Who would like to be my cooking instructor?!
Who would like to be my cooking instructor?
Hi! I have three skinless, boneless chicken breasts. They have that loose extra chicken on the back of them. Do I cut that off? What is the best temp to cook them at? And how long do I cook them for? I've made them before, but I must be doing something wrong, they are too dry!!! Thanks a bunch!
Answers: You cut the extra bit of chicken on the underside of the breasts if you want to, but I never do. Cutting the extra piece off may help the breasts sit more securely in your baking pan, but I leave them on just for the extra bit of meat. You can leave it attached, and flatten your chicken breasts out a bit to allow your seasonings or sauce more room to cover, giving the chicken more flavor.
You can cook the chicken breasts at 325 for an hour, or until the juices run clear, and the breasts are no longer pink in the middle. The internal temperature should read at least 165 degrees. You can buy a meat thermometer for fairly cheap at any kitchen supply store, retail store like Wal-Mart or Target, or grocery store.
One simple recipe for barbecue chicken is to grease a 13" x 9" baking pan with vegetable oil or cooking spray. Pour half a bottle of barbecue sauce in the pan, enough to coat the entire bottom of the pan. Place chicken breasts in the pan, and move them a bit to make sure the bottoms get coated in sauce. Pour the remaining half of the bottle over the chicken. Bake at 325 degrees for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until the juices run clear.
For plain roasted chicken breasts, coat chicken breasts with butter or margarine, then sprinkle on salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, turning chicken over once to coat all sides.
To help keep the chicken juicy, cover your baking pan with aluminum foil. Also use a deep baking pan, like a 13" x 9" baking pan or roasting pan. Shallow pans, like baking sheets, often allow the liquids to evaporate faster, leaving your meat dry. Cooking at too high a temperature can cause your meat to dry out as well, unless you shorten the cooking times. It's best to follow the recipes exactly when it comes to cooking temperatures and times. you can cut the excess with a sharp knife. Trim all the extra skin off or whatever you need to trim off.
Depends on how you want to cook them for best temp. If you want to bake them, bake at 350 degrees until internal temp reaches 165 (you'll need to invest in a meat thermometer) Any way you make them, grill, saute, poach the internal temp needs to be 165.