Chicken Breasts?

[Bushmaster]

I've got a George Foreman grill but how in the hell do you cook chicken breasts without drying them out? I'm paranoid about undercooked chicken so maybe I'm just cooking them too long...?

Also, what are some ways you can spice them up so eating them won't get so... boring. I've used Lemon Pepper but even that is getting old..

[Chipman]

I learned to just stay there with them and I have noticed that the cooking times they give is usually a few minutes high..So if it says it takes 9 minutes it'll be done at 7.

One other trick there is a timer on my oven so I set it for about 5 minutes which gives me that time to do other things before I start watching them.

Marinading helps also and I never cook breasts that have bones in them cause the bones keep the grill from laying on the meat which means uneven cooking.

I use the KC masterpiece marinades and am now addicted to the Carribean Jerk sauce. It is pretty close to the jerked chicken I payed big bucks for at a restaurant.

One more thing you can google marinades and make some that are almost no-cal.

[sawastea]

That's one of the flaws that I've found using he Foreman. What I like to do is put tin foil inside the Foreman and then put the bird inside. It'll cook slower, but it'll keep the Foreman clean and it tends to be a bit/slightly juicier.

[Chipman]

That's one of the flaws that I've found using he Foreman. What I like to do is put tin foil inside the Foreman and then put the bird inside. It'll cook slower, but it'll keep the Foreman clean and it tends to be a bit/slightly juicier.

That's a good idea on the foil even though my grills are removable and dishwassher safe it still takes some scrubbing to get em clean...

Reps to you when I reload..

[mentho81]

some chicken breasts are "infused" to make them juicier, I've noticed these don't dry out as fast on the foreman grill. Also, I love to put a little bit of salsa on top of my chicken. Tastes great and is low in calories.

[johnnyironboard]

I've got a George Foreman grill but how in the hell do you cook chicken breasts without drying them out? I'm paranoid about undercooked chicken so maybe I'm just cooking them too long...?

Also, what are some ways you can spice them up so eating them won't get so... boring. I've used Lemon Pepper but even that is getting old..

Tony Chasceire's is the best for spice. Garlic and onion salt are good as well. You can undercook slightly if you let them rest for about a minute as the continue to cook even when off the grill. Unfortunately breast meat dries out- dark is better in that respect. Any more I just go to Sam's and buy and entire roasted chicken for $5.50- they are moist and close to perfect.

[hungrywolf]

I bake half a dozen at a time and put them in the fridge. Later I take them out, slice them up, nuke em', put them in a low cal-whole grain tortia w/low fat cheese + salsa and/or taco sauce. Haven't got tired of them yet...

[Chipman]

I bake half a dozen at a time and put them in the fridge. Later I take them out, slice them up, nuke em', put them in a low cal-whole grain tortia w/low fat cheese + salsa and/or taco sauce. Haven't got tired of them yet...

Try the KC master piece Fajita Marinade..I do the same thing that you do only I put about 2 tablespoons of the marinnade on the cut up chicken just before I nuke it. Man it tastes like a real Fajita..

[ripped_holla]

Just stroll down the seasoning aisle and pick up a bunch of stuff - but try to shoot for the 'salt-free', they taste better and you can heap them on without your chicken becoming really salty.

I first thaw out my chicken breasts in some cold water for an hour or two (obviously only if they're frozen). Then turn the Foreman on to 360, let it warm up, season the chicken, and throw it on. After about 4-5 minutes the outside looks pretty done but the inside won't quite be. So I cut it in half with a knife and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes until it's the right tenderness and cooked all the way through. There you have it.

[iceman338]

Here's an idea: Don't use the foreman! 8-P

I have a really nice Calphelon non-stick grilling pan, and it works just like a grill, but with a lot easier clean up and better cooking.

THe key is to not overcook it, as you said, being paranoid about undercooking usually leads people to overcook. Mare sure you DON'T pierce the outter layer of the breast after you start cooking it..all the juice will come out....

Here's what i put on my chicken breast when i just grill it:

Lots of paprika, lots of large ground pepper, some cayenne and garlic powder, a little basil, tumeric, and coriander....mix all that stuff (and i mean lots of it) into a rub, then just rub all over your breasts (haha.........the CHICKEN breasts.....), or just puthe ingredients in a tupperware container with the breasts, add a little olive oil, and shake it all around....then put them on a HOT grill, make sure hte grill is hot before so that it should sizzle loudly when you put it on...then make sure not to move the grill/chicken until it's either done or ready to be flipped....

I do this, and my chicken breast is always juicy like a steak, it doesn't flake at all...

Also, if you get a dry breast once ina while, try doing something else with it, like cut it up in a salad or stir fry or somethng where you won't notice ther dryness...

Hope that helps!

[slecompte]

I put raw onion on top of them to grill the onions I find keep them from getting too dry
Or try jalapenos they work just as good

[Gaz1690]

If you Butterfly them, you can then flash grill them on the Foreman and they will be done in seconds...should hold a little more moisture but chicken tends to be dry grilled no matter what...

[iceman338]

but chicken tends to be dry grilled no matter what...

That's just not true....you need to know how to cook them properly...read my post above....

[hungrywolf]

Try the KC master piece Fajita Marinade..I do the same thing that you do only I put about 2 tablespoons of the marinnade on the cut up chicken just before I nuke it. Man it tastes like a real Fajita..

Sounds good... Will try that. Thanks.

