Dry chicken problem

[travhopp]

I am definitely a cooking novice, but no matter how I marinade or cook chicken (saucepan, bake, grill), it always turns out dry. I'm doing my best to avoid overcooking it.

Does anyone have some basic suggestions on preventing this problem? (Beyond using a marinade with lots of salt or flouring the chicken and frying it in oil - 2 methods I've heard that work but add too much sodium or fat for me.)

Thanks,
Travis

[badunnin]

I always leave the skin on during cooking, and remove it afterwards. Also, a low, slow roasting may help. There is a recipe posted a few days ago that is from Nigella Lawson that several of us have had good results with - falling off the bone good. Here it is...

Slow Roasted Garlic and Lemon Chicken

1 chicken, cut into 10 pieces
1 head garlic, separated into unpeeled cloves
2 unwaxed lemons, cut into chunky eighths
small handful fresh thyme
3 T olive oil
150 ml white wine
black pepper

Preheat the oven to 160C

Put the chicken pieces into a roasting tin and add the garlic cloves, lemon chunks and the thyme; just roughly pull the leaves off the stalks, leaving some intact for strewing over later. Add the oil and using your hands mix everything together, then spread the mixture out, making sure all the chicken pieces are skin side up.

Sprinkle over the white wine and grind on some black pepper, then cover tightly with foil and put in the oven to cook, at flavour-intensfiyingly low heat, for 2 hours.

Remove the foil from the roasting tin, and turn up the oven to 200C. Cook the uncovered chicken for another 30-45 minutes, by which time the skin on the meat will have turned golden brown and the lemons will have begun to scorch and caraemlise at the edges.

Serves 4-6

150 ml is 1/2 cup
200C is 392 F (400), and 160 is about 325F

[Gail]

What you don't mention is what parts you're using. It's pretty easy to dry out skinless, boneless breasts since white meat tends toward dry anyway. I usually fine bone-in pieces cook up juicier. Also nice are those really thin breast filets (like scalloppini, really) which you cook really quick and that's it.

It may be that you'd do better trying recipes with moist-heat methods cooking chicken still on the bone, rather than roasting, sautéeing, broiling or baking. Something like slow cooking, or recipes which braise may produce a juicier, tender result.

[TamiKnight]

If you're using boneless, skinless breasts, try pounding them out a little so they're of even thickness before you cook them. Also, if you can find kosher chicken, it's much juicier than the regular grocery-store stuff.

If you're roasting a whole chicken, or bone-in parts, it's important to make a foil tent to sit over it (you want a little ventilation, but not much) for about 10 minutes before you serve it. This allows the juices to permeate back into the meat.

[Ralph]

Originally posted by Gail
It's pretty easy to dry out skinless, boneless breasts since white meat tends toward dry anyway.

DITTO!

Much like shrimp, there is a very narrow window between underdone & overdone. The trick is to find out when that is! And unfortunately, there's nothing exact about it!:(

If you're using boneless breasts, you might want to stop cooking just before you think they're done. They do tend to cook just a little more after they're off the heat.

[JinksE]

I make chicken once a week for my DF...I've become a pro! :) He either eats chicken or tuna and before I moved in, he made his chicken on his Foreman grill, which I am not a big fan of. Here's what I do and he always comments about the juicy chicken! :D

I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts which I cut off ANY fat I can see. Then, I use a non-stick skillet with cooking spray and brown the chicken for about 2 minutes on each side and season as I go along. I then put the browned breasts in a large pan to go in the oven. I'm usually cooking baked potatoes for him too so I put the chicken in about the last 15-20 minutes of cooking the potatoes. The real secret to keeping the chicken moist is adding about 1/4-1/2 cup water or chicken broth to the pan before it goes in the oven.

Cooking it this way hasn't failed me yet! ;)

[Gail]

Originally posted by TamiKnight
...If you're roasting a whole chicken, or bone-in parts, it's important to make a foil tent to sit over it (you want a little ventilation, but not much) for about 10 minutes before you serve it. This allows the juices to permeate back into the meat.

With all due respect, Tami, (and I'm hoping to God I don't come off here sounding snotty, 'cause I really don't mean to) while I'm not disputing your success with this method, I've yet to tent a chicken and have had no issues with dryness. While your suggestion may indeed prove to be the perfect solution to Travis' dry chicken woes, I don't think we need go so far as to imply that tenting is essential to producing a juicy chicken. (and might tenting conceivably work negatively against the crispness of the chicken's skin?) Perhaps what you meant to say was simply that the method is often helpful or that it's produced excellent results as far as you're concerned? :)

[Gail]

Me again.

Stupid question, but I'll ask anyway. You're not turning your chicken with a fork, are you? If so, try using tongs or a pancake turner-- something which doesn't pierce the meat and let juices run out.

[lindrusso]

Originally posted by Ralph
If you're using boneless breasts, you might want to stop cooking just before you think they're done. They do tend to cook just a little more after they're off the heat.

This has been key for us in cooking juicy chicken breasts, or any meat for that matter, every time. We used to dry it out ALL the time. DH was very skeptical that meat would continue cooking even after coming off the heat, but now that he has seen the results of doing this (tender, juicy meat), he's convinced. Dry meat is a rarity in our house now. :)

Alysha :)

[SusanMac]

A lot of good tips here. I typically make skinless, boneless breasts similar to JinksE, but you can also finish cooking on the stovetop. In fact, you'll find that a ton of CL chix & pork recipes use this exact method, but just vary the spices and sauce ingredients. It's a method I learned from "How to Cook Without a Book," by Pam Anderson.


Just to elaborate on JinksE's tips...you need to sear the chix on each side over med-high heat. You don't have to use oil, Pam is fine. The reason you do this is to seal the moisture inside the chix. To sear, you simply keep the chix in one place on the pan for 1-2 minutes (don't move it around).

At this point you can finish cooking in the oven *if* you have an oven proof skillet. To finish the chix off on the stove, turn the heat down to medium and add some liquid to the pan (water, broth, wine, sherry or any combination), cover with a lid and cook for another 5-8 minutes (depends on how many and how large the chix is). Take the chix out just before you think it's done (like Ralph said), and you can make a sauce from the leftover liquid. Add more broth/liquid if needed, a squeeze of lemon, onions, mushrooms, whatever. Turn the heat back up to med-high or high and let it boil & reduce. Stir in some corn starch if needed to thicken. Voila. Great chix with a pan sauce. You can also stuff the chix ahead of time with cheese, olives, artichokes, watercress, etc. Hope this makes sense. I definitely recommending checking out the Pam Anderson book. It's great for learning basics.

[Kayaksoup]

I am terrified of undercooking chicken, so I use a thermometer. I take it out about 5-7 degrees before it *should* be done. And I cover with foil for five minutes. I have no idea if foil is essential, but it is ALWAYS used in my house when cooking meat:D

[Karen L]

Have you tried brining the chicken before cooking? 1/2 cup kosher salt to 1 quart water, and any other flavors you want to bring into the chicken, some choices I like:

toasted fennel seeds
smashed garlic
mustard
pernod (!)
bay leaves
thyme, dried or fresh

in combination or alone

mix until salt is completely disolved, add chicken, parts or whole.
brine whole chicken overnight or put in first thing in the am and roast for dinner. You do not need to rinse them before cooking, just wipe dry with paper towels. Brine Chicken breast for only an hour or so. Do not salt when you cook them or they will be oversalted.

This method makes for a wonderfully flavored and moist chicken. Works well with pork (brine longer) or shrimp (only 1/2 hr or so.) adjust flavorings to suit the product. :cool: