OK, so how do I cook chicken breast so it isn't tuff or chewy?

[cardy]

dds really love a very simple meal at our local resturant - chicken breast, potato wedges and veg, so I thought I'd recreate it. I baked the chicken breast but according to dds it was 'too chewy' - unfortunately they were right.

So how do you get tender chicken breast that just melts in your mouth? DH said to poach it then put it in the gridle pan to add some colour. Is this right? Not that I doubt DH....but I thought I ask MNers .

FWIW - when I cook small pieces of chicken I marinade it first.

make foil parcels and add a tablespoon of stock,perhaps? Alternatively, use chicken thighs. They're not only cheaper but jucier and much tastier IMO.

make foil parcels and add a tablespoon of stock,perhaps? Alternatively, use chicken thighs. They're not only cheaper but jucier and much tastier IMO.

pan fry or grill

it is tricky to get it at the stage where it's properly cooked byt not chewy

if you pan fry it it will seal in the juices - try browing in a pan, adding a glass of wine (or stock) and simmering until cooked

I do what your dp suggests.

I put it in a baking tray with about 2mm of water, cover with tin foil and bake.

180 degs, 20 mins per pound, plus 20 mins is the rule for poultry, so a chicken breast would probably be about half an hour.

A few minutes before I'm ready for it, I whip off the tin foil and let the top crispen up a little and brown.

delish!

foil parcels, 20mins in oven. Or, wrap in bacon, drizzle with little olive oil.

foil
splodge of oil
put breast in foil with smashed garlic and herbs
wrap up, put in 200 degree oven for about 25 mins

OR

put breast in pan of cold water
bring to boil and simmer for 20 mins (ish)

dd1 is most particular about her chicken not having any brown bits on so both the above mean she wolfs down the lot

chargrill very quickly

Have tried parcels but still not that tender - must be my cooking! Perhaps adding water/stock would help?

Agreee about thighs - I do use skinned and filleted thighs for other dishes but was trying to recreate the restaurant dish.

Guess I shouldn't have doubted DH!

so 'breast in pan of cold water
bring to boil and simmer for 20 mins (ish)' works does it? I considered that but wasn't sure something so simple would work?

Cooking chicken scares me!

or you can poach in milk iirc

I do the foil parcel most of the time as then you can cook the potato wedges at the same time

easy tea, just slam in and leave

I once cooked a whole chicken in a pressure cooker. Plenty of water in it, so loads of stock/soup and succulent chicken!

Marinading in buttermilk is supposed to make chicken very soft and moist.

Pan fry them till cooked and browned (15 - 20 minutes for a boneless breast), leaving the skin on.

Then take them out of the pan, cover with foil and leave them to rest for at least 5 minutes.

George Foreman grill.

Those George Forman style grills do a grand job of cooking chicken breasts without drying them.

Wrapping them in bacon works well too