The Key Technique that Guarantees Tender Chicken Breasts

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This is nan method. It takes immoderate trust, but judge maine — it useful flawlessly each azygous time.

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Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (aka BSCBs) — is location thing much boring? They are each excessively often overcooked until barren and chewy, and I mostly for illustration much succulent boneless, skinless thighs.

Fortunately I person 1 method that makes unfailingly juicy and tender boneless, skinless chickenhearted breasts. Simply heat nan chickenhearted breasts quickly connected nan stovetop past fto them poach from nan wrong retired successful their juices successful a covered pan. Need immoderate chickenhearted for a salad, aliases to apical immoderate pasta? This is the method. It takes immoderate trust, but judge maine — it useful flawlessly every azygous time.

Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Brett Regot

The Key to Moist and Tender Chicken Breast

This method takes trust; you can’t cheque nan chicken breasts aliases watch them cooking. The method isn’t broiling, searing, sautéing, frying, aliases baking; it heats nan chickenhearted breasts quickly connected nan stovetop past lets them fundamentally poach from nan wrong retired successful their juices successful a covered pan.

So you can’t peek, and you person to spot us. But I committedness that if you travel this method exactly, you won’t beryllium disappointed. I learned this cooking method from an aged version of Joy of Cooking, which gives this method its typical label: Cockaigne, reserved for only their individual favourite and champion recipes.

This method unsocial makes plain, elemental chickenhearted breasts — a blank slate to beryllium utilized connected apical of salads, rice dishes, and tacos. But you tin play nan breasts immoderate measurement you like; make them spicy, aliases spirit them pinch caller herbs.

You don’t request to brine aliases marinate nan chicken, but a quick brine does make them moreover juicier! If you usage a brine, make judge to pat nan chickenhearted very barren earlier proceeding pinch nan cooking method below.

Since we primitively published this a fewer years ago, I’ve been amazed astatine nan number of group who person written aliases commented to opportunity they really emotion it. It’s genuinely reliable!

There person been questions astir it excessively — for instance, do you set nan cooking clip if nan chickenhearted breasts are other big?

I don’t; I find that this useful crossed a spectrum of size and weight, provided nan breasts are separated into individual halves and they are flattened to moreover thickness during nan prep.

I besides primitively published this very adjacent to Joy of Cooking‘s method, which calls for you to dredge nan breasts successful flour. I’ve recovered this is unnecessary, and besides undesirable for those who eat gluten-free. I’ve adjusted nan method beneath to not see flour — conscionable brackish and pepper.

But you are free to tweak and adjust; location are immoderate awesome suggestions successful nan comments for dredging successful replacement flours for illustration chickpea, and seasoning pinch each kinds of spices aliases herbs.

This is genuinely conscionable a blank slate method; it makes nicely cooked and juicy chickenhearted bosom for topping salads and different dishes. I usually make astir 1 lb of chickenhearted breasts astatine a time, which gives maine capable chickenhearted for a fewer days of salads and lunches. But if you want to move it into a repast connected its own, get creative! No matter really you play them, you’ll person juicy, tender chickenhearted breasts. — Faith Durand, September 2014

This is nan method. It takes immoderate trust, but judge maine — it useful flawlessly each azygous time.

Ingredients

  • 1 to 4

    boneless, skinless chickenhearted breasts, of akin size

  • Salt

  • Freshly crushed achromatic pepper

  • 1 tablespoon

    olive oil, unsalted butter, aliases operation of both

  1. Flatten nan chickenhearted breasts. Pound nan chickenhearted breasts to an moreover thickness pinch nan bottommost of a wide jar aliases glass. You tin besides usage nan bottommost of a mini frying pan.

  2. Season nan chickenhearted breasts. Lightly play nan chickenhearted pinch brackish and pepper.

  3. Heat nan pan. Heat a frying cookware ample capable to fresh nan chickenhearted successful a azygous furniture complete medium-high heat. When it is rather hot, adhd nan oliva lipid (or butter, if using). Swirl nan cookware truthful it is lightly covered pinch nan oliva oil.

  4. Cook nan chickenhearted breasts complete mean power for 1 infinitesimal without moving. Reduce nan power to medium. Add nan chickenhearted breasts. Cook undisturbed for conscionable astir 1 infinitesimal to thief them get a small aureate connected 1 broadside (you are not really searing aliases browning them).

  5. Flip nan chickenhearted breasts. Flip each chickenhearted bosom over.

  6. Turn nan power down to low. Reduce nan power to low.

  7. Cover nan cookware and navigator connected debased for 10 minutes. Cover nan cookware pinch a tight-fitting lid. Set a timer for 10 minutes, and locomotion away. Do not assistance nan lid; do not peek.

  8. Turn disconnected nan power and fto beryllium for an further 10 minutes. After 10 minutes person elapsed, move disconnected nan heat. (If you person an electrical stove, region nan cookware from nan heat.) Reset nan timer for 10 minutes and time off nan chickenhearted breasts successful nan pan. Again, do not assistance nan lid; do not peek.

  9. Remove lid and return temperature. After nan 10 minutes are up, uncover and your chickenhearted is done. Make judge location is nary pinkish successful nan mediate of nan chickenhearted breasts. If you want to beryllium perfectly judge it is cooked, you tin usage an instant-read thermometer to cheque -- nan chickenhearted should beryllium astatine slightest 165°F. Slice and eat.

Recipe Notes

Dredge successful seasoned flour: You tin besides dredge nan chickenhearted breasts successful flour earlier cooking. Season nan flour pinch spices aliases caller herbs and make judge nan chickenhearted is aureate connected 1 broadside earlier you flip it over. This will springiness your chickenhearted a very subtle crust.

Quick brine: You tin make your boneless skinless chickenhearted breasts moreover juicier and much flavorful pinch a super-quick brine. Even conscionable 15 minutes successful a elemental brine will make them juicier. Watch nan video supra to spot really this is done.

Storage: Leftovers tin beryllium refrigerated successful an airtight instrumentality for up to 4 days aliases stiff for up to 2 months.

Updated from station primitively published February 2011.