Buzz
Chicken breasts are the most popular cut at the grocery store, so you'd think they'd be easy to cook. However, the reality is that preparing them can be unexpectedly difficult. Here are some helpful tips to cook them faster and more evenly.
Chicken breasts naturally have an uneven shape, a characteristic that's become more pronounced as their size has increased over time. This unevenness makes it difficult to ensure the thickest part is cooked through without drying out the thinner end of the breast.
Luckily, Christine Gallary, The Kitchn's food and cooking editor, shares three foolproof methods to speed up cooking while ensuring the thinner parts of the chicken breast don't overcook. Her first tip is to remove the bone, followed by flattening the meat for an even thickness. The third, and our personal favorite, is the easiest trick of all: cover the pan while cooking the chicken. She explains:
Even if you've already browned the chicken, covering the pan or grill during cooking is essential. This creates a heat-retaining environment around the chicken breast, ensuring it's cooked evenly all over—not just where it touches the pan or grill. Plus, you'll save energy!
If you haven't tried this yet, give it a shot the next time you're preparing chicken for dinner and let us know how much time you saved. For more helpful tips on speeding up chicken cooking, including the best technique for flattening it to an even thickness, visit The Kitchn.
Photo by Hungry Dudes.
