Recipe Talk

I have trouble making juicy chicken in the oven.. It always dries out. I am talking about chicken breast specifically.. I hope some one can give me a few tips on how to avoid this in future.. I generally buy the boneless skinless chicken breasts...Thanx in advance...

justlois

I haven't had that particular problem but could be possible that either you're putting the oven too high or overcooking. You might even try using oven cooking bags. Hope this helps.

It sounds as if you are overcooking. How are you cooking the chicken breast?

Do not feel bad. It is very easy to overcook chicken breasts. You want to ensure that they are cooked thoroughly according to the US department of Agriculture but if you do so you end up with some fairly dry chicken breast.

How do you determine when the chicken breast is done?

I do it by feel. If you touch the chicken breast while cooking you will notice of change in the firmness as it cooks. Poke at it without piercing the skin and you will be able to observe how done the chicken breast is. With a little experimentation you should be able to find the right squishiness feeling, the breast should be firm but not too firm.

Personally I tend to try to under cook slightly but will remove the chicken from heat and tent it with aluminum foil while I prepare the rest of the plate. The slightly undercooked chicken continues to gently steam and by the time it is served we have one serious juicy chicken breast.

Try this:

We hedge our bets by marinating our chicken breast in advance.

Marinades are wonderful things that will add loads of flavor not to mention adding moisture to help keep things juicy.

In advance placed the chicken breasts into a plastic baggie along with the following ingredients. Toss in the fridge until you are ready to cook it. Feel free to improvise. Marinades can be a lot of fun and there is a lot of flexibility.

One tablespoon of olive oil
the juice of one half of one lemon
garlic to taste
ginger to taste
soy sauce perhaps
seasonings to taste
more or less of anything, wine is good too
dry or fresh herbs
or perhaps a vinegar to replace the lemon juice

As long as you have an oil and and acid (vinegar or lemon juice) it'll work out.

If you fry the breasts in a pan with a little bit of olive oil or butter it is very easy to overcook but it gives you a great opportunity to poke at the breast and observe the fine line between moist and juicy and dry.

The best bet is to brown over medium high, one or two minutes each side and "finish" in the oven. Try tenting with foil in the oven and before serving.

I hope this helps.

I do a lot of cooking with boneless skinless chicken breasts and I agree with Sean's reply that a marinade is the way to go. I like to use a piece of fresh ginger in my marinades. Don't bother to peel it, just thinly slice. Chopped fresh cilantro is another good addition, as is honey. If you want a kick, try adding some red pepper sauce or flakes. Liquid smoke is good, too.

Try Braggs amino acids sometime, instead of soy sauce, it is really good (and good for you) and can be found in health food stores and the health food section of some supermarkets.

The longer that you leave the chicken in the marinade, the more moist and flavorful it will be. Turn the package over in the refrigerator once in a while for full saturation. Sometimes we grill or bake the chicken, but stovetop cooking is the easiest way to go. It's quick, too. Depending on the thickness of the chicken and the heat temperature, it only takes 4 or 5 minutes a side. When I bake, I usually use a glass baking dish, add some of the marinade, cover with it foil and bake at 325 degrees for about 30 min.

Have you tried loosening the skin as much as possible and then puutting buuter inside ? simple but it works every time for me