[DAVO17]

I would say almost all chicken breast is done at around 7 minutes, assuming its not frozen in the middle. I cut the thickest breast open at 7, if its done, they are all done. Dont poke or pierce each breast, this drains much of the juices.
I cook 6 breasts at a time, and put em straight into a tuperwear in the freezer for 20 minutes, cool em before putting em in the fridge. Over the next few days, I simply heat em in the microwave. If they arent peirced, they stay quite moist.
BTW, I go to trader joes, and use the "rotisserie" spice blend, the "lemon pepper" blend, and sometimes just good old salt and pepper. This keeps it more interesting day by day. Oh yeah, try a little thai penut sauce with the breast, over a little rice with salad, now THATS good.

[Bushmaster]

Great ideas - thanks everybody!!

[Bugsy]

I hate going through the trouble with marinating and all that since I get home late anyways. So what I do is just defrost a breast and throw it in the grill. Then after it's done, I take it off the grill and I put bbq sauce on it while it's still super hot. It tastes just like it was bbq'd. So obviously, I use all different kinds of bbq sauces to mix it up. I like spicy honey ones the best.

As for cleaning, the trick is to clean it asap after you take the chicken off while the grill is still super hot. It wipes clean with just one swipe of a napkin.

Bugsy

[ripped_holla]

I hate going through the trouble with marinating and all that since I get home late anyways. So what I do is just defrost a breast and throw it in the grill. Then after it's done, I take it off the grill and I put bbq sauce on it while it's still super hot. It tastes just like it was bbq'd. So obviously, I use all different kinds of bbq sauces to mix it up. I like spicy honey ones the best.

As for cleaning, the trick is to clean it asap after you take the chicken off while the grill is still super hot. It wipes clean with just one swipe of a napkin.

Bugsy

BEST way to clean like you said...right after cooking. It takes 15 seconds to do right after it comes off the grill. My roommates let the damn chill sit there and rot after they're done and then bitch about it being hard to clean...arggh. Quit being lazy and wipe it right after you're done!

[D1rtyJerze16]

Bump for Iceman's comment. Since I have started to use a pan my forman hasn't seen any chicken. Get some Mrs. Dash no sodium marinade. Put the chicken in the pan and cook it in there. Keeps the flavor and the moistness. By far the best trick I have learned. Well, aside from mixing oatmeal with water and drinking it instead of eating it when I just need carbs.

[PoopEater]

I prefer to bake my chicken than grill it. Put in some chili pepper, fresh lemon, garlic, etc with a breast onto a piece of foil. Fold it up and pierce some holes in the bottom with a fork. Put it in an oven and bake for ~35min @ ~375 degrees. It is always really juicy and really delicious when I cook it this way.

I'm never afraid to undercook chicken. Getting a little salmonella is something that I feel is worth the risk when my reward is juicy, tasty chicken.

[specialkay]

I've got a George Foreman grill but how in the hell do you cook chicken breasts without drying them out? I'm paranoid about undercooked chicken so maybe I'm just cooking them too long...?

Also, what are some ways you can spice them up so eating them won't get so... boring. I've used Lemon Pepper but even that is getting old..

I just discovered that I can put a chicken breast (filleted) on a small baking stone (kitchen stores) with spices in the microwave on high for 4.5 minutes and I get a very juicy "cooked" chicken breast. Another way I like to cook chicken is to cut the breast into 1/3's marinate with olive oil, balsamic vinigar overnight in the refrigerate over night and bake in the oven on a pan that will hold the juices for 30mins. I usually cook about 5-6 at a time then keep them in the fridge for throughout the week. Try gourmet mustard on them as well...yum!

[grapemaster]

was just about to post something similar, before cooking them put some holes in them with a needle or meat tenderizer and let them marinate in an olive oil mixture, the olive oil will penetrate the meat and keep your chicken rather juicy no matter how you cook them (broiling like that will make them fall apart)
I always grill them after an olive oil based marinade and they are juicy as hell, you can also sear them first to keep the juices in no matter how you cook them, I have a cast iron plate on my grill and just sear them on both sides for like 3 seconds (Very hot plate) and that will keep juices locked in if you use a marinade or not, if they are coming out dry, your not cooking them properly, same goes for any meat.

Baking will an aluminum foil "trap" to hold moisture in will produce the juiciest chicken.

[Lion Heart]

Don't overdue your marinades or sauces. Remember most have high fructose corn syrup added which is a very evil ingredient. You are always best making your own.

[hb315]

I do the same thing but is it really a big deal if you overcook it? I mean its not like it loses any protein or anything, just might not taste as good,right?

[Fidelis]

I do the same thing but is it really a big deal if you overcook it? I mean its not like it loses any protein or anything, just might not taste as good,right?

It will be dry and chewy, and just a general pain in the ass to eat. I eat very slow, and dry chicken takes so long to eat.

[collegelifter85]

foreman is tough cause it usually does dry the chicken out but the tin foil idea sounded great. I would go w/ balsamic vinagrette(sp?) and some broccoli maybe even some fresh mozzarella. Also, if you are scared about over/under cooking, when you think it is getting close just cut the chicken open and see if there is any pink inside.

[hb315]

But other than it tasting like **** nothin is wrong with eating it dry or overcooking it right?

[frostynostrils]

I just take a whole package of chicken breasts and put them in a casserole dish. I put vinagrette (natural, no HFCS) on it and tin foil on top. At 350 it takes about 25 minutes, but makes incredibly tender chicken. I cut it into strips and put them in a big ziploc bag to have good snacking finger food that can easily brought to class or work too.
Sorry if this is too much like the rest of the posts.

[Bob2]

Dam I bake my in a convection microwave for about 25 minutes and wen you take them out crap the stuff just runs out of it so if you want juice then there you go. And I find cajun seasoning on the breast is tasty as well as a bit of chilli sauce for a bit of flavour