How to Cook Chicken Breast

5 Simple ways to cook a chicken breast

How to cook chicken breast

There are several ways to cook a chicken breast, including grilling and baking.

There are different ways to prepare chicken, however, and some types of chicken breast (such as boneless or bone-in) are better suited to certain cooking methods than others.

Despite its simplicity and popularity, chicken is easy to mess up; if you cook it wrong, you'll end up with something that is dry and rubbery, instead of tender and moist.

Once you know how to cook chicken properly, you can experiment with your own recipes, marinades, and spices!

Tips:

• Keep the chicken breasts in a plastic, zippered bag while you pound it. This will prevent the juices from splattering everywhere.

• Not all rubs and marinades work for every cooking method; some work better for certain cooking methods than others. For example, marinades work great for grilled chicken, while brines work better for baked chicken.

• Use the cooked chicken in your recipes. Grilled chicken tastes great in salads and sandwiches, while poached chicken tastes great in soups.

• If you have any leftovers, cover them, and put them into the fridge. Eat them within three days.

• You can defrost frozen chicken in the microwave, or in a plastic, zippered bag placed into a bowl of cold water.

Warnings:

• Cook your chicken thoroughly to avoid illness or salmonella poisoning. The inside of your chicken breast should be 170°F (77°C).

• Never under-cook chicken. Unlike steak, it must be completely cooked inside, with absolutely no pink.

• Never reuse marinade. If you want to brush cooked chicken with extra marinade, set some aside at the very beginning.

• To avoid cross contamination and risk of food poisoning, always wash your hands and kitchen utensils using soap and warm water after handling the chicken.

• There is a lot of debate about whether or not you should rinse chicken beforehand. The USDA and FDA both claim that rinsing meat (especially poultry) actually spreads bacteria, which can lead to food-borne illnesses, such as salmonella. Any bacteria on the meat would be killed during the cooking process