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What Are the Best Tips for Baking Chicken Breasts?
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison
An individual can find many tips for baking chicken breasts that are tasty and healthy. Some of the best tips are those that provide instruction for making sure the meat is done without overcooking it. A home cook might also benefit from tips that involve using moist heat in cooking, oven frying chicken, and taking steps to make post-cooking cleanup easier. Additionally, some of the best tips suggest ways to prepare cut-up chicken breasts in addition to whole breasts.
One of the most important tips for baking chicken breasts is to avoid overcooking them. When chicken breast are cooked too long, they tend to dry out and become less appetizing. Often, people overcook them because they are afraid of food poisoning and find it difficult to judge when chicken breasts are done. Relying on recipe cooking times isn't always helpful, as cooking times can depend on the size and thickness of the chicken breasts. To avoid overcooking them, a person may benefit from obtaining a meat thermometer and cooking the chicken until it reads 165°F in the thickest part of the meat.
Some of the best tips for cooking chicken breast also involve preparing for cleanup. Cleanup will be less difficult, for instance, if a cook uses aluminum foil in the bottom of his baking pan when cooking this type of chicken. Using butter, cooking oil, or cooking spray may also help prevent chicken breasts from sticking to the bottom of a baking pan. Aluminum foil, however, usually prevents the meat from sticking to the pan altogether and translates into less scrubbing later.
Other tips for baking chicken breasts cover various baking methods. For example, fried chicken may prove appealing to the taste buds but isn't usually as healthy as baking it, stewing it, or braising it. Oven frying chicken can provide a similar taste and prove a bit more healthy, however. Many tips also cover including moisture when baking chicken breasts to help prevent drying. For instance, including a sauce or marinade, or baking chicken breasts with moisture-producing vegetables may preserve more of the chicken's juiciness.
Another tip for baking chicken breasts involves cutting them up rather than leaving them whole. A person can cut chicken breasts into strips or chunks for use in various types of recipes, including one-dish meals that include rice or pasta and vegetables. Often, these smaller pieces of chicken require less cooking time than whole breasts.
Nicole Madison
Nicole’s thirst for knowledge inspired her to become a WiseGEEK writer, and she focuses primarily on topics such as homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. When not writing or spending time with her four children, Nicole enjoys reading, camping, and going to the beach.
Learn more...
Nicole Madison
Nicole’s thirst for knowledge inspired her to become a WiseGEEK writer, and she focuses primarily on topics such as homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. When not writing or spending time with her four children, Nicole enjoys reading, camping, and going to the beach.
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![Chicken breast is high in protein.]()
By: Christian JungChicken breast is high in protein. -
![Chicken breasts can be cut up or left whole, resulting in different cooking times.]()
By: BillChicken breasts can be cut up or left whole, resulting in different cooking times. -
![Fried chicken is often appealing to the taste buds.]()
By: harikanFried chicken is often appealing to the taste buds. -
![A meat thermometer can confirm that the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 165 degrees.]()
By: WergA meat thermometer can confirm that the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 165 degrees.
Discussion Comments
There's an oven fried chicken recipe that uses a little low-fat mayonnaise, ranch dressing and crushed cornflakes. You mix the mayo and dressing together, dip the chicken in it and then in the cornflakes and bake. You have to be careful not to overdo it though, and ruin your good intentions of not frying.
Chicken breasts almost always benefit from having something with them during baking, like a slice of lemon or spices or crushed garlic or something. They need some kind of aromatic while baking. I've used a lot of different things, and the chicken always tastes better for it.
If I just need to bake chicken breasts for say, chicken salad, or a chicken casserole, then my method is to cut the skinless, boneless breast into strips, put them on a foil-covered cookie sheet, season with salt and pepper and brush them with olive oil. I bake them for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees. This usually keeps them from getting dry, but does cook them through so I can use them for something else. I'll also put springs of thyme or rosemary on top of the strips, to impart a little flavor. It usually works very well.
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