How to cook moist and tender chicken breasts

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March 19, 2021

I’ve too often eaten tough, dry chicken breasts. How about you? And it’s so disappointing when it happens. Because moist and tender chicken breasts are oh so delicious.

Here are some tips for cooking chicken breasts right every time.

Pound to an even thickness.

If you’re planning to cook on the stovetop, this is important. It makes sure that the thinner parts don’t get terribly crispy, dry, or worse… burnt. Instead, it cooks evenly. You can pound chicken with a meat tenderizer or use what you have on hand - a rolling pin, the back of a heavy pan, a wine bottle, etc. Pound until an even thickness all the way through the breast.

Season with dry spices just before cooking.

A simple sprinkling of salt and pepper keeps things simple. But, the sky’s the limit for zesty chicken. Here are just a few ideas:

Add some garlic powder and paprika for a little twist.
Go Italian with parsley, oregano, and basil.
Add some celery salt, thyme, and basil for a country flair.
Embrace Indian flavors with equal amounts of smoked paprika, chili powder, curry powder, cumin, garlic powder, turmeric, cardamom, coriander, onion powder, dry mustard, fennel seeds, and garam masala. Then add just a pinch of ginger.
Add cinnamon, garlic powder, cumin, coriander, onion powder, and cloves for a Middle Eastern touch.
Or maybe you’re thinking tacos. In that case, go for garlic powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Cook low and slow.

On the stovetop: Put some oil in a pan and heat to medium (I personally love stovetop cooking with ghee). Cook the seasoned breasts for 1 minute without moving. Then, turn and cook for 1 more minute on the other side without moving. Turn the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook for 10 minutes. Don’t lift the lid! Don’t peek! Once 10 minutes is up, flip the breasts and cook covered with no peeking for 10 more minutes. Now check the temperature for doneness (165F).

In the oven: Preheat the oven to 250F. For oven cooking, I recommend brushing the breasts with melted butter before seasoning. Then, put them in a covered pan and bake for 60-90 minutes or until the thermometer reaches 165F.

Use a thermometer.

You really should do this with meat. It is a sure way to not overcook meat. And, meat thermometers are affordable, starting at just $10. Chicken is done at 165F.

Rest.

You must, must let your beautiful cooked chicken breasts rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving. This allows the juices to absorb fully into the meat and create nice tender, juicy bites for the lucky dinner guests.

Want to go even more moist? Brine for the juiciest chicken breasts possible.

Fill a bowl with lukewarm water and a handful of salt. Put the chicken breasts in for 15-30 minutes before seasoning and cooking. Then, remove from the brine, rinse, and pat dry. That’s it! You can also use buttermilk for brining, too.

The time is right. Miller’s chicken breasts are 10% off right now!

The discount is for buying one pack AND for the bundles of 3, 6, 10, 20 and 40 packs.

Have any secrets of your own for cooking chicken breasts? I want to know!

Cooking

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How did pork get a bad rep anyway? Why is Miller's pork exceptional?

