Today I’m sharing my fool-proof method for cooking boneless, skinless chicken breasts that turn out perfectly every time! The best part? It’s super simple.
First, I’ve got recent eats so let’s get started!
Breakfast
Smoooothies! (Who’s surprised?) I cannot get enough of the peanut butter and jelly combo.
Lunch
I had a major egg craving on Monday. This was sourdough toast, mayo, avocado and a perfect egg (I’m a big fan of mastering “perfect” cooking methods over here!). Farmers market peaches and tomatoes on the side.
The best salad I have made in months. (On my new countertops…pretty!) Super greens mix with cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado, carrots, dried cranberries, almonds, feta and figs. Dressed with a Vidalia onion honey mustard that I got from a local farm stand. A little Bon Appetit reading on the side. I try to take a break from the computer during lunch and read instead.
Dinner
Despite the chaos in the kitchen, I just had to get back in it and prepare myself some meals this week. This chicken breast was from the farmers market. I seasoned it with a spice rub and then served it with roasted cauliflower and shredded brussels sprouts.
And the following night I had another spice rubbed chicken breast with a sweet potato and roasted okra.
So let’s talk about cooking boneless, skinless chicken breasts. There’s two ways to do it. 1) Pound them thin and cook them for 3-4 minutes per side in a skillet. 2) Leave them as is and sear them in a skillet and let them finish cooking in the oven.
What does NOT work is leaving them regular size and flipping them a million times in the skillet. This always results in an overdone outside and an undercooked inside. I season my chicken generously and then heat some olive oil in an ovenproof skillet (I prefer stainless steel or cast iron) on the stovetop. I sear the chicken breast on both sides (about 2-3 minutes per side) and then transfer the skillet to the oven to finish cooking.
It really doesn’t matter what temperature your oven is. Anything from 325-450 will work, the important part is using one of these.
If you do not own a Thermapen you are missing out. These things are an invaluable resource in the kitchen and they’re a foolproof way to cook meat to the right temperature so that you don’t end up with overcooked or undercooked meat. I have had one for over 10 years now. It has made me a better cook!
So back to the chicken, you want to pull it out of the oven when it reaches 160 degrees and then LEAVE IT ALONE for at least 5 minutes to let the juices redistribute. You can either serve the breast whole or slice it. If you can’t tell, I love to slice for presentation and ease of eating.
Let me know if you have questions and give it a try!
Etc.
I’ll leave you with this. Another thing I highly recommend that you try…sliced bananas with freshly ground almond butter, chocolate chips and toffee bits.
What’s your favorite way to prepare boneless, skinless chicken breasts?
