1. Defrost the chicken breasts, if frozen, or place them fresh on a grid over a shallow dish.
2. Sprinkle a small amount of salt on the breasts, immediately if fresh, or when they just begin to look soft if they’ve been frozen.
3. Allow the breasts to drain in the shallow dish.
4. You can place them covered in the refrigerator up to overnight if necessary. The small amount of salt is swelling and softening the fibers in the chicken breast during this time.
5. When ready to cook, pat the chicken breasts completely dry.
6. Sprinkle the breasts with your seasoning of choice. (I love using Penzeys Lemon Pepper.)
7. Whether you’re cooking on the grill or in a pan, using no higher than just over medium heat is the key.
8. Use butter, quality cooking oil or non-stick spray.
9. Cook the chicken on medium heat, flipping every 2 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 F.
10. The chicken will begin to sweat just before it reaches the correct temperature.
11. This may be the first time you’ve cut into a piece of boneless, skinless chicken breast and seen it juicy, tender and cooked to perfection.
12. Enjoy!
Serves 1 (sample 4 oz. serving of Perdue frozen chicken breast only) Calories 133; Fat 1g; Protein 29g; Carbs 0g
Boneless, skinless chicken breast. Dry, stringy… not good. Here’s the secret to cooking delicious, juicy chicken breast that’s tasty, high in protein and very low in fat. It’s all in the preparation and managing the heat when you cook it but it’s not difficult at all. Once you learn this technique you’ll fall in love with yard bird all over again.
Boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of any fat. (I prefer an antibiotic -free, vegetarian-diet type.)
Salt for prepping
Seasoning of choice
Butter, quality cooking oil or non-stick spray
The medium-ish heat combined with flipping the breasts every two minutes allows the chicken to develop a beautiful, light brown crust on the outside while staying juicy and tender in the middle. You can use butter or oils depending on your calorie and macronutrient goals. We’ve tried it different ways and they’re all equally delicious. This technique is fabulous in the pan, especially if using a good grass-fed butter or high-quality oil but just as delicious on the grill. Note that grills tend to get quite a bitter hotter than you think. I usually light the grill, allow the grid itself to get pretty hot and lower the temp for a little while before starting. If you’re using charcoal, use a small amount and rake it to one side so you can use indirect heat.