Do you find your chicken tough and chewy, dry, or gritty? After so many years of cooking and raising…children and chickens (lol), they have taught me some things. Here are six key Points to make perfectly juicy chicken.
Today, we are all so in a hurry that dinner or any other meal definitely suffers. I know because I am a taxi nine out of ten days a week. Yes…that much. So it’s time to figure out the trick so that you can sit down and enjoy a healthy meal and get life done, too.
HOW TO MAKE JUICY CHICKEN (video)
Let’s start with the answer to how to get juicy chicken every time without a long story about it, huh? I feel ya…
The Six Key Points to Make Perfect Juicy Chicken Every Time!
1. NEVER freeze your chicken.
NEVER freeze your chicken. Please don’t buy it frozen; don’t store it frozen…only buy what you need and keep it in the refrigerator. (I’ll let you freeze it when you store it, and I’ll tell you why 👇)
2. storing and handling chicken.
Always keep surfaces clean and separate when handling raw chicken. For example, I have to buy chicken in bulk and can’t buy it every day. I buy one week’s worth, cut the chicken in half (horizontally), and put it in good zip-lock bags divided into three to four days that I will cook it. Dividing it up makes for less mess and easier resource management.
3. Bring chicken to room temp.
Lay it out on the counter (covered) as long as possible. Getting it to room temperature is a huge advantage. When the kids come home from school, I lay mine out, unwind, and then start dinner. Don’t worry—it won’t spoil; you are about to cook it.
4. Lock in moisture & salt correctly.
Usually, the flavor and juiciness come from the fact that it has been salted correctly. Salt releases the juices from the inside of the cells to the outside, making for a juicier bite. On average, I use about 1/2 tsp (or a small pinch) on each side of the breast.
Cooking white meat, especially, can dry it out. Salt helps bring out flavor and moisture. Now, you will lock in the moisture by covering it next 👇.
5. Cook on Medium-Low.
Start by cooking it on Medium in your cast iron or other good quality pan. Then, as you start to see it get white on the edges, flip it and salt the other side. Now, reduce your heat to low and cover with a top-to-the-pan or a regular sheet pan. Let cook for about 3-4 minutes unless you see or smell the side burning. If so, turn your heat off, flip the chicken over, and cover again. Put the heat back on low in a couple of minutes.
Cook each side 3-4 minutes covered with the pan. The pan locks in the moisture that escapes and keeps inside the chicken. Once the chicken is cooked, season as desired.
6. Slightly undercooked; squeeze the middle.
Lock in moisture by not overcooking. You will actually stop the heat long before you think (see video). Keep a little pink; the residual heat will finish the rest. NOTE: You can always use a thermometer to check the inside. Add 10 degrees to the chicken before it leaves the pan. The residual heat will finish the process.
Some TRICKS:
- I bend the thickest part of the chicken with my tongs and see if it cracks. If cracking occurs, it’s perfect!
- If you see PINK, like really pink, keep it covered and give it more time to cook.
- Use a meat thermometer and bring it to 150 degrees. After covering it, lowering your heat, or even turning it off, it will continue to cook to the glorious 165 degrees Fahrenheit or 73.9 Celcius.
- Do not wait to take your chicken off if it is 165 or more. It will be hard to keep juicy after that. The trick is taking it off and letting it naturally rise to safe levels instead of getting it hot and reducing it. (That’s how chewy chicken happens)
- The thicker the breast, the longer it will need to cook. Cutting horizontally and evenly will help this problem. The same techniques go for thin or dense breasts, but cook times will vary)
To Conclude, the juicy chicken business
If you follow these key steps, you will find yourself in the most divine and heavenly chicken you’ve ever made. It represents a flame-grilled juicy chicken you would find at a restaurant.
The picture above is simply a pesto chicken with roasted tomatoes and feta. I should give you that recipe! Until then, let me give you some of my favorite chicken recipes that will knock your socks off!
Honey-Garlic Chicken and Pineapple Salsa…ok, yum!
Creamy Dijion Mustard Sauce on Corn Flaked Chicken…help me, Jesus!
Or use your new techniques on this Italian Roasted Red Pepper Sauce…uummm yumm…
Six Key Points to Make Perfectly Juicy Chicken
4
servings1
minute10
minutesIngredients
2 Large 2 chicken breasts (option to cut horizontally and make thinner)
1 tsp 1 vegetable or canola oil
2 tsp 2 salt
1 tsp 1 pepper
1 tsp 1 (any additional spice you would like to add)
Directions
- Start by gathering ingredients and using a large cast iron pan. You will also need a cover for the pan or a sheet pan to cover the top.
- Heat the pan on medium heat and add oil. Let the oil become watery but not burn. This takes about less than a minute.
- Add whole chicken to the pan: salt and pepper on one side. Let the bottom of the chicken become white, then flip over. Add salt and pepper to the other side. Bring heat to low and cover with a lid or pan.
- Cook with the lid on for 3-4 minutes for thinner pieces and 4-5 minutes for thicker pieces.
- With tongs, bend the thicker side. If it cracks, it is done. If you see pink (a lot), then cover it for a couple more minutes on low after flipping.
- Once the internal temperatures reach close to 165 F, turn off the heat and let rest, either in the pan covered again or on a cutting board.
Recipe Video
Notes
I bend the thickest part of the chicken with my tongs and see if it cracks. If cracking occurs, it’s perfect!
If you see PINK, like really pink, keep it covered and give it more time to cook.
Use a meat thermometer and bring it to 150 degrees. After covering it, lowering your heat, or even turning it off, it will continue to cook to the glorious 165 degrees Fahrenheit or 73.9 Celcius.
Do not wait to take your chicken off if it is 165 or more. It will be hard to keep juicy after that. The trick is taking it off and letting it naturally rise to safe levels instead of getting it hot and reducing it. (That’s how chewy chicken happens)
The thicker the breast, the longer it will need to cook. Cutting horizontally and evenly will help this problem. The same techniques go for thin or dense breasts, but cook times will vary)