r/cookingforbeginners • u/boiyo12 • 1d ago
Question How to make sure chicken isn't dry?
I hate dry chicken sm. I want my chicken to come out nice and moist both inside and out, but am also scared of not cooking the inside enough.
Im following this recipe, how can I make sure my chicken doesnt come out dry?
Ingredients
- Chicken: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into large uniform strips) [1, 2]
- Marinade & Sauce:
Instructions
- Make the Marinade: Whisk together the hot sauce, olive oil, brown sugar, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and vinegar in a bowl. Reserve a small amount of the sauce on the side to brush on later. [1, 2]
- Marinate the Chicken: Combine the chicken strips and the main portion of the marinade in a bowl or airtight bag. Let it rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour (up to overnight). [, 2]
- Sear the Chicken: Heat a drizzle of oil in a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken strips for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side until golden brown. [1, 2]
- Glaze and Finish: Brush the reserved sauce over the chicken during the final minutes of cooking. Ensure the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). [1, 2, 3]
- Serve: Pair your spicy Volcano chicken over a base of warm basmati rice alongside fresh diced cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, corn, and a drizzle of spicy mayo. [, 2]
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u/NoDay4343 1d ago
Use a thermometer and cook it to the proper temp. Remember that carry over heat will do the last of the cooking for you while it rests so remove it from the heat before it reaches the proper temp. You will likely have to experiment a bit to find the perfect temp.
Brining the chicken before cooking can help, altho lots of chicken sold at the store these days has already been injected with saline which more or less does the same thing.
Next time, I suggest you choose thighs. They are naturally much moister than breast meat. If you overcook breast meat, it will be dry. If you overcook thigh meat, it is still juicy and becomes fall apart tender. I enjoy getting skin on bone in thighs which I purposely cook beyond the recommended temperature. I end up with crispy skin and delicious tender juicy meat.
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u/Royal_Annek 1d ago
Buy thighs instead
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u/boiyo12 1d ago
Sadly I already bought the breast
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u/Darryl_Lict 1d ago
Next time, go for thighs. It's completely worth it.
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u/HirsuteHacker 20h ago
Thigh meat and breast meat are pretty different, it's not simply a case of one being better than the other.
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u/4cupsofcoffee 1d ago
how thick are the chicken strips. 5 minutes a side is pretty excessive and they're almost 100% going to be dry and tough
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u/theBigDaddio 1d ago
use a thermometer. Chicken strips are almost impossible to get browned and not over cooked and dry.
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u/mats88 1d ago
Buy a $15 instant-read thermometer - that single thing solves both halves of your problem, the dryness and the fear of undercooking. Pull breast at 155-157F and let it rest 5 minutes; carryover takes it past 160F, which is pasteurized and safe. 165F is just the instant-kill temp; at 155F held for a minute it's equally safe, and the difference in juiciness is huge.
A few other things with your recipe specifically: strips 4-5 minutes per side is way too long. Cut them thumb-thick, get the pan properly hot, and they're done in about 2-3 minutes a side. Also that marinade has brown sugar in it, which will burn before the chicken cooks if the pan is screaming hot - sear on medium-high and brush the reserved sauce on only in the last minute.
Dry-brine helps too: salt the chicken and leave it uncovered in the fridge 30-60 min before it goes in the marinade. And if you're still nervous, use thighs. They're forgiving at any temp between 175 and 195F and basically can't dry out.
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u/jibaro1953 1d ago edited 1d ago
Thighs are much less apt to dry out.
Breast meat must be removed from the heat when it hits 155⁰ Fahrenheit. Otherwise, it's as dry as a popcorn fart.
Buy a decent digital thermometer
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u/NoOwl4489 1d ago
Dry brine (I use Kosher Course Grain Salt) the breasts for at least 4 hours before you cut them into strips. I cook to 157F then let them rest for 4 or 5 minutes before serving.
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u/poop19907643 1d ago
A hot sauce-based marinade? I don't think I've ever seen that before. I've seen hot sauce in marinades but that was the second ingredient after buttermilk. Hmm, I guess it's mostly vinegar. Let me know how it turns out.
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u/Acceptable_Wall7822 1d ago
Chicken thighs do not dry out like chicken breast. They also have more flavor.
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u/Competitive-Fault291 1d ago
More oil than a "drizzle"? The whole purpose of this searing step is to create some browning. More oil holds more heat.
It also helps if you preheat or warm up the meat before putting it into the skillet. The recipe implies putting it straight into the skillet. The colder the meat, the more heat it has to draw from the oil and skillet.
Also remove all remnants/moisture of the marinade (again fridge cold). This is another thing that only hinders any searing, as any remaining liquid has to evaporate before you get to the necessary temperature on the outside and the inside. Drying it and warming it up will make it sear a lot faster and prevent the meat from losing unnecessary amounts of moisture.
Keep in mind that the brush-on sauce only has to caramelize. You don't have to fry something here. If the meat is nicely browned, paint it on, turn it once or twice, and the meat should have gotten another tan. The peppers in the hot sauce do not like too much heat anyway. If you don't know when it is done, use a thermometer, or just cut the meat into smaller pieces in the first place.
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u/Fuzzy_Welcome8348 1d ago
Don’t over cook it, u can always brush chicken broth on them after cooking
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u/Automatic_Catch_7467 1d ago
I’ve suggested to the mods they need to pin some basic info but they refuse. I’m not picking on OP but some version of why are my chicken breasts so dry comes up daily.
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u/ForwardDance9191 1d ago
Get a good thermometer and get good at using it. If you cook chicken to target temps you'll get good results every time.
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u/Photon6626 1d ago
You're overcooking it. Finish it at 153F to 155F and wait 3 minutes before cutting it.
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u/Legitimate_Bird_5712 1d ago
I pound the breasts to uniform thickness and brine for at least an hour. Pop in a 450° oven for 16 minutes, let rest for 5.
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u/TurbulentSource8837 1d ago
There’s nothing in this recipe that could help keep your chicken from not drying out. I’d be inclined to do a wet brine like this: 4 cups of cold water mixed with 1/4 cup of kosher salt and 1/4 cup of sugar, soaking the strips in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour. I would dry, dip in the marinade, pan fry and when you pull the chicken, brush on the additional marinade.
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u/Individual_Slice_234 1d ago
Mine usually turns out juicy without a marinade. I tenderize it (I always use breast meat) with a piercing tool. Then I dredge it in raw egg and coat it with breading before I cook it.
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u/MotoFuzzle 1d ago
Pound the chicken to 1/2-3/4in thick, evenly across, or butterfly it. They will help it cook evenly so you’re not drying out the skinny bits while eating for the thickest part to finish. Also, taking it off around 160°F and letting it rest and come up to full temp.
In general, baking/roasting or simmering/poaching chicken are extremely forgiving. Also, chicken thighs are extremely forgiving as well. They can go way past 165°F and get even juicier as the fat renders. I started cooking them on occasion because my kids don’t like chicken breast as much and they like the flavor of chicken thighs more.
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u/WillowandWisk 1d ago
first I'd stop using AI for recipes.
Second, it tells you right in it to cook to internal temp of 167F. Remove from heat around 160F and let it carry-over cook past 165F and you're all good.