chicken breast's are getting dry and unbearable

[SoreArms]

So you are cooking 30-40 chicken breasts at a time and freezing them?

Why not just cook a couple of days worth at a time an not freezing them? I leave cooked chicken in the fridge up to a week and it's still good.

I bet the freezing, thawing and microwaving is not doing much for the taste either.

 

[adam wj]

judo tom i generally boil my chicken and go do something else.. by the time the "oh shit, i forgot about my chicken!" hits it's usually fine

from the pot right into a sealed tupperware container keeps them moist for me for a couple days

 

[jenscats5]

If you are cooking the chix breasts whole, be advised that after you remove them from the heat they keep cooking so let them sit a few minutes & then slice to keep in the juices. If you slice too early, all the juices/tenderness leaches out.

Otherwise take a little time when you buy your giant packs of chicken. But a big ass pack of boneless skinless breasts & slice into strips & put into baggies raw & freeze. When you are ready to cook, the strips cook much faster without drying out....Takes a little time but worth it.....

 

[Muskrat]

I prefer to cut my chicken breasts into smaller stir-fry pieces. Cooking the whole breast is a friggin tightrope act. Literally moments after the meat is heated through correctly, it turns into shoe leather. If you miss that minute window, your meal sucks. Smaller pieces cook through quicker so there's less time for the moisture inside to dry out. Also, If you cut into small pieces THEN add salt and pepper (or other seasonings) every bite is surrounded by flavor.

I do have some great tips for cooking the whole breasts that make it easier: first off, cook the over medium heat, not medium high. If its a large breast, it'll probably be much thicker on one end. (This adds to the problem) You can cover the breast in plastic wrap and pound the thick end firmly (not too hard) to make the meat the same width throughout. If its way thicker you may want to consider filleting it as well. Also, if you don't mind the extra calories, breading them will form a nice seal that hold in juices and keeps the outside of the breast from getting tough.

 

[the guy on the couch]

can I use my teflon-coated pan and cook them on medium heat?

george foreman heats up to damn quickly and gets too damn hot. it's like a friggin' science to keep the damn thing from burning on the outside while making sure the inside is cooked all the way through.

 

[Muskrat]

Experiment. I sautéed cut up pieces tonight with some salsa that came out perfect. I'm still working on technique. I cut the breast in half, dividing the thinner portion from the thick end. Then I filleted the thick end into two thinner pieces and cut it all up into 1.5 inch pieces. About 6 minutes, just over medium heat, and these little guys were all tender. The difference between tender, juicy poultry and over done is like night and day.

 

[onerepmaximum]

can I use my teflon-coated pan and cook them on medium heat?

george foreman heats up to damn quickly and gets too damn hot. it's like a friggin' science to keep the damn thing from burning on the outside while making sure the inside is cooked all the way through.

I've never had that problem, but then again, I have an imitation George Forman grill. I like it better because it's easier to clean. But to answer your question, you could cook it in a pan too. They didn't always have GF grills.

 

[jerkbox]

here's what i do:

marinate in

olive oil
garlic
basil
a little bit of salt
lemon juice
maybe a little bit of tarragon vinegar

put em in a plastic bag in the fridge for at least a few hours.

i bake em in the oven, still turn out very moist