THE QUICK PANTRY
BONELESS, SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS
Whether grilled, glazed, breaded, sliced thin for stir-fries or casseroles, or used in soups, boneless, skinless chicken breasts are the busy cook’s ticket to a flavorful and speedy dinner, and cooked shredded chicken is the secret behind many fast meals, such as our Chinese Chicken Salad with Hoisin Vinaigrette, Rustic Chicken Tart with Spinach and Brie, and Easiest-Ever Chicken Pot Pie. Here you’ll find helpful tips for buying and prepping this supermarket staple.
IN THIS SECTION:
BUYING BONELESS, SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS
ENSURING EVENLY COOKED CHICKEN BREASTS
BUYING BONELESS, SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS
At the supermarket, the size of chicken breasts within the same package can vary. It doesn’t really matter if you are cutting the meat into pieces before cooking, but it does if you are cooking breasts whole, since you want them to cook through at a similar rate. If that is the case, try to pick a package with breasts of similar size, and pound them to an even thickness. To find the best chicken breasts, we recently tasted several brands, lightly salted and baked in a 300-degree oven, and found that, not surprisingly, processing can affect the texture of the meat. We learned that the amount of time the breast meat remained on the bone prior to deboning and packaging plays a large part in the tenderness of the meat. Our favorite brand was Bell & Evans Air-Chilled Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts—Bell & Evans waits six to 12 hours before separating the breast meat from the bone. Others debone right away, and we found their meat tougher. Tasters found Bell & Evans to be “mega-juicy and tender.”
ENSURING EVENLY COOKED CHICKEN BREASTS
We have all experienced unevenly cooked chicken breasts; the thinner end cooks through long before the thicker end. You can avoid this problem by simply pounding the chicken breasts before you start a recipe. After placing them on a cutting board, cover the chicken breasts with plastic wrap and then pound the thicker end gently (the bottom of a skillet works fine, too) until the thickness is uniform.
MAKING CHICKEN CUTLETS
Chicken cutlets cook quickly, which makes them perfect for speedy suppers like our Chicken Parmesan Roll-Ups. But prepackaged cutlets can be ragged, so we make our own from boneless, skinless chicken breasts. To do this, use one hand to hold the meat steady, then slice it in half horizontally with a chef’s knife. For thinner cutlets, pound them to the desired thickness. To make cutting the soft meat a little easier, freeze it until firm but not frozen, about 20 minutes.
EASY POACHED CHICKEN
Cooked shredded chicken is a big timesaver that helps turn many soups, stews, and casseroles into weeknight options. Plus, it’s a snap to cook and shred the chicken ahead of time, and it can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. For easy poached chicken, start by heating 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Pat 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper. Brown the chicken well on the first side, about 5 minutes, then flip it, add 1/2 cup water, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer gently until the chicken registers 160 degrees, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer it to a cutting board, let it cool slightly, and shred it into bite-size pieces. This yields about 3 cups chicken; the recipe can be halved or doubled.