Cooking juicy chicken breast
Chicken breast has almost no fat or collagen to keep it moist. Cook it well past 74°C (165°F) and the fibers tighten and squeeze out water. The gap between juicy and chalky is only a few degrees, so use an instant-read thermometer.
Salt ahead and rest after
Salt chicken breast at least 40 minutes ahead, or overnight uncovered in the fridge, so it holds more water as it cooks. Afterward, rest it 5 minutes so the juices stay in the meat instead of pooling on the board.
Test yourself
Questions from the interactive lesson, with the answer and the why.
A thick chicken breast has roasted 25 minutes at 200°C (400°F). How do you check that it's safe and still juicy?
Probe the thickest part for 74°C (165°F). Temperature is the reliable measure of both safety and doneness.
True or false: Pounding a thick chicken breast to an even thickness helps it cook evenly.
True. The thin end passes 74°C long before the thick end and dries out. Even thickness prevents that.
What went wrong? You roast a chicken breast until it reaches 85°C (185°F) inside. It comes out tough and dry.
It went far past 74°C (165°F). Past 74°C the fibers tighten and push out water. Pull the chicken on time.
Fill the blank: Chicken thighs stay moist past 74°C better than breast because they contain more ___.
Chicken thighs stay moist past 74°C better than breast because they contain more fat. Fat keeps meat moist at higher temperatures, and breast has almost none.
Why does a short salt-water brine help chicken breast stay moist?
Salt loosens proteins so they hold more water. Loosened proteins trap water, so less runs out during cooking.