Did you know that, globally, pork is the #1 meat? According to the UN, 10% more pork is eaten compared to poultry worldwide. And, 50% more pork is eaten compared to beef worldwide. Wow! But, for some reason, this isn't the case in the US. According to the USDA, pork ranks #3 when it comes to meat. Americans eat 30% less pork compared to poultry and 15% less compared to beef. Why is this? Well, pork has gotten a pretty bad rep in the US. Of course there are some religions that prohibit pork, but that's not the leading factor. Some reasons why pork has a bad rep. 1- Too much saturated fat. The low fat craze started in the 1970s and fizzled out in the 1990s. It came from the belief that (1) fat makes us fat; and (2) that too much saturated fat = high cholesterol = bad things like heart disease and cholesterol. These myths have been debunked. Read more in fats and health blog post. The bottom line is that not all fats are created equal. Natural animal fats from happy, healthy animals are good. It's those highly processed hydrogenated saturated fats that are bad. In other words, eat all the pork fat! 2- Worry about disease. People still seem to think they can get sick from pork. There's fear of parasites (like the roundworm Trichinella spiralis that can cause trichinosis) or bacteria or other things. The reality is that getting sick from pork is really rare nowadays. If you cook pork properly, you don't need to worry about disease. Muscle meat (like chops or tenderloin) should be cooked to 145F. Ground meat and organs should be cooked to 160F. 3- Worry of bad ingredients. This only relates to processed pork like hot dogs and bacon and ham. There's truth to this one. Nitrates and nitrites, commonly used in curing conventional pork, have been shown to cause cancer and other health issues. And stabilizers, artificial colors, preservatives, and other additives have been linked to negative health outcomes, too. But, this isn't the case for all pork. How meat it's processed matters a lot. At Miller's, we don't put any of that yucky junk in our meat, even the salami and bacon and sausages (more on that below). 4- Worry that eating pork will have a negative affect on your blood. The Weston A. Price Foundation did a bunch of research on this. It's true that plain pork can cause blood clotting and inflammation. However, properly preparing pork (by marinating it in vinegar or naturally curing it) or by eating pork with fermented veggies like sauerkraut removes these negative effects. Read more about pork and your blood in this blog post. 5- The belief that pigs are "dirty". I think this one mainly comes from the fact that pigs roll around in mud. They do this to protect their nearly hairless bodies. It's like natural sunscreen. It doesn't mean the meat is dirty at all. It may also come from the fact that pigs are often treated as garbage disposals. They will literally eat anything. And that includes kitchen scraps, meat processing scraps, curdled milk, and more. But again, not all pork is created equal. When you source from trusted farms, you can actually know that the pigs are eating clean food and are rolling around in chemical-free mud. 6- Strange rumors that pigs are deformed. This one came from Nailea on the farm. At some point, she watched a video about how some pigs are born without buttholes or have odd deformities or become cancerous. Yet, despite their weirdness, they're still raised for meat. I don't know how true this is for conventional pigs. But, it's certainly not true for our pigs. They are intact and happy and healthy. And our processor would never give us meat that's weird or cancerous. Why you should eat pork. I'm here to inform you that, when produced naturally and properly, pork is pretty awesome. It's high in protein, zinc, iron, and B vitamins (particularly the "anti-stress" vitamin B1 - read more about thiamine and pork in this blog post). It's packed with quality, healthy saturated fats. And it's the most affordable meat and can be produced year round. This is why people around the world love pork. I think you should love pork, too! Miller's pork is not just any old pork. Here are 6 quick reasons it stands above the rest: 1- Woodland raised. Our pigs get plenty of exercise and forage for countless nuts and grubs and roots. This diverse diet gives our pork some extra flavor. And you can be assured that the environment is free of chemicals and is a happy place for our pigs to live. 2- Corn & soy free. This means low PUFA and no chance of GMOs. We haven't tested our pork like we did for our chicken and eggs. But, if we did, I assume we'd get similar results with our pork having balanced omegas and packed with vitamins and minerals. 3- Heritage breeds. Our pigs are Berkshire, Duroc, Red Waddle, and Black crosses. These heritage breeds are known for their intensity of flavor, juiciness, marbling, and tenderness. It's nothing like the bland, dry pork you often get at the grocery store. 4- No junk like nitrates or additives. We reduce toxins and anything unnatural as much as possible. Our bacon is cured simply with Celtic sea salt (in a store it would have "uncured" on the label). Our sausages have clean ingredients, no weird thickeners or preservatives. Our salami is cured naturally with celery juice powder. 5- Washed in organic apple cider vinegar. No harsh chemicals like bleach or citric and lactic acids touch our pork. We are so fortunate to have a naturally minded processor! 6- No drugs. We don't vaccinate. We don't give antibiotics or hormones or anything like that. Through a natural diet and lifestyle, our pigs stay naturally healthy. Do you eat pork? Why or why not? What do you look for when shopping for pork? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below - no account required (start typing for the guest option to appear). 😊 ----- SOURCES: UN Report: Livestock commoditiesUSDA: Chicken leads U.S. per person availability of meat over last decade False Facts About Pork Everyone Actually BelievesIs Pork Bad for You? Here's What a Dietitian Has to Say

How to cook moist and tender chicken breasts

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