Reuben Chicken - Mouthwatering Chicken Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What makes chicken more juicy? ›

Brines and marinades help tenderize the meat by bringing more moisture in the protein. With that extra moisture, you lose less when you cook. The simplest way to do this is with a dry brine — unwrap the chicken breasts, salt them on both sides and let them sit in the fridge for at least an hour.

Make sure your chicken breast is well-seasoned before adding it to the pan. Cook each side evenly until brown. Once done, bake the chicken breast in a pre-heated oven until juices run clear. The crispy skin from the sear will help keep juices intact while baking cooks the insides through without drying them out.

Marinating is good for flavouring and tenderising your chicken at the same time. It's best to marinate your chicken overnight to give the flavours plenty of time to infuse. A faster way to add flavour is to simply brine your chicken in salty water prior to cooking.

The process of soaking the meat in salted water causes the chicken to absorb some of the water through osmosis, making it moister when cooked. You can also work with dry brines, which lead to crispy skin and keep the natural moisture in the bird without the hassle of a wet brine.

Make the chicken thinner

Thinner breasts or cutlets are less likely to dry out, as they won't spend as much time in the pan. A simple option is to pound the chicken until it is 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, using a meat mallet/pounder, heavy skillet or even a hammer. This is best done between parchment paper or plastic wrap.

Aside from classics like salt, pepper, basil and garlic, you could try using chilli powder, ginger, cumin, cayenne, paprika, oregano, sage, rosemary and thyme.

Brining is the process whereby chicken (or other meat) is submerged in a salty liquid (“brine”) and left to marinate to add flavour, tenderise AND add moisture so the chicken stays juicier when roasted.

Use a brine

Brining your chicken is a foolproof way to not only add flavour to your roast but also to ensure you don't overcook the meat. Essentially a mix of salt, sugar and water, we love adding herbs, garlic or whole spices such as fennel and cumin to flavour the brine.

Why is my chicken not tasty? ›

To taste good, chicken must be cooked on the bone yet so much of what is sold is cooked in the form of filleted thighs and breast which is just tasteless, dry and awful. Chicken is tastier than turkey, I guess. Both need some flavoring additives to make them tastier than if nothing is added.

The Role of Temperature and Cooking Time

The key to cooking chicken without drying it out is finding the sweet spot between temperature and cooking time. When you cook chicken at a high temperature, the muscle fibers of the chicken contract rapidly, causing moisture loss.

Mix together salt, paprika, onion powder, thyme, white pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder in a small bowl; set aside. Remove and discard giblets from chicken. Rinse chicken cavity; pat dry with paper towels. Rub each chicken inside and out with spice mixture.

Convection cooking will get you there much more gently and safely, and make it much easier to get the meat juicy and tender. So, sear in the pan and finish in the oven; or char on the grill on high, then drop the heat to low and close the lid to let it finish cooking through.

The Role of Temperature and Cooking Time

When you cook chicken at a high temperature, the muscle fibers of the chicken contract rapidly, causing moisture loss. However, if you cook your chicken too low and slow, the fibers will break down, resulting in a mushy, dry texture.