What cooking method yields tender chicken breasts?

[sunnysmile]

I have tried boiling just until done, braising, roasting, frying, in soups.....the chicken always turns out dry. The only place I've had tender chicken breasts is in the rotisserie chickens that I buy at Costco. I usually use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Are there any ways to cook it so it comes out tender? Does marinating help at all? What about brining? I've only ever brined a whole turkey, don't know exactly how to do it for chicken for a single dinner. Any ideas are greatly appreciated!!!

 

[Drummercook]

Hi!

I used to have the same dilemma and part of the problem may be the quality of chicken you're getting. Theres this market down the street from me that has cheap, large chicken breasts that ALWAYS come out dry and tasteless, but down at another store a farther drive from me, their chicken is more expensive, but absolutley delicious.

I also find that brining is the best way to get juicy chicken breast. I beleive it has something to do with like... the salt taking out the moisture but then it all rushes back in or something like that, im no good at science, but from personal experience - brining and marinating DO produce a juicier chicken breast.

Good luck!

 

[Andy M.]

Dry chicken breasts are overcooked chicken breasts. Cook them to an internal temperature of 165 F and no more. You won't have dry chicken.

How you cook them depends on how you are using them. When serving breast halves, pan sear 'til brown on both sides and pop into the oven for 10-15 minutes depending on breast size.

Boneless skinless breasts are the easiest to overcook as they are very lean and have no skin or bones to help keep moisture in.

When grilling, I always cook breast halves that still have skin and bone in place (when breasts are called for). You can always separate the meat from the skin and bone after cooking if it's that important.

 

[gourmande]

I second everything that AndyM said above!

Though I prefer cooking chicken breasts with the bone and skin left on, there are times when I need to cook them boneless and skinless, but the key, as AM said, is to not overcook! If I'm grilling them, I usually marinate them a couple of hours (anywhere from 2 to 6 hrs) covered, in the fridge, taking them out 20 minutes before cooking. If I can't prepare them ahead of time, I simply marinate for 20-30 minutes (covered in a ceramic dish) on the counter. My usual easy everyday chicken marinade consists of lemon juice and zest, soya sauce, minced garlic and grated ginger. (Obviously there are hundreds of marinade possibilities this is just one that's simple and easy)

A pretty fool-proof way to prepare boneless/skinless breasts in the oven without drying them out is to lightly salt and pepper the breasts then slather them with a mixture of yoghurt and Dijon mustard (about 3:2 ratio), roll them in herbed fresh (not dry) bread crumbs (I like minced fresh thyme but oregano and rosemary are nice too) and bake them at 350 in a lightly oiled baking dish (single layer of course) for about 30-35 minutes. Give it a try.


G

 

[chave982]

I've had the same problem with dry chicken breasts until I started grilling recently. I now use the grill every time I cook boneless, skinless breasts. The chicken comes out SO tender every time, even if I don't use a marinade before hand.

All I do is preheat the grill, turn it down to medium/medium-high, throw the breats on, and cook for 10 - 12 minutes, turning ONCE halfway through. They come out so perfectly moist and tender that I don't even need a knife to eat them with, only a fork.

 

[Jeekinz]

Braising gives you a much broader finish time.

 

[jennyema]

Braising is for tough cuts of meat, not chix breasts. They would certainly dry out if braised.

I agree that dry chicken is overcooked chicken. The most important thing is not to overcook it.

Brining will make your chicken moister, for sure. It's a good technicque if you are going to cook with dry heat, like grilling.

Never boil chicken, as it will make for rubery dry meat. Simmer it very gently. Poached chicken can be very tender also.

 

[Jeekinz]

Braising is for tough cuts of meat, not chix breasts. They would certainly dry out if braised.

I dunno, I always had tender braised chicken breasts.

 

[jennyema]

Braising is "low and slow" cooking with liquid. Not really appropriate for chicken breasts. They'll dry out.


"Q: What is braising and what cuts of meat are best suited to being braised?

A: Braising is a slow, wet cooking method that blends flavors and softens tough textures. The best cuts of meat for braising are those with a lot of connective tissue, that is, the sinew (gristle) and fat that hold the bands of protein together in meat. The connective tissue, during a long, moist cooking process, breaks down into gelatin, becoming soft in texture while retaining its juiciness. Many of these cuts would be horribly tough and unpalatable if they were cooked quickly or with dry heat, since high temperatures make the connective tissue hard and chewy. Braising develops deep, layered flavors and a thick, richly-textured sauce."

Read more Here

 

[keltin]

What exactly would one consider to be a true braise? Is it just cooking with moist heat (a liquid) or is time a factor? Coq Au Vin basically braises chicken breast (or parts) in wine for 30 minutes, and that chicken breast is tender and juicy. Here’s Julia Child’s recipe for Coq Au Vin.

This isn't really stewing since the breast wasn't cut into pieces, so isn't this a braise?

