Cooking chicken breasts is not as trivial as it sounds. These are our tips to make it super smooth.
How many times have you brought a slice of chicken that was too dry to the table? Being a low-fat meat, it tends to dry out quickly, but with the right techniques it is possible to cook a soft and juicy chicken breast. The key to success is not only in the cooking phase, but also in the moments before and after.
How to tenderize chicken meat? Marinate!
One of the most effective ways to make a soft chicken breast is to marinate the meat before cooking.
that marinate It consists of immersing the ingredients in a solution consisting of an acid component (for example, citrus or wine), a fatty component (for example, oil or milk) and an aromatic component (herbs and spices). Its purpose is precisely that of seasoning and keeping the meat moist, fundamental aspect to obtain a coherent offer.
The choice of liquid is a matter of taste: the chicken is perfect classic marinade with lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, garlic cloves, salt and pepper. They cannot fail spices and herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, paprika, curry, etc.
The possibilities, however, are endless: among the most suitable for chicken are those marinated with soy sauce or for yogurt.
Submerge the chicken breast completely in the liquid, close the container and leave it to rest in the refrigerator. Ideal for chickens ranging from a minimum of 2 hours to a maximum of approximately 4 hours. Before cooking, take the chicken out of the refrigerator, leave it room temperature for 15 minutes, remove from marinade liquid (which you will need to discard) and cook according to chosen recipe. The marinade is useful for any type of cooking: in the pan, in the oven or fried, the result will be very smooth!
Cooking modes
Didn't have time to marinate? We can still fix it.
Among the best ways to tenderize meat, there are different types of Cooking Cooked, such as baked, salted or steamed, also suitable for chicken thighs. These techniques have a double advantage: they allow the ingredients preserve flavors and organoleptic characteristics and at the same time keep the soft texture. The chicken, protected by baking paper, aluminum or salt crust, absorbs both the humidity and the aromas used, cooking at a constant temperature, without the need to add fat.
Similar conditions can also be reproduced In the casserole, covering it with the lid during cooking. If you have a cooking thermometer, measure the internal temperature of the entire chicken breast to avoid overcooking - as soon as it has reached the 74 ° C, you can put out the flame.
The trick to a fluffy chicken breast
After cooking, the secret to tenderizing a chicken breast is to cover it with Foil 5 to 10 minutes before serving or cutting: this way the juices will not be dispersed, but will be distributed correctly between the fibers.
