Hello friends! Interested in talking about chicken? I sure hope so because today’s post is all about chicken and how I like to cook it.
Chicken is not my favorite type of meat protein on Earth. I would rather eat a cheeseburger, or a steak, or the chicken salad from Palmers Deli in Des Moines Iowa, but maybe that’s because it’s covered in mayonnaise? Or maybe because it’s cooked right? I think it’s a little bit of both.
Truth is – chicken is healthier than red meat and it simply has to be cooked right or else it’s bad. Like really bad.
We eat quite a bit of chicken in our house, mostly in salads. Sometimes I will make a dinner out of it like Honey Mustard Chicken or Chicken Piccata. I try to keep things healthy during the week, and well, chicken is healthy. It’s a great foundation for a flavorful, satisfying, and healthy meal.
But first things first. Let’s learn how to cook it. This is my go-to way of cooking chicken for salads, pastas, wraps, etc.
Step 1: Buy good chicken.
Step 2: Cut off any fat, rinse under water, and pat dry with a towel.
Step 3: Chicken breasts are usually pretty thick. I cut mine in half so I get two pieces of chicken out of each breast. It’s difficult to cook a thick chicken breast evenly without overcooking and it becoming dry. I also find that one chicken breast is a lot of meat. You can probably get two servings from one chicken breast, especially if you’re making a meal with side dishes.
Use a sharp knife to cut the chicken breast in half. I am right-handed so I placed my left hand flat on top of the chicken breast and slightly press down. With my right hand I slice through the chicken. Again, a sharp knife is key – it will do all the work.
Step 4: Season. I always season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Have you ever had chicken that is not seasoned? Pretty plain…and gross.
Step 5: Drizzle olive oil in a saute pan and place over medium-high heat. You want the pan to be hot. Not too hot though – we don’t want it to smoke!
Step 6: Start cooking! The chicken breast should sizzle when you place it in the pan. This is good! You will get a nice charred crust on the outside and it will stay juicy on the inside. Let is cook for about 3 minutes and then turn it just once to cook on the other side for another 3 minutes. Cooking time all depends on the thickness of the chicken breast.
Step 7: The oil will splatter so you may want to invest in one of these. Can you tell I use it a lot?
Step 8: Flip! Nice and golden. That one on the right is a little thick – I should have cut it in half again. The one on the left is perfect.
Step 9: Admire your cute puppy.
Step 10: Place cooked chicken on a cutting board and let it REST. Just like red meat, chicken needs to rest before cutting into it otherwise all the juices will run out and it will be dry. Not the goods. I let it rest for about 10 minutes. You can lightly cover it with tin foil to keep it warm.
Step 11: Slice and enjoy!
Don’t forget to pin this recipe to your Pinterest board by clicking the image below!
Kayleen
What is the inside temperature when you take it off after only cooking it for 6 mins total?
Jessica Erin
I’m not sure. Haven’t tested it.
Mohit Kumar
Thanks a lot for the recipe.
Going to make this in the upcoming days.
Jane
I can’t cook, the chicken was dry and tough 😩
Jessica Erin
sorry to hear this! Try again! It takes a little practice to know when it’s done. 🙂
Penny Dawson
I cook my chicken like this too. Would like to know where you got your aluminum splatter guard. Nice!
Jessica Erin
Great! my splatter guard was actually a gift but amazon has them and so does Bed Bath and Beyond!
Natalie
This was amazing chicken. Coming from someone who is not a good cook this was so simple and easy to follow. My kids even complemented on the smell as it was cooking and gobbled it all up with their stir fried vegetables I made. Was super moist and delicious. Thank you! I’m glad Pinterest lead me to your site.
Jessica Erin
Welcome! So glad you’re here! I love making chicken like this – the trick is to cut in half…cooks up much nicer. Glad you and your kiddos liked it!
vivi
This looks soo good! At what temperature did you cook the chicken?
Jessica Erin
Thank you! At a medium to medium high heat.
Libby
Great, easy recipe! Love the results! Just FYI- it’s no longer recommended to rinse chicken. Cooking the chicken kills anything that might be on it. Plus, rinsing chicken contaminates your sink and anything around in/around it. Just FYI I learned this recently from USDA.
Joyce
I will never cook chicken any other way. Delicious!!
Jessica Erin
Thank you Joyce!
Liz
Thank you. Izzy is just too cute.
juliajolliff
I love chicken is salads and sometimes struggle to get a juicy chicken breast without it drying out. Great step by step instructions.
Jessica Erin
ditto! thanks Julia!
Paula - bell'alimento
Every time I do this I say to myself I should really get splatter screen. Heading over to amazon now before I forget yet again ; )
Jessica Erin
Best kitchen tool ever. VERY good for bacon too.
Rebecca {foodie with family}
Looks like you absolutely nailed the right temperature on that! YUM!
Jessica Erin
Thanks Rebecca!It’s key to getting a good sear!
Christie - Food Done Light
Very nice tutorial. The step by step instructions were excellent.
Jessica Erin
Thanks Christie!
Nancy P.@thebittersideofsweet
They look juicy and tender! Perfect!
Jessica Erin
It’s darn good!!