 

[Jeekinz]

I guess I use a combination of searing, poaching and braising?

Beats me, but you can cut them with a fork.

 

[QSis]

I pound out my boneless, skinless chicken breasts to make them more uniformly thick (not thin), season them well, then I crank up either my George Forman grill or my panini maker to the highest heat, and grill them for 5 minutes. Let rest for 5-10 minutes.

Perfect!

Lee

 

[jennyema]

Coq Au Vin means "Rooster with Wine." It was a technique invented to cook rooster, which is tougher and has more connective tissue than a young chicken.

That's why many recipes for Coq Au Vin suggest using an old bird or mostly dark meat, like legs and thighs (dark meat stands up to longer cooking.) In this case, Julia's recipe uses a whole cut up chicken with skin on. Skin helps prevent drying out. Also, she specifically says to take the pieces that cook first out (the breast, presumably) and leave the other parts in to cook.

Chicken breasts have very little fat and are naturally tender. Braising isn't a good technique for cooking boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but it works for other kinds of chicken when done carefully.

 

[Caine]

I pound my boneless, skinless chicken breasts to a uniform thickness, marinate them for a couple of hours, then I flour, egg, and bread (or sometimes nut) them, and saute them gently until cooked through. They are always tender and juicy because the breading (or nutting) holds in the mositure. Try this recipe. You'll love it!

CHEF CAINE'S CASHEW CRUSTED CHICKEN​

4 chicken breasts, pounded to a uniform thickness
1/2 pkg Mee Krob or bihon (rice noodles)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup peanut oil
1/4 cup oyster sauce
2 Tbs brown sugar
2 tsp white pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced onion
1 tsp crushed chili peppers
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp salt
1Tbs corn starch dissolved in 2 Tbs water

1 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 cups finely crushed cashews

1 bunch scallions
1 mango, shredded
1 red bell pepper, julienned

Combine orange juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, peanut oil, oyster sauce, brown sugar, white pepper, garlic, onion, chili peppers, minced ginger, and salt in bowl and marinate pounded chicken breasts for 2 hours. Remove chicken breasts from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Reserve marinade.

Place rice noodles in strainer inside bowl and fill bowl with boiling water. Pour marinade into pot, add cornstarch mixture, and heat in saucepan until thickened.. Dredge chicken in flour, egg mixture, then crushed cashews. Saute coated chicken in 4 Tbs peanut oil over medium heat until done, turning once. Remove strainer from bowl to drain noodles, then divide on 4 individual plates. Place one chicken breast on each bed of rice noodles. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with mango, scallion, and bell pepper.

 

[GrillingFool]

A tip for grilling...

About halfway through, wrap them in foil, perhaps with a pat of
butter or flavorings.

Hot for searing and browning, then low and slow is the way to
go!

 

[llvllagical_llkook]

Cutting the chicken breasts (if boneless) into strips and tossing them into a broth or soup makes them amazingly tender. If it's on the bone, cut away the chicken far from the bone, put it with a broth or soup and the meat near the bone, don't muddle with it, just put it in as is. Slow cook it for several hours on a very low heat. At the end, strain the soup and serve the chicken seperately. Put the meat the was on the bone on a plate, along with the cut off meat and pour some of the liquid onto it to give it more moisture.

If you don't want to make a soup or broth everytime you want to make chicken, you can grill it and make cross hatches. If there's fat on the chicken, leave it, it'll get melted off. If there's very little fat on one piece, get some fat and roll the chicken in it and bake it.

 

[sunnysmile]

Brine?

I guess I MUST be overcooking them, although I try really hard not to, in fact the last ones I thought might still be pink in the middle, they were still dry. I want to try the brining for these, can someone give me a good ratio of salt to water and what other things to add? Thanks for all your replies.

 

[Nicholas Mosher]

165ºF internal temp = juicy chicken breasts.
170ºF+ gets you tough and dry.
Use a thermometer -

 

[Zzinged]

Pan frying also yields tender meat as long as you don't overcook it :p

Take a piece of chicken breast, remove the bone and skin, and then season and coat in flour. Heat oil or ghee (clarified butter) until around smoking point, and place the chicken into the pan. It's important the oil be hot when you put the chicken in, so it'll seal the meat and stop it sticking to the pan. Keep the heat high, and turn the breast over once, to give it a nice golden-brown color on both sides. When both sides are colored, turn the heat down and cook till done, flipping occasionally.

As for the difference between braising and stewing, I was taught that stewing was cooking food while fully immersed in a liquid (with exceptions) and braising was cooking food in minimal liquid.

 

[college_cook]

Any cooking method can get you tender juicy breasts; like everyone said, just don't overdo it. You could certainly braise it, or grill it, poach it, what have you. The important thing is that there is a moment when your chicken will be perfectly juicy and tender, and any time spent cooking after that is too much.