The preparation makes it all happen.
With chicken breasts, the tale remains unchanged. This low-fat protein source is easy to prepare and seems promising, leading you to toss them into your shopping basket. Yet repeatedly they end up overcooked, dull-tasting, and chewy.
Perhaps you pledge to never purchase again.
chicken breasts again
However, as dinner time approaches, the familiar pattern continues. You place those chicken breasts in a pan or oven, hoping for improvement, and present a dish that you feel could be more flavorful. Without any barriers to stop them from becoming dry and lacking skin, bones, and fat to add flavor and protection, it’s easy to see why these tend to be dreadfully unexciting meals.
I’ve cooked far too many bland chicken breasts, so I finally decided to seek some advice. I reached out to several chefs on how they handle this common daily cooking challenge. Their insights brought back an essential lesson from my time at culinary school: The key to great cooking lies primarily in preparation.
The 5 Chefs Whom I Consulted
-
Sean Thompson
Executive chef at New York City’s
Porter House Bar & Grill -
Brian Carson
: Head chef of the upcoming
La Metro
at Atlanta’s Ponce City Market -
Demetrius Brown
: The chef and proprietor of Atlanta’s
Bread & Butterfly
and
Heritage Supper Club -
Andrea Congiusta
: Executive Chef of
Newport, Rhode Island’s Mr. R.
and
Pasta Beach
, with branches in Newport, Boston, and Providence -
Nik Sharma
: (
@abrowntable
) Ex-molecular biologist and ex-pastry chef turned cookbook writer and photographer
The Most Effective Method for Guaranteeing Moist and Delicious Chicken Breast Results
The chefs I talked to advise opting for bone-in, skin-on breast pieces. (To be honest, they prefer recommending chicken thighs as they tend to stay moister and are less likely to become overcooked.) With boneless, skinless breasts, the usual suggestion is to
soak or season them beforehand
.
Regardless of whether you opt for a brief brine lasting 20 to 30 minutes, let them sit in salt water overnight, or marinate for the whole day, preparing chicken breasts beforehand results in tender and juicy meat.
flavorful finish
you crave.
What Is a Brine?
A brine is a technique used in cooking to inject salt, flavors, and moisture into chicken breasts. In the case of a dry brine, you simply apply salt directly onto the surface of the chicken breast.
Thanksgiving turkey
) and a wet brine requires immersing the breast in saline water.
When salt extracts water from the meat, it leads to protein contraction slightly, which makes the meat more tender and creates space for additional moisture and flavors to be absorbed again.
How Chefs Suggest Utilizing a Brine
Chef Demetrius states, “It’s essential to brine chicken breasts as it significantly boosts their moisture content and adds extra flavor.” According to his favored method, you should mix together 4 cups of water, 1/4 cup of salt, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 10 whole peppercorns, 3 crushed cloves of garlic, and the zest from half a lemon. Start by bringing this blend to a boil, allowing it to cool afterward, and subsequently immerse your chicken breasts in the liquid for an entire night. The next day, take out the chicken and place it in the refrigerator uncovered for at least an hour prior to preparing it.
Chef Brian is part of the team advocating for dry brining. According to him, this process takes just 20 to 30 minutes, which is great news for people who often forget to prepare meals well in advance. “Lay out two chicken breasts (with skin intact and facing up) on a baking sheet. Season each breast thoroughly on both sides using about one teaspoon of salt per breast,” he instructs further. “Let these seasoned pieces rest in your fridge for 20 to 30 minutes.” Once time has passed, take them out of the refrigerator, gently blot away excess moisture with paper towels, then proceed to cook as desired.
Chef Sean concurs. “The primary recommendation I have for preparing chicken breasts is brining. It not only guarantees that the breast remains juicy and tasty but also makes it more tolerant if you accidentally overcook it.” I’ve found this to be true.
definitely
done that.
Soaking YourChicken Also Makes a Difference
Soaking chicken breasts in marinade can add flavor and aid in making them more tender.
Chef Andrea mentions, “My favorite method for marinating chicken breasts involves using a traditional Mediterranean blend of lemon zest, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Allowing it to sit in the refrigerator overnight intensifies the taste. An alternative approach is to use yogurt as a marinade. The acids in the yogurt help soften the meat and result in a delicate, crispy exterior once cooked in a skillet.”
Nik Sharma also enjoys using a yogurt marinade. He recommends marinating the chicken for an entire night since the lactic acid in yogurt aids in moisture absorption, resulting in a juicer texture. Count me in!
The Optimal Method for PreparingChicken Breast
After brining or marinating the chicken breasts, your next step according to the chef’s recommendation would be to pan-sear them. Gently pat the brined or marinated chicken breasts until they’re completely dry before placing them in a hot skillet for cooking at high temperature. While it might seem daring, quickly searing both sides first then allowing the chicken ample time to rest afterward helps prevent overcooking.
As soon as you take the chicken breast off the heat source, its temperature will still rise. Therefore, cook it rapidly under high heat until it achieves an appealing golden-brown appearance, and then remove it just shy of reaching an internal temperature of 165°F—aim for between 150°F and 155°F instead—for carryover cooking during resting time. Using this technique ensures that your chicken breasts remain moist and perfectly cooked without turning out dry or overdone.
Read the initial article on
SofTech
