Moist Chicken Breasts

My MIL just taught me this trick! Coat the outside with mayonnaise! It was soooo moist and it didn't taste like mayo! Good luck!

Well, overcooking could be O. reason it's dry.

If we grill boneless chicken, I try to marinate it a bit before and that really helps to keep it moist. You can marinate it with a marinade you buy or just some olive oil & vinegar, oregano, basil, etc.

#1. I cook it at a lower temp for a longer time. For baked chicken breasts, my family will do 350 or 375 for like 30-45 minutes.
I will do 325 for 40-50 minutes.
I also butterfly (or just filet) everything, so you don't have one fat end that doesn't get done and one thin end that gets dry.

#2. Sometimes I will "brown" it in a saucepan quickly..... and then cover it with tinfoil when I bake it. Mostly I don't bother with that anymore unless I am having the Queen over for dinner.

#3. Don't use lemon when you cook ANYTHING. wait until just before serving and use it to flavor (this was a tip from my brother, who is a chef, about fish and drying out fish if you squeeze lemon on it before cooking.... but it's applicable to any meat).

#4 this is a tip from my dad, who worked in restaurants all his life. Don't ever *pierce* the meat. It lets all the juice out. Lots of people will take a fork and prick the meat and then throw it in a bag with marinade... thinking that then the marinade will get all inside the meat. But you just let all juice out when you cook it. Still do the marinade.... but maybe do it for longer.

We have used a george foreman type grill...those work well, but can be hard to clean. The chicken breasts are usually done in 4-5 minutes in ours...if you leave them in much longer, they aren't as moist. If I am baking them, I usually brush them with Salad dressing, mustard, some kind of sauce...whatever...and then top with bread crumbs, chopped nuts, grated cheese...something like that. I sometimes end up with a couple that have knife slices/pokes in them because I keep checking them to make sure I'm taking them out when they're done...instead of 5-10 minutes later...that can really make a difference. Crock pots are good as well :). I despise dry chicken breasts...mine usually come out pretty moist :) Allrecipes.com has some pretty good recipes for chicken breasts.

(I have yet to find out a way to BBQ them and have them come out moist...but I grew up on BBQ'ed chicken thighs and drumsticks...so we just use those.)

Get a meat thermometer. Look up the temp for chicken and take it out or off the grill when it is 5 degrees below done. Let it rest for about 10 minutes so the juices won't run out when you cut into it. Juicy chicken every time.

I like to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts and prepare them in a simple way:

1. Have the chicken totally defrosted, preferably defrost it in the fridge and then run it under warm (not hot) water to wash it and get rid of any lingering frost. You may have to defrost in the microwave if you have frozen chicken and need to make dinner NOW, but it can actually get dried out when you defrost in the microwave.

2. If you have thick pieces of chicken, it is best to slice them thinner so they will cook faster and more evenly, take a fillet knife and very carefully slice them in half widthwise. Alternatively, you can cut the chicken up into 2” cubes. Then, *use paper towels to dry the chicken,* this is an important step that many people miss!

3. Get out a pan or use your electric skillet (you MUST have a good fitting lid for your pan) and heat it up on high or medium high, add lots of butter, more than you think you need and wait until the butter is getting brown and smelling nice, but don’t let it burn! When the butter is nice and brown, add the chicken. Sear the two sides of the chicken, sprinkling it with salt and pepper as you turn it (this will only take 2 minutes or so per side) and then turn the heat down to low, add ¼-1/2 cup chicken broth (or stock if you have any) and ¼- ½ cup cooking wine, white or red is fine, if you don’t like wine, try using apple juice instead. You may also want to add some minced garlic or chopped green onion or sautéed mushrooms at this point. Cover the pan with your lid and cook on low until the chicken is done on the inside and the liquid is hot, it will only take 5-10 minutes (depending on how thick the chicken is) and you do NOT want to overcook it because that is what leads to dryness.

4. Place the chicken on a plate and sprinkle it liberally with some fresh parsley. And you’re done! The flavor is mild and it will go well with any number of side dishes, if you have leftover cold chicken the next day it is great chopped up and put in a salad.

