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 Celestial Traveler
Random Observer
 
Registered: 03/03/11
Posts: 7,639
Loc: Idaho
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 Cooking Chicken Breast -- LEAN -- 
#23801986 - 11/04/16 10:02 PM (7 years, 5 months ago) |
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I eat baked chicken breasts just about every day...I'm trying to eat very lean, but the chicken breast is nasty. All I put on it is coconut oil and peppercorn so far because that's all I have...I can't cook for shit. I've only been cooking for the last 2-3months or so.
I'm trying to eat very lean and avoid sugar, so the problem is that a lot of things that one might put on chicken breasts (such as sauces, etc) are loaded with sugar or other bad carbs.
Does anyone have recommendations for lean AND cheap AND tasty flavors to put on chicken breasts? And anything in general not to make it taste like shit? It's not that I don't like chicken breasts...anytime I go to a restaurant I almost always enjoy it, but not when I cook it myself.
Additionally I'd like to throw a bonus question in here if anyone could help...I buy packages of chicken breasts at the store and the individual pieces of breast come in varying sizes. As a result, it's really hard for me to standardize the oven time for them. I might put two breasts in at the same time and one of them is under-cooked while the other is over-cooked when I take them out.
Obviously I know you can cut them into smaller pieces mid-bake to speed up the baking time too, but this seems to ruin the inside of the breast and makes it lose any moisture that's on the inside. Any advice on how to rectify this situation would also be greatly appreciated.
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 ashfiken
TotalCrazyasshole
Registered: 09/06/06
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Loc: SCranton
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Got your second question answer right here, if you don't already cover it while baking, do that it will create an slightly more even heat for your diff sized meat while also preserving moisture.
If you already do this, instead, try adding water or stock into the bottom of pan whilst baking.
If you still have uneven cooking, you will have to cut them up, but using bothe above will remedy for sure. No moisture loss means harder to overcook, meaning you can bake longer to ensure fully cookedness.
I'd add hotsauce braj, homemade hot sauce preferably.
Makes everything not good decent or good better.
If you cant handle that than you may just have to experiment with spice mixes that are low on salt.
Hard to advise significantly there bc taste buds vary tonnes and one spice may be nasty to one vs pleasing to another.
Cheers happy cooking
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Ythan
ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
Registered: 08/08/97
Posts: 18,825
Loc: NY/MA/VT Borderlands 
Last seen: 2 hours, 22 minutes
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Yeah I second the recommendation for hot sauce. There's enough variety that you can make several different kinds of chicken depending on what you're in the mood for. Probably my favorite for poultry is Baron West Indian but you may have to order that online. For recommendations you can get at any store, I'd go with Frank's Red Hot to make Buffalo-style, and Chipotle Tabasco for smokey BBQ. None of those have any fat or added sugar, and they're all mild enough that you can use them generously to get an intense flavor. Probably no extra salt needed.
Salsa from a jar always works great for easy Mexican style. Probably no extra salt needed.
Pasta sauce will give you a chicken-parm vibe. Probably no extra salt needed.
Soy sauce is good. Add ginger, onion, and/or garlic powder. A little sesame oil helps but is not required. Probably no extra salt needed.
Those dry packets of ranch dressing mix and french onion soup mix are easy, flavorful, and don't contain fat or sugar. They have recipes on the pack for cooking with them. Probably no extra salt needed.
Lemon juice and black pepper is a simple classic. Lime juice gives you "fajita style" which is good with sauteed peppers and onions. Salt to taste.
You can also buy a spice blend simply called "poultry seasoning" which will give you more of a traditional Thanksgiving/stuffing/pot pie flavor. Salt to taste.
Everybody hates on MSG, but there's no good scientific reason for that. It occurs naturally in a lot of common foods. Some chefs just prefer to get their savory flavors from natural sources instead of a powder. But if you only have limited ingredients available, it can be exactly what's missing from bland chicken. It's mostly sold under the "Accent" brand in the spice aisle. A small pinch can work wonders, just don't use too much or it tastes gross. A good rule is to use 1/4 as much MSG as salt. You can use less or omit it from recipes that have a lot of soy sauce, tomatoes, mushrooms, or parmesan cheese (among others) because those already provide the same glutamate flavor.
