them to 160° to 165° internal temp.

If you cook them properly, most of the fat is rendered away. And it's not actually that bad for you anyway, but old myths die hard.

 

[RPCookin]

If you cook them properly, most of the fat is rendered away. And it's not actually that bad for you anyway, but old myths die hard.

Yeah, that skin roasted crisp with the herbs or spices that you used to flavor the meat is plain yummy. When I cook a breast to be used in another dish, I always season the skin even if the recipe doesn't call for it, then eat it myself when it comes out of the oven.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Cooking Light had an article recently that compared remaining fats in different meats before and after cooking. The calorie and fat difference between a breast cooked skinless and one cooked skin on/removed before eating was negligible, but the moistness content was wide-apart. Moral of the story? Cook skin on, then remove. You may choose to re-purpose that skin to fry.

What I found more interesting was how much fat was rendered from the different ground beefs. Our corner grocery store has Wacky Wednesday deals. Each week they offer 80/85/90% lean ground beef for (this week) $3.29/$3.79/$4.29 per pound. When making spaghetti sauce, I usually buy the 80% lean since I drain off the fat. When cooking light tested the waste-to-meat ratio of the different fat content beefs, it turns out there is WAY more waste from the "cheaper" meat than is worth it. For my $$ and time, I'll be making the sauce with the 90% beef.

I've looked all over the web for the chart I saw in Cooking Light. No luck. If I run across the pages that I pulled out and set aside for future use, I'll post the info somehow.

 

[GotGarlic]

Cooking Light had an article recently that compared remaining fats in different meats before and after cooking. The calorie and fat difference between a breast cooked skinless and one cooked skin on/removed before eating was negligible, but the moistness content was wide-apart. Moral of the story? Cook skin on, then remove. You may choose to re-purpose that skin to fry.

What I found more interesting was how much fat was rendered from the different ground beefs. Our corner grocery store has Wacky Wednesday deals. Each week they offer 80/85/90% lean ground beef for (this week) $3.29/$3.79/$4.29 per pound. When making spaghetti sauce, I usually buy the 80% lean since I drain off the fat. When cooking light tested the waste-to-meat ratio of the different fat content beefs, it turns out there is WAY more waste from the "cheaper" meat than is worth it. For my $$ and time, I'll be making the sauce with the 90% beef.

I've looked all over the web for the chart I saw in Cooking Light. No luck. If I run across the pages that I pulled out and set aside for future use, I'll post the info somehow.

Great info, CG. Thanks

 

[giovannadia]

I usually prepare chicken breasts in this way: I put chichen breasts in the flour, than in the beaten eggs with salt and rosemary and at last in the breadcrumbs. Then I fried them in olive oil.
They are delicious!

 

[jd_1138]

Make some Asian style chicken. Cut up the pieces into small chunks and fry in some olive oil, soy sauce, garlic, honey. Yummy. Serve with rice.

 

[msmofet]

If I may add a few recipes for you to choose from. All Asian style using chicken breast. Hope this helps.

Ms. Mofet's Sub Gum Chicken Chow Mein (Chicken Stir-Fry) (click)

Ms. Mofet's Sesame Chicken (click)

Ms. Mofet's Sweet and Sour Chicken (or Pork) (click)

 

[Addie]

Cooking Light had an article recently that compared remaining fats in different meats before and after cooking. The calorie and fat difference between a breast cooked skinless and one cooked skin on/removed before eating was negligible, but the moistness content was wide-apart. Moral of the story? Cook skin on, then remove. You may choose to re-purpose that skin to fry.

What I found more interesting was how much fat was rendered from the different ground beefs. Our corner grocery store has Wacky Wednesday deals. Each week they offer 80/85/90% lean ground beef for (this week) $3.29/$3.79/$4.29 per pound. When making spaghetti sauce, I usually buy the 80% lean since I drain off the fat. When cooking light tested the waste-to-meat ratio of the different fat content beefs, it turns out there is WAY more waste from the "cheaper" meat than is worth it. For my $$ and time, I'll be making the sauce with the 90% beef.

I've looked all over the web for the chart I saw in Cooking Light. No luck. If I run across the pages that I pulled out and set aside for future use, I'll post the info somehow.

Thanks CG. Looking forward to seeing that info. I do prefer to grind my own, but lately have been buying the 85-90% ground meat. It just doesn't make sense to me to buy the cheaper meat, and then through at least 10% of the meat away in the form of melted fat. I do not like paying for waste.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

I'm not crazy about skinless, boneless chicken breast either, but Omaha Steaks insists on giving them to me, free-fer-nuthin, when I palce a certain order.

What I usually do is season them with salt, pepper, and cajun seasoning, grill them on the George Foreman, and use them to top salads.

 

[CharlieD]

The main reason baked chicken breast is usually dry is because it is overcooked. People think that it takes the same amount of time to cook breast as it does for the ark meat of chicken. It could not be further from the truth. Chicken breast cooks much faster. And if you cook it right it will be as moist and as flavorful as a thigh or a leg.

 

[Janet H]

This looks interesting - not really low fat but easy and tasty:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l7j5yyJ3PE

 

[RPCookin]

The main reason baked chicken breast is usually dry is because it is overcooked. People think that it takes the same amount of time to cook breast as it does for the ark meat of chicken. It could not be further from the truth. Chicken breast cooks much faster. And if you cook it right it will be as moist and as flavorful as a thigh or a leg.

I'd have to dispute the idea that it's just as flavorful. White meat is simply more bland than dark. White doesn't have the same flavor, nor as much flavor. There is a world of flavor difference between a piece of breast and a thigh, for both taste and texture.

I do agree that it doesn't have to be dry, although cooking a boneless, skinless breast half and keeping it moist is a much more difficult task than doing a split breast with bone and skin intact.

 

[Dawgluver]

I prefer chicken breast, much fewer ookies than thighs or legs, and I prefer the flavor. I used to just discard the dark meat after cooking a whole bird, but now I use it for stock and soup. I coated a bunch of breast nuggets in mayo and shook them up in a ziplock bag of seasoned panko last night, then baked them. Nice and moist, with a good crunch.

 

[Kayelle]

This looks interesting - not really low fat but easy and tasty:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l7j5yyJ3PE

That video looks like a low carb wonder to me Janet! Although I never use breasts, I'll be doing that! Yummmm.

I also agree that breasts and thighs are miles apart in both flavor and texture even if both are cooked perfectly.

If you don't like one or the other, there's no need to make a big deal about it. Just don't eat breast if you don't like it. Your mother can't force you anymore.