The Juiciest Stove Top Chicken Breasts - An Easy Chicken Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to moist chicken breast? ›

There are three key tricks: tenderize, marinate, and controlled cooking time. When you use all three of these methods, you will have succulent, moist chicken every time, and you can apply these strategies to other cuts of meat as well.

Because chicken isn't a very fatty cut of meat, you'll want to add some fat to keep the meat hydrated. Most recipes use butter or oil for cooking chicken, but mayo is the better fat option when it comes to producing juicy chicken.

If you're baking it, keep it covered with a baking sheet or with the pan-top for about 80% of the total baking time, uncover it only when the breast is cooked and tender but there's juices in the pan. Once uncovered, the juices will evaporate quickly in the oven, and you'll have a juicy chicken breast to eat.

Getting a good sear through medium high heat, then reducing the heat to LOW and COVERING the chicken while it cooks. The butter, oil, and chicken juices create a super flavorful liquid that acts as a way to steam the chicken at a low temperature, ensuring that it is moist & tender on the inside.

As the chicken cooks, cover the pan with a lid to trap the heat. This helps render the fat and water from the chicken for a crisp crust and evenly cooked meat.

By pan-frying your chicken, you let it get nice and brown on both sides. And, by using a lid, you create a steamy environment that traps in moisture, leaving you with juicy chicken breasts instead of dried out, stringy meat.

To fix the issue with one-directional heating, I pan-fry my chicken breasts covered. This way steam heats the breast from the top while it's frying, resulting in quick and efficient cooking.

The trick to the most tender, juicy, and succulent chicken you will ever make is simple… just start with a mayo marinade! The mayo will lock in moisture and will improve the browning on the grill, leaving you with delicious, charred grill marks that will take your chicken to the next level.

Braise it. Low and slow braising will help make almost any meat fall apart tender (though dark meat is best, thighs/legs).

What is the best ingredient to tenderize chicken? ›

We recommend marinating your chicken in buttermilk or yogurt overnight, but if it's urgent, then an hour will do. However, the texture of the chicken won't be as even as chicken marinated overnight. The process is simple: you only have to immerse the chicken in a container with enough yogurt or buttermilk and seal it.

Cooking them at high heat ensures the crispy, caramelized edges while keeping your chicken super juicy on the inside. Once the chicken is golden and caramelized, it's cooked! Let it rest for about 5 minutes to recirculate all of those natural juices through the meat.

When chicken is covered while baking, it traps steam and moisture within the dish, resulting in juicier results. The covering helps prevent excessive evaporation and keeps the chicken moist throughout the cooking process. Preventing dryness. Chicken tends to dry out more quickly when exposed to direct heat.

Coating in a Crust

Adding a crust is another way to help keep boneless, skinless chicken breasts from drying out. Adler is a fan of breadcrumb crusts: "I season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper, then brush it with a thin coating of mayonnaise or full-fat yogurt.

This process allows the baking soda to neutralize acid on the surface of the meat, resulting in less toughness and a cooked meat that is juicy on the inside while remaining crispy on the outside. Note: Some cuts of meat may take longer to soak in the baking soda to fully tenderize.

Bake Chicken Breast at 425°F

425°F is the best temperature for baking chicken. The chicken turns golden on the outside and unbelievably juicy inside. At a lower temperature like 350°F, the chicken can dry out, as it will need to be in the oven for a longer period.