Whatever you're seasoning with, I recommend you do it ahead of time, and let the chicken sit/marinate in the fridge for at least an hour.
Plain (salted/peppered) cooked chicken is great topped with guacamole or hummus or tzatziki or salsa.
To ensure your chicken cooks evenly, you can flatten out the pieces to a uniform thickness. It's easiest to do this by pounding them with the bottom of a frying pan, rolling them with a rolling pin, or even just gently pressing them with your hands until you feel them "squish" to the proper thickness. This isn't as important if you're slow-roasting them covered in the oven, but I still recommend it for consistent results.
You will also probably get better results if you remove your chicken from the oven a bit before it's done, then sear it in a very hot pan for just a minute or two per side to finish. This will give it a nice tasty exterior more like you're used to getting in restaurants. However, it can be tricky to nail this without over or under-cooking the meat. If you're inexperienced with cooking, your best bet is to use a cheap probe thermometer and shoot for a final internal temperature of 155F. So that means taking it out of the oven around 140 and getting it up to 155 as you sear it in the hot pan. If you keep an eye on how long it takes and what it looks like when it's done, it will help you eyeball this step in the future. Then let it rest on a plate under aluminum foil for 10 minutes so it can finish cooking.
If you want any tips or recipes which require a bit more preparation, let me know! I eat a lot of chicken breast. 
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twohigh
Stranger
Registered: 02/09/13
Posts: 411
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Re: Cooking Chicken Breast -- LEAN -- [Re: Ythan]
#23804804 - 11/05/16 09:12 PM (7 years, 5 months ago) |
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Start brining man, makes all the difference when dealing with naturally dry meats like that. Any brine recipe will do, theyre all about the same, variances are mainly in what seasonings you may wish to incorporate in the brine. Breast wont have to be brined all that long either, probably only 45-60 minutes tops.
If you brine in a Ziploc bag you need far less liquid, allowing you to just keep the remainder in a container in the fridge for the next time, rather than go thru the process of making one each time. That or you could brine a bunch at once if you intend to freeze them, or use them within a couple days.
I know you dont want to add sugar and fats, but I dont think the sugar in the brine really changes the health factor of the meat, its more doing its job with the salt that adds moisture while the sugar is balancing out the salt a bit. You could sub honey for sugar as a healthier sweetener choice.
And those nice "penini" style grill that look like a george foreman grill are awesome. They run about 150, but they actually work, thats an option as well, I suggest that because it seems to really help with even cooking, and the presets on it for chicken and the like are actually pretty spot on. Cooking is like skateboarding man, you usually wont be any good till youve fallen more times than you can count.
Have fun!
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Celestial Traveler
Random Observer
Registered: 03/03/11
Posts: 7,639
Loc: Idaho
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Thanks a lot for all the advice. I cooked it again last night and all I did differently was cover the breasts in aluminum foil, and that did wonders for the texture and moisture. It was actually edible and didn't taste half bad.
I'm extremely busy lately but when I get the chance, I'll take a look at those recipes and look into brining. I'll also look for some hot sauce next time I'm at the store.
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California
A E S T H E T I C S A T A N
Registered: 12/27/04
Posts: 72,118
Loc: H A U N T E D H O U S E
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Quote:
Ythan said:
You will also probably get better results if you remove your chicken from the oven a bit before it's done, then sear it in a very hot pan for just a minute or two per side to finish. This will give it a nice tasty exterior more like you're used to getting in restaurants. However, it can be tricky to nail this without over or under-cooking the meat. If you're inexperienced with cooking, your best bet is to use a cheap probe thermometer and shoot for a final internal temperature of 155F. So that means taking it out of the oven around 140 and getting it up to 155 as you sear it in the hot pan. If you keep an eye on how long it takes and what it looks like when it's done, it will help you eyeball this step in the future. Then let it rest on a plate under aluminum foil for 10 minutes so it can finish cooking.
That's a good tip. I often sear first, and then bake it, with great results.
