50 Ways to Feed Your Muscles and Prepare Chicken Breasts
50 Ways to Feed Your Muscles and Prepare Chicken Breasts
The skinless chicken breast is one of the leanest, most protein-packed foods you can eat. It's also boring. Here's how to keep it delicious, meal after meal
Every family argues about what to eat for dinner. But the Shrader family of Bluebell, West Virginia, took dinner-table combat to a whole new level last summer when 49-year-old Jackie Lee and his son, Harley Lee, 24, whipped out .22-caliber pistols and exchanged fire after sparring over how to cook their meal.
What food could trigger a kitchen gun battle? The harmless, boneless, skinless—and often flavorless—chicken breast, that's what.
Sure, this omnipresent cut of poultry is the leanