chicken breasts; cooking advice.

[TechBoyJK]

So as suggested on various diet/body building forums, I'm going to start eating more chicken breasts. I bought 30 frozen chicken breasts and am looking for ideas on how to make them tasty. I plan to grill them using my trusty George Foreman grill.

1. How long can these be thawed before they go bad? They are individually sealed. If let them thaw, but they sit in the fridge for a day before I cook them, is it ok?

2. How do I tell they are done?

3. Ideas on how to make them more tasty? I planned on either cutting them into strips or just eating it whole on a sandwich.

 

[waffleironhead]

1)yes thats fine.
2)get a thermometer
3)get spices.

 

[PottedMeat]

1. i'd give it a week in the fridge. usually i let them sit on the counter to defrost then put into fridge

2. best to use a thermometer ( the kind you stab into the deepest part of the flesh and get a reading ), but usually i just cut into it and check for clear juices

3. no idea, i'd just cook them plain then add whatever for taste afterwards

in my experience most chicken marinades don't do anything but make a mess or burn, it's far more important to cook it correctly ( not too dry/tough )

 

[bignateyk]

Yeah they're fine for a week in the fridge after they thaw...

Just cut in to them to see if they are cooked (white the whole way through, not pink). Eventually you'll be able to tell just by pushing on them to see how firm they are, but until you get good, just cut into them after 15 minutes or so on the grill.

As far as cooking, to make them more tender, pound them flat with a mallet or just kneed them with your fist. If you cut them up and cook them the moisture will all escape and they'll end up dry, so just cook them whole and cut them afterward.

You can kneed the spices into them while you tenderize them, or just marinate them in a zip-lock bag with things like italian dressing, BBQ sauce, etc...

To do that, just get a few breasts and put them in a zip-lock with the sauce, and stick the bag in the fridge for a day ahead of time.

 

[Fausto]

3) Brining chicken breasts helps immensely with flavor and juciness.

 

[Numenorean]

Marinades can really help chicken.

As for knowing when they are done, just touch them to feel the resistance. Use a meat thermometer to get your temp, feel them to see how they feel, and as you learn that then the only thing you need to do is feel them and you will be able to tell when they are done cooking.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

I tend to rotate among a variety of those Lawry's marinades. Two chicken breasts soaked in the marinade in a gallon freezer bag, then toss em on the grill.

 

[Zeze]

1. Yes, totally okay.

2. I normally cut into them while cooking and they're no longer slimey inside.

3. Noobs always overcook breasts. They always end up tough, chewy, and 'thread off'. Sear the outside and medium well inside- very tender and tasty.

 

[Numenorean]

Okay everyone who says to "cut into them to see" JUST STOP IT!

Yeah that's the dumbest thing you can do is just randomly cut into meat to see if it's done.

 

[airdata]

Sometimes I just like to keep it simple... put them on a sheet of foil. Add seasoning and close the foil over them and bake around 350 for 30-40 minutes.

This usually comes out good and juicy for me.

 

[bignateyk]

Okay everyone who says to "cut into them to see" JUST STOP IT!

Yeah that's the dumbest thing you can do is just randomly cut into meat to see if it's done.

 

[Apple Of Sodom]

Good recipe:

Rub breast with cayenne powder (use liberally if you like hot) and cook in 1 tablespoon olive oil and garlic. Season with sea salt. Remove chicken breast from burner and add 2 cups of spinach and 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, cut in half. Cook until spinach is soft.

Add chicken breast back to mix. Cook for a few more minutes and serve.

 

[WelshBloke]

Bash, slash and stuff with mozzarella, gran padano and a sage leaf. Wrap with prosciutto and roast in the oven.

 

[Numenorean]

Some people just don't know how to cook.

 

[DominionSeraph]

I wouldn't trust an opened raw breast in the fridge much beyond 5 days, but depending on how yours are sealed they might last a little longer.