Also, another tip directly along the lines of Ythan's searing tip for flavor, try to strive for a Maillard reaction on the chicken. That is partially what the searing ideally does, and it can also be achieved by baking/roasting. It is well worth striving for in any cooked meat, and it applies to things like baked bread too. Putting your coconut oil on the chicken can help the Maillard reaction happen. The searing and proper Maillard reaction can lock moisture into the meat to some extent too.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maillard_reaction
Bon appetit!
Sage is also a good spice to season chicken with.
Sometimes I like to bake chicken breasts with pineapple rings placed on them with crushed red pepper or cayenne, and a little salt.
Five spice seasoning will give the chicken an Asian flare, which goes well with vegetables and rice.
I often marinate chicken breasts in low-sodium soy sauce. This adds a lot of flavor, and is always a hit when I make it.
Also, if you are serious about chicken breasts, but they still aren't as tasty as you want, try considering using peanut oil. It is really tasty, and has less saturated fat content than coconut oil.
Edited by California (11/09/16 07:51 PM)
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GabbaDj
BTH
Registered: 04/08/01
Posts: 19,682
Loc: By The Lake
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TACOS!!!
Take one Papaya, cut it up and blend it. Pour over Boneless Skinless Breast and marinate for 24 hours. Papaya is a super effective natural meat tenderizer.
Don't try to cook chicken breast whole, butterfly it instead. This will decrease the amount of time on the heat that it takes to cook the whole thing.
Instead of baking, try finishing your chicken in liquid, its much easier to control the temperature and keep the moisture in. Don't boil it...
No matter how you cook it, your not always going to have juicy chicken. That's why you make salsas and add stuff like shredded lettuce, fat free creama, carrots, radish and so on.. Mango Salsa with mint and cabbage goes great with lean chicken and makes great tacos.
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GabbaDj
FAMM.ORG
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Prem. Kissoff
Slow learner
Registered: 11/09/16
Posts: 259
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Re: Cooking Chicken Breast -- LEAN -- [Re: GabbaDj]
#23826212 - 11/12/16 03:24 PM (7 years, 5 months ago) |
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Chicken breasts need a lot help in the flavor dept. 
If youre willing to add a bit of fat Im a big fan of skin on breast cooked on a skillet, can be done quickly and always ends up moist and juicy. Careful not to undercook the thick part of the breast.
If youre not willing to add fat then spices are the way. Think of India as the epicenter of the spice/flavor world and as you get closer to Europe you lose access to some ingredients and cuisine takes on a local character along the way, for example the tasty Ras El Hanout middle eastern spice blend is what youd make if you were trying for curry but were missing some spices. By the end of the spice route its kinda salt and pepper.
If you can maybe mix in a pork loin once in a while.
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rubberlizard
Brewer and hobbymycologist
Registered: 10/26/10
Posts: 388
Loc: Probably my brewery
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Re: Cooking Chicken Breast -- LEAN -- [Re: Prem. Kissoff]
#23841765 - 11/17/16 01:27 PM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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Bought a cheap slowcooker/crookpot and its super easy to use.
Make a rub from your favorit spices, cumin, pepper, curry, salt and so on.
Fill the bottom of the slowcooker with coarse choppet onion, ad a cup of stock, beer, cola or other tasty liquid.
Dry the chicken and massage the rub into them.
Plce in slowcooker, turn on and leave for 6 hours+.
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SampaJasli
Stranger
Registered: 04/09/07
Posts: 1,396
Loc: Canada 
Last seen: 1 year, 10 months
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Re: Cooking Chicken Breast -- LEAN -- [Re: rubberlizard]
#23842740 - 11/17/16 05:36 PM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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my favourite way to make chicken breast tastier is schnitzel/tonkatsu/cutlets.
flatten the breast with a pan until it has an even thickness throughout. season very generously. coat in flour. coat in an egg. coat in breadcrumbs. shallow fry it in a pan. there are many variations of this simple recipe and hundreds of videos on youtube.
it changes dry and rubbery into crunchy and juicy and its pretty simple to learn.
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brandonshmandon
Caucasian!
