So, I read the OP and was staring slack jawed that someone would cook chicken with. . .nothing. Then you popped up that you microwave chicken.
I. . . I don’t know what to believe in anymore.
I didn’t even know you could microwave raw chicken and get an edible result. I would think the texture would be horrible. I know that when I defrost chicken in the microwave and miss by a little bit, the cooked edge of the chicken just feel weird.
Anyhow, yes, salt is the biggest thing you could do for basic flavor without clashing with whatever sauces you’re using.
The second biggest thing you could do is sear the breasts over blazing high heat for two minutes a side on a cast-iron pan before throwing them in the oven to finish cooking. (Or, actually, you can sear them at the very end, too, with great results–perhaps even better because the surface moisture will be driven off and the the meat will be evenly cooked.)
The third thing you can do is brine your chicken for about 2 hours in a solution of 1 tablespoon salt to one cup of water. The osmotic effect will draw moisture and salt in and give you a moister end product, which should be sufficiently salty on its own. You can also add sugar, spices, and whatnot to the brine, and the flavors will transfer into the meat.
That’s exactly what I was thinking of- that rubbery gross bit when I try to defrost chicken in the microwave. Not only is that a horrible texture, but that little piece usually stinks, too. I have no idea how any one could eat that.
A George Foreman grill is good for chicken breasts. Plain is fine, or you can marinade to taste with teriyaki, worchestershire, Dale’s, etc, maybe mix in some spices–whatever you like.
Prolly don’t want to try bbq sauce in one of the grills though. That’s mostly gonna make a mess and set off the smoke alarm. Don’t ask how I learned that.
Pound it flat and pan-fry it instead of baking. The browning adds flavour. And salt it of course.
I’m another boring chicken cooker, and I like it that way, so don’t pick on me, 'kay? I just take the boneless chicken breast, put it in a little non-stick frying pan with some chicken broth, and cook it for about 7 minutes on a side, covered, at medium heat. Tastes good, nice and moist. But then again, I’ve always been a pretty boring eater.
That is better than the OP. The broth usually has some sodium (salt) so you have that covered, and the moisture helps a lot with such a lean meat.
I just put 5 pieces on a cookie tray and salted & peppered the hell out of them. Now baking at 365 for 25 minutes.
The last two attempts, the chicken was great; very moist (don’t worry, I cook until all pink is gone).
I bought a few boxes of frozen veggies with sauce. This is the best lunch eating I’ve had since I was a kid.
Another option, unless you’re avoiding the carbs, is to bread them. Get three bowls or plates. Put flour in the first, a couple beaten eggs in the second (depending on how many pieces you’re making), and breadcrumbs (seasoned at least with salt and pepper, or use pre-seasoned breadcrumbs) in the third. Dip the breast in the flour, shake off the excess, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Normally, I would fry this, but you can bake it as well. (Plus you’re halfway to chicken parmigiana.)
Given that the o.p. is consuming the chicken breast with steamed vegetables, I’d assume that he or she is doing so as part of a healthful diet. Most bottled marinades and virtually all sauces–which are primarily sugar–are contrary to this. So is breading, deep-frying, et cetera.
Regarding cooking methods: if grilling or baking, it is certainly recommended to tenderize and flatten the breast, as it will otherwise be of varying thickness and uneven resulting texture. I would not stuff a chicken breast; in addition to the possibility of salmonella poisoning from the stuffing absorbing bacteria, it is just very difficult to effectively stuff the breast. If you want the chicken to acquire flavor from onions, tomatoes, herbs, et cetera, the best thing to do is perforate the breast with a fork or a series of short cuts across the surface, and seal the chicken breast with the flavorings in an envelope of parchment paper. Regardless of method, salt is definitely encouraged, as chicken (especially the breast) has a high water content. I personally like fresh rosemary and sage as herbs, and garlic is an all purpose flavorant.
The o.p. should also consider stir-frying as a preparation method, as it is an easy way to combine the chicken and vegetables in a healthy way that permits variety and ease of preparation (single pot meal). Many stir fry recipes take less than 20 minutes to prepare, including prep time, and are both tasty and visually appealing, as well as being fun to cook and amenable to experimentation.
Microwave ovens are to be used only for reheating leftovers, and melting butter when you don’t want to mess up a separate pan.
Stranger
Stranger: thanks for the great reply.
Hmm, I suppose you’re right. Alright, well I too am on a healthful diet of late and I’ve found that marinating chicken in a little reduced calorie cilantro dressing from Trader Joe’s makes a pretty epic meal. I think the salad dressing is something like 35 calories a serving.
Cooking chicken breast in liquid (a la winterhawk) is insurance against over cooking and dryness.
The first thing I ever cooked that was like “real food” was Chicken Parmesan. It’s easy and really impresses special someones you might have over for dinner. There, the tomato sauce acts as the moisturizing/flavorizing agent.
What you’ll need
Chicken breasts
A jar of pasta sauce, your choice of brand/seasonings, but the canned Delmonte sauce with onions & garlic is as good as any and half as expensive as most
A packet of shredded mozzarella cheese
breadcrumbs (if you are on a low carb diet you can use parmesan cheese)
some oil for cooking
An egg
A pan that can go in the oven (no plastic parts, or labeled “oven safe”)
A blunt object for pounding the chicken (hey! I’ve got this can of tomato sauce…)
Take as many chicken breasts as you have people to feed. Lay a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper over the chicken (this just keeps it from getting messy), and pound to an even thickness using your can of tomato sauce or weapon of choice
scramble the egg in a bowl
Shake some breadcrumbs onto a plate
Dip each the chicken breast in the raw egg and then coat with breadcrumbs by pressing it into the breadcrumbs on each side
Heat the pan and add about 1 Tablespoon oil
brown the chicken on both sides. it does not matter if the chicken is cooked through or not so don’t worry about it
turn off heat
Pour the sauce over the chicken, and sprinkle a fistfull of mozzarella cheese over the chicken breasts
Cover (with tinfoil if you don’t have an oven-safe lid)
Bake in oven 350F for 25 minutes.
Serve with bread and salad if you want to get all fancy
I know this might seem “advanced” right now but someday you will be ready, grasshopper.
I’ve never believed this. Overcooked chicken breast still has the texture of overcooked chicken breast, whether it is roasted or poached.
The absolute easiest thing you could do is to replace the breasts with boneless thighs. They are a little harder to cut up into nice pieces, but they taste so much better it’s like it’s a whole different animal.
–Cliffy
My mum makes pizza using chicken fillets as a the base. Spread tomato paste on the top of the fillet, add your favourite pizza toppings (onion, bell pepper, diced bacon, cheese, etc), then bake in the oven until cooked through. If the fillets are thick cut them in half first, or butterfly them.
You can still overcook chicken by any method, but there is a larger window of opportunity between “undercooked” and “overcooked” when you cook with liquid.
I usually play around with garlic, onions, garlic salt, Cavender’s (look it up), some lemon herb, occasionally celery salt, and a few times even meat tenderizer.
I’ll have to wait until I can ask my father how he uses most of those ingredients. I just play around.
That really hasn’t been my experience, but, I admit, I’m particularly critical of my attempts at chicken breast, and it has to be just perfect for me to be completely happy with it. I’m kind of OCD with this cut of meat, as well as pork loin (and truly don’t understand how people like stuff like “crockpot pork chops” or similar concoctions of mealy meat swimming in liquid.)
Anyhow, this is the method I use for poaching chicken. Bring chicken breasts to boil in a pot, turn off the heat, wait 15 minutes, check if done. I find that if you overshoot by 5-10 minutes, it starts getting that mealy texture.