A few more tips: I saw a friend of mine stir-fry chicken once and she pressed on it with a spatula and even used the spatula to cut it into smaller pieces while it was cooking! DON’T DO THAT! That will certainly dry out the chicken. Also, if you are going to bake chicken, wrap it tightly in foil or use a baking bag (Reynolds makes some) so that your chicken doesn’t dry out in the oven. I have had the worst time trying to cook chicken in a crock pot, it can be done, but it is easy to mess up. If you are going to cook it in a crock pot, use a whole chicken or just use dark meat, boneless, skinless breasts turn into dry, mealy wood in the crockpot! You can cook a roast in the crockpot for 8-10 hours and it is lovely, but try that with any kind of chicken and it will get gross. 4-6 hours max in the crock pot is all a chicken can stand.

Your heat's too high.

Hi, my name is Dad on Purpose and I'm an over/undercooker.

I had the same problem, we're too anxious to get it "right", so we turn the heat up and shorten the time. We erroneously believe that the longer it cooks, the more it dries.

The skin of whatever you're cooking seals in the juices. Naturally. So for tender items, slowly cooking means that skin stays in tact and it stays juicy.

When we **want** pink, like with steaks, we turn the heat up to sear the outside of the meat to seal in the juice.

But that mayo thing that erin suggested - i'm gonna try that too. :)

We brine our meat. Add 1/4 cup salt and 1/4 cup sugar to 1 quart of water. Let the meat soak for a few hours. Take it out and rinse it and cook on the grill. Never dried out.

I marinate it in balsamic vinegar salad dressing and it stays very moist when I then grill it. I buy a cheap brand of the dressing so not much added cost.

Baste the top with a little bit of mayo mixed with parmesan cheese. Yummy and moist! And ok for Atkins!

When we grill my husband combines water, lemon juice (or Sprite), honey, and a little bit of white sugar in spray bottle and shakes until the sugar is dissolved and then sprays the chicken periodically- always comes out juicy and with a nice flavor.
In the oven I season the chicken breasts and lay them on the pan. I add a little bit of water to the bottom of the pan and cover it with foil. Always really moist.
My husband also taught me the mayo trick- awesome for turkey too. Super juicy and sooo good!
Also, as with any meat, let it sit for about 10 minutes or so to let the meat settle and retain the juices. Makes a big difference.
All my "tricks" come from my husband who has been a cook in every type of restaurant- from a hole in the wall diner to a white tablecloth high end restaurant.

Here is a particular favorite of ours, from the Barefoot Contessa:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lemon-chick...

It's very easy, and the meat always comes out perfectly - never dry! As a side note, the recipe does specify skin-on chicken breasts, but I always use skinless and it comes out fine.

We marinade ours in yogurt, with mint, oregano, sea salt and pepper. Works for us.

F. B.

Mine is never dry, regardless of preparation.
I bake for 30 minutes at 350, or 20 minutes at 425.

Maybe it's the type of breast you're using? I like the ChikNSteaks from Market Day, and I never pound them out before baking.

Marinate those puppies.

When grilling, always marinate your chicken for (at least) a few hours ahead of time, and then let it come to room temperature before you throw it on the grill.

Baste your chicken when you are grilling and when you bake.

If you have a slow cooker, I suggest throwing your chicken in there with some broth (or water) and letting it cook for the day - it will be so juicy and you can just toss it in and forget about it!

Whole roasted chicken: salt & pepper bird inside and out, cut a few lemons in half and stuff the chicken with them. Butter the outside and roast 325 to 350 (depending on your oven) until done, basting with more butter as it cooks. Cover the top with foil to once the skin is golden brown. Use a meat thermometer to prevent overcooking!
On the grill: marinate and baste with a mayo based sauce, REALLY juicy and good!

Hi Steph, first only cook, raost or broil grill the chicken until the juice runs clear and they are done!
See the cookbook SHARING MOUNTAIN RECIPES for lots of high altitude cooking tips and chicken recipes.
Also DO Not raise the temperature!

Marinating them can really help. I've used homemade marinades (I usually look on Allrecipes.com), or just a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Italian dressing, Greek dressing, balsamic vinegar, etc. Even just a tablespoon of olive oil brushed or rubbed over the chicken will help.

Adding a little chicken broth while it bakes and baking it covered for all except the last 5-10 min of baking time will help, too.