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Post by Mary_K on Mar 7, 2016 20:46:23 GMT
I can't.
Or, at least I haven't been able to.
Do you make them in a crock pot? If so, how do you do it?
I'm not looking for chicken breasts that are covered in sauces or anything. Just plain, seasoned breasts.
thanks for any help or suggestions!
Mary K
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Post by KikiPea on Mar 7, 2016 20:52:57 GMT
We smoke them.
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Post by Mary_K on Mar 7, 2016 20:54:35 GMT
I don't have a smoker. Would it be worth it to get one?
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Post by lbp on Mar 7, 2016 20:54:53 GMT
I bake them or grill them. Every time I have tried to cook them in the crockpot, they have gotten dry.
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Post by littlemama on Mar 7, 2016 20:55:27 GMT
sometimes! I think the crockpot dries out all meat, so I don't think that is your answer!
Baking works the best for me, I think
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Post by AN on Mar 7, 2016 20:55:48 GMT
YES! I love chicken and love it even more since following this method. Brine + pull off about 10 degrees before the USDA "instantly safe" temperature. You definitely need an instant read thermometer if you aren't using one - 155 is the sweet spot IMO to pull them off. I'd even go as low as 150 if you're planning to reheat later (I make big batches). Get a good one that reads truly instantly. I've tried some that read a lot slower than ours and it is super annoying. www.thekitchn.com/weeknight-meal-tip-try-a-quick-95560Here's the thermometer we have - I feel fairly certain it was only $20-$25 when we got it, $50 seems high, so check the other highly reviewed ones. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002GE2XF8I also prefer grilling and they seem to do well when our grill reads around 350 - 400 degrees. You don't want low heat, you want fast high heat. You want to try to get them an even thickness to whatever degree possible - you can pound them, or I just cut the huge breasts down the middle like you were butterflying them (if you set them on "edge" and have a nice sharp knife, it is quite easy).
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Post by mikklynn on Mar 7, 2016 21:07:25 GMT
Yes, but you must have a meat thermometer. I usually take my chicken out at 160.
Also, some chicken breasts are just huge! If they are particularly thick, I will cut them in half so the outer portion doesn't dry out while the middle reaches a safe temp.
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schizo319
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,030
Jun 28, 2014 0:26:58 GMT
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Post by schizo319 on Mar 7, 2016 21:10:35 GMT
Yep! I once watched a daytime TV show with a restaurant owner/chef who was sharing professional restaurant tips. She suggested "weighting" chicken breasts. I cook mine in a cast iron skillet with a piece of foil and another cast iron skillet on top to add weight, cook about 5 minutes per side. The weight of the second pan (you can also use foil covered bricks) causes the chicken to cook faster and it seems to seal in all the juices. The texture of the resulting meat is totally different - very fine/smooth and slightly dense (slices beautifully), but never dry.
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Post by cmpeter on Mar 7, 2016 21:11:05 GMT
Yes...I also like to brine them and pound or slice to an even thickness. I also prefer to grill them. Cooking them in the crockpot does not sound appealing at all.
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caro
Drama Llama

Refupea 1130
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Jun 26, 2014 14:10:36 GMT
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Post by caro on Mar 7, 2016 21:18:31 GMT
I never over cook chicken. Also I grill them most often. If you use a crockpot, you need a little water in the crock and cook about 5 hrs on low.
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Post by jenb72 on Mar 7, 2016 21:22:54 GMT
Yep - I learned a little trick when pan-frying them on the stove. I can't remember where I learned it our I'd gladly link it.
I always slice my chicken breasts in half to make them thinner and easier to cook. Season your chicken (I rub them with olive oil and then season them). Prepare your pan/skillet and then put the chicken into the COLD pan BEFORE turning on the stove. Turn the burner up to Med-High heat. When you hear it start to get a good sizzle going, turn it down to just below medium and cover the pan, but leave about 1/2 inch of opening to allow steam to get out. You don't want to steam the chicken - you just want to prevent splatters.
Let it cook for 4 minutes on the first side. Don't flip it early. After four minutes, check to see that you have good color on that side. If so, flip. If not, let it sit another minute and then flip. Cover (leaving that 1/2 inch opening) and cook again for 3-4 minutes until you have good color on the 2nd side. Voila - you're done. It's juicy for me every time when I do it like this. (Works well for other meats, too, although some meats need longer cook times.) Jen
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Post by Mary_K on Mar 7, 2016 21:23:52 GMT
Yep! I once watched a daytime TV show with a restaurant owner/chef who was sharing professional restaurant tips. She suggested "weighting" chicken breasts. I cook mine in a cast iron skillet with a piece of foil and another cast iron skillet on top to add weight, cook about 5 minutes per side. The weight of the second pan (you can also use foil covered bricks) causes the chicken to cook faster and it seems to seal in all the juices. The texture of the resulting meat is totally different - very fine/smooth and slightly dense (slices beautifully), but never dry. Wow - lots of ways to try -
I've always thought cooking them low & slow would be the answer but I'm going to try this - seems easy enough. I read a snippet somewhere about using bricks!