Registered: 07/07/15
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Re: Cooking Chicken Breast -- LEAN -- [Re: SampaJasli]
#23842768 - 11/17/16 05:43 PM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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Fresh Lime and cilantro are great to marinade chicken breast in!
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MrBlueYoMind
Don't do drugs (Without me)
Registered: 04/27/11
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Last seen: 21 days, 8 hours
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I usually make this blend in about 5 times the amount because it is the best way I've made baked chicken (and tossing roasted red potatoes chopped down is good as well) and it's quicker to have a bunch already made up when I want to bake some chicken.
2 tsp Paprika
1-1/2 tsp Rosemary
1 tsp minced garlic (the dry kind)
1/2 black pepper (I have a pepper grinder and I take the pepper out of it and use a mortar/pestle to grind it up coarse instead of fine, but fine ground pepper works too)
1 tsp salt
I take all the seasonings and put them into a baggie then shake the shit out of the baggie.
Then if I'm cooking a chicken breast or two, I'll put those into the big freezer bags and scoop a tablespoon of the season mix into the bag and shake it. If you wanted to use olive oil, the oil would go into the bag and shake before adding the seasoning. I find the oil is unnecessary.
Lately I've been cutting the chicken in half or into strips before I shake it. This gives more seasoning coverage and they tend to be the same size so their done at the same time. I cook at 400*F. That with some red potatoes (tossed in a bag the same as the chicken) and corn on the cob makes a nice meal.
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EVOLUTION REQUIRES REPRODUCTION
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rubberlizard
Brewer and hobbymycologist
Registered: 10/26/10
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Re: Cooking Chicken Breast -- LEAN -- [Re: MrBlueYoMind]
#23895806 - 12/05/16 02:41 AM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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If you want one that is not so lean, try this one i love. HAd a problem gaining weight as a kid so i lived on calorie rich food.
Dry chicken breasts with papir.
Take a spiced cheese spread and and spread a generous amount on every breast, 1cm or 1/3 inch should do.
Wrap in bacon, at least a couple of pieces is needed per breast.
Cover with tin foil
Cook in the oven, until 75 degrees celcius (165 fahrenheit).
While the chicken is in the oven make your self a tinfoil hat so the CIA spy satellites cant see all the fat your about to eat.
If you want bacon more crisp, remove tinfoil (from chicken) ten minutes before finished.
There will probably be some liquid in around the chicken, use it to make a gravy.
Sorry about going OT, but just had to share, strange things happen when not sleeping
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Celestial Traveler
Random Observer
Registered: 03/03/11
Posts: 7,639
Loc: Idaho
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I did nothing but add a lemon pepper seasoning blend and it's done wonders so far.
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John Nada
Toujours Frais
Registered: 03/03/03
Posts: 97,746
Loc: Hotwings; race car
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You at least need to add some garlic to that chicken. Garlic, black pepper, red pepper, thyme, and a little salt would be good. Rosemary and marjoram are good too. I usually fry it though, but you can bake it. I kinda like baking better these days because it's easier and you can procrastinate on other stuff you're making a lot harder while it's cooking. Anyway, get some thyme for sure.
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Celestial Traveler
Random Observer
Registered: 03/03/11
Posts: 7,639
Loc: Idaho
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Re: Cooking Chicken Breast -- LEAN -- [Re: John Nada]
#23901831 - 12/06/16 11:18 PM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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I'm using a Lemon Pepper blend which has a ton of stuff in it, including rosemary and garlic. It may have some of the other things you mentioned too. Still this is light years better in taste compared to what I was eating before.
Is it possible that some of these spices carry long-term health consequences though? I know cinnamon can be harmful for the bladder...I mainly ask because the flavor that spices add seems too good to be true...
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John Nada
Toujours Frais
Registered: 03/03/03
Posts: 97,746
Loc: Hotwings; race car
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I wouldn't worry about spices being unhealthy unless you have obvious negative reactions to them like allergies. You just fucking got started seasoning your food. Remain strong and fight your masochistic instincts. Lemon chicken is gonna taste a lot different than what I suggested above, and this is why you need those different spices.
Another lean food idea that would be good and is pretty easy is stir fry.
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