For tasty, try chicken alfredo and chicken fajitas. Chicken alfredo is one of my favorite quick dinners -- I like it because the timing works out perfectly with angel hair pasta. Cut raw chicken into strips, then put 'em in a pan with a little oil. Put water on to boil. When the water starts boiling it's time to turn the chicken and heat the sauce (Five Brothers is good). Everything is done 4 minutes later.
Crazy good and only takes ~10 minutes start to finish.

Good recipe:

Rub breast with cayenne powder (use liberally if you like hot) and cook in 1 tablespoon olive oil and garlic. Season with sea salt. Remove chicken breast from burner and add 2 cups of spinach and 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, cut in half. Cook until spinach is soft.

Yeah, chicken and spinach is delicious.

 

[zinfamous]

Okay everyone who says to "cut into them to see" JUST STOP IT!

Yeah that's the dumbest thing you can do is just randomly cut into meat to see if it's done.

this. learn how to gauge done-ness by checking the firmness of the meat.

 

[AstroManLuca]

My wife poaches them:

1. Cover them in rosemary and a little salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil
2. Pour some water and lemon juice in the frying pan, maybe 1/4 inch
3. Cover and cook until done.

Searing them makes them dry. Water keeps them moist. And lemon juice goes really well with chicken.

Also, if you're poaching them, you won't have to turn them over. They cook through just from the heat and steam.

 

[bignateyk]

Some people just don't know how to cook.

Yeah 'cause cutting into them until you get more experience and can tell by feel is such a bad thing .

Meat thermometers are pretty much useless on small cuts of meat. I've tried plenty of them over the years and the only time they actually work are on large pieces of meat like roasts or whole birds. And how is stabbing it with a meat thermometer any better than making a small slit to look at it?

 

[brandonb]

I boil my chicken breasts when they are frozen. They are done when they float to the top and sit there for a few minutes.

 

[bignateyk]

this. learn how to gauge done-ness by checking the firmness of the meat.

I suppose you just magically had this skill the first time you cooked chicken? Oh wait, you probably cut into it a few times until you actually learned.

 

[zinfamous]

A member here turned me on to this, as he used to prepare food for Chipotle. This is best for thighs, I guess, but should still be tasty with breasts (the thighs would be grilled then chopped up for burrito meat.

take a can of this:

blend into a thick paste, pour into bag.

add ~3 lbs chicken, a dash of conola oil, kosher salt (and I like to toss in half-lime juice and crushed cilantro).

marinate O/N and up to 30 or so hours is fine.

grill.

 

[Numenorean]

Yeah 'cause cutting into them until you get more experience and can tell by feel is such a bad thing .

Meat thermometers are pretty much useless on small cuts of meat. I've tried plenty of them over the years and the only time they actually work are on large pieces of meat like roasts or whole birds. And how is stabbing it with a meat thermometer any better than making a small slit to look at it?

With the right thermometer you make only a small hole and not much juices escape. And they work just fine on any cut of meat.

Cutting into meat that isn't done cooking or resting is a really bad thing.

 

[bignateyk]

With the right thermometer you make only a small hole and not much juices escape. And they work just fine on any cut of meat.

Cutting into meat that isn't done cooking or resting is a really bad thing.

Why? Is the world going to end? Is the chicken going to explode?

A newb who's cooking chicken for the first time isn't going to notice the slight loss of juices from cutting into it a few times until he learns how to tell by feel.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Lemon, a little garlic and some bay leaf or oregano is a great way to pump up the flavor.

 

[zinfamous]

I suppose you just magically had this skill the first time you cooked chicken? Oh wait, you probably cut into it a few times until you actually learned.

no, of course not. I have cut into meat a few times. The only thing I learned was that it ruined the meat every time, lol.

but poking with a meat thermometer is certainly not the same as making a "small slit" to check--you can't make a small slit to check, anyway. You have to cut into the center of the meat, and there goes the juice, flavor, and instant overcook.

when it comes to steaks, just pull it off when it is rare to below rare, wrap tightly in foil, and let it continue to cook itself. If you are ever worried about it being undercooked, you can do this with little concern of being undercooked, and then overcooking because of those concerns.