Mary K
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Post by Mary_K on Mar 7, 2016 21:25:13 GMT
YES! I love chicken and love it even more since following this method. Brine + pull off about 10 degrees before the USDA "instantly safe" temperature. You definitely need an instant read thermometer if you aren't using one - 155 is the sweet spot IMO to pull them off. I'd even go as low as 150 if you're planning to reheat later (I make big batches). Get a good one that reads truly instantly. I've tried some that read a lot slower than ours and it is super annoying. www.thekitchn.com/weeknight-meal-tip-try-a-quick-95560Here's the thermometer we have - I feel fairly certain it was only $20-$25 when we got it, $50 seems high, so check the other highly reviewed ones. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002GE2XF8I also prefer grilling and they seem to do well when our grill reads around 350 - 400 degrees. You don't want low heat, you want fast high heat. You want to try to get them an even thickness to whatever degree possible - you can pound them, or I just cut the huge breasts down the middle like you were butterflying them (if you set them on "edge" and have a nice sharp knife, it is quite easy). A thermometer would probably help. I think I tend to over cook to be on the safer side. But I do remember hearing a professional chef say that he thought the number one cooking mistake people made was over cooking food!
Mary K
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Post by KikiPea on Mar 7, 2016 21:29:54 GMT
I don't have a smoker. Would it be worth it to get one? We love ours. It's a Traeger. We bought it at Costco. For 2-4 people, the middle size is big enough. We have smoked chicken breasts, burgers, turkey burgers, jalapeño poppers, pizzas...you can sample all kinds of things...including pies! If you think you would use it, I would say it's worth it. It replaced our gas grill completely.
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Post by AN on Mar 7, 2016 21:30:47 GMT
YES! I love chicken and love it even more since following this method. Brine + pull off about 10 degrees before the USDA "instantly safe" temperature. You definitely need an instant read thermometer if you aren't using one - 155 is the sweet spot IMO to pull them off. I'd even go as low as 150 if you're planning to reheat later (I make big batches). Get a good one that reads truly instantly. I've tried some that read a lot slower than ours and it is super annoying. www.thekitchn.com/weeknight-meal-tip-try-a-quick-95560Here's the thermometer we have - I feel fairly certain it was only $20-$25 when we got it, $50 seems high, so check the other highly reviewed ones. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002GE2XF8I also prefer grilling and they seem to do well when our grill reads around 350 - 400 degrees. You don't want low heat, you want fast high heat. You want to try to get them an even thickness to whatever degree possible - you can pound them, or I just cut the huge breasts down the middle like you were butterflying them (if you set them on "edge" and have a nice sharp knife, it is quite easy). A thermometer would probably help. I think I tend to over cook to be on the safer side. But I do remember hearing a professional chef say that he thought the number one cooking mistake people made was over cooking food!
Mary K
It's so true. It completely changed how I cook. Chicken and pork chops are two of the most noticeable items (don't eat a lot of steaks), but even for making sure baked goods are done, egg casseroles etc are done, reheated food is warm in the middle (like breakfast burritos), etc - huge difference. It took some convincing to get DH not ot make it go over the "safe" temperature, but I found some info on how that is the temperature where it just has to be that for one second and it's instantly "safe." It can be at a lower temp longer (like 155) and be safe too.
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pridemom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,843
Jul 12, 2014 21:58:10 GMT
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Post by pridemom on Mar 7, 2016 21:35:11 GMT
I will make a large batch in my pressure cooker. Just season and use the chicken setting. Then I use it for salad, tacos, etc. It turns out nice and moist.
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Post by jbelle on Mar 7, 2016 21:35:39 GMT
Yes, the salt water method works but I haven't tried placing weight on them, can't wait to try that method.
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wasil
Full Member
 
Posts: 355
Location: Iowa
Aug 3, 2014 12:59:34 GMT
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Post by wasil on Mar 7, 2016 21:43:47 GMT
I never have success with chicken in the crockpot. It always turns out dry.
I usually marinade boneless breasts in Italian salad dressing before cooking on the grill. When I get the monster sized breasts from Sams I always cut them in half to make them thinner so they will cook evenly.
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Post by lurkingsince2001 on Mar 7, 2016 21:56:54 GMT
America's Test Kitchen has a recipe for breasts in a caper sauce. I won't eat the sauce, but the method they used for getting moist boneless, skinless breasts was altering for me. Seriously, try it. It seems like a lot of work at first but gets better with repetition. Basically you bake them at a low temp insuring the thinner parts don't dry out before the thicker parts cook through and pan-searing for a little color and flavor. If you can't find it, let me know and I'll post what I've got when I have more time later. Other than the crockpot, this is the only way I do breasts anymore.
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Post by elaine on Mar 7, 2016 22:03:29 GMT
I will make a large batch in my pressure cooker. Just season and use the chicken setting. Then I use it for salad, tacos, etc. It turns out nice and moist. My pressure cooker makes the moistest chicken!
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AllieC
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,129
Jul 4, 2014 6:57:02 GMT
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Post by AllieC on Mar 7, 2016 22:10:08 GMT
We cook them all the time and don't have trouble with drying out. We generally either pound them to make thinner or cut in half to get the same result.
I just cook mine in the pan with a little oil until they look just cooked. I cut into one to see if they are cooked through and take them off straight away. We also cook them on the barbecue which can be trickier but my dh seems to have gotten it down to perfection.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Mar 7, 2016 22:21:31 GMT
I let DH do it! Baked, fried or grilled, it always turns out good.  If we do meat in the crock pot, we cover it with chicken or beef broth to keep it moist.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 19:53:24 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 7, 2016 22:22:14 GMT
They don't need to be cooked for very long at all. Time how long you are cooking them and reduce the time by 1/3 and see how it goes.
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Post by leannec on Mar 7, 2016 22:22:50 GMT
I bake them in the oven at 350 degrees with some S&P and whatever herb I feel like for about 30 - 35 mins depending on the size ... they turn out fine Dh likes to cook them on the grill but he always does them at too high of a temp and they turn out dry ... I don't complain because I'm afraid of the grill
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Post by padresfan619 on Mar 7, 2016 22:30:29 GMT
A good way to gauge the doneness of your chicken breast is to touch your pinky finger to your thumb. Touch the muscle on your Palm just under your thumb, it should feel firm and it should spring back pretty quickly. You want that same feel to your chicken. Don't press too hard because you don't want the juices squeezing out. I usually test mine with a back of a spoon.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 19:53:24 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 7, 2016 22:31:11 GMT
I can't.
Or, at least I haven't been able to.
Do you make them in a crock pot? If so, how do you do it?
I'm not looking for chicken breasts that are covered in sauces or anything. Just plain, seasoned breasts.
thanks for any help or suggestions!
Mary K I finally can now that we have a George Foreman grill.
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Sue
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,266
Location: SE of Portland, Oregon
Jun 26, 2014 18:42:33 GMT
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Post by Sue on Mar 7, 2016 22:44:35 GMT
I've been marinating chicken breasts lately using McCormick's Grill Mates Garlic, Herb & Wine Marinade. it's a dry packet of seasonings that you mix with oil, water & a little balsamic vinegar. You let your chicken marinade for a couple of hours then place the breasts in a baking dish, pour all the marinade in the dish with the chicken, cover, and bake at 350 degrees for an hour or so depending on the thickness of the chicken. My chicken has always turned out very moist and so, so tasty. Love this stuff.
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Post by hop2 on Mar 7, 2016 22:49:20 GMT
Grill or oven. The crock pot dries them out.
The trick is to cook just until 180 deg F inside with a meat thermometer.
If I don't use the thermometer and I go over they start to get dry.
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Post by buddysmom on Mar 7, 2016 23:42:38 GMT
I've never done them in the crock pot because I thought they would be too dry.
I've used good old fashioned Shake and Bake for decades.
I shake them in the bag, put them in a preheated 400 degree toaster oven for 18 minutes and that's it--moist and tender.
Actually I was going to make that tonight but since our team didn't lose, we qualified for 1/2 price Papa John's pizzas so it will be pizza tonight and shake and bake tomorrow.
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TankTop
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Jun 28, 2014 1:52:46 GMT
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Post by TankTop on Mar 7, 2016 23:46:41 GMT
Just discovered this method....
Pound them or slice them so they are evenly thick. Soak in a salt and water brine for at least 30 minutes. Just a handful of salt in a bowl of warm water. Rinse and pat dry Bake at 425 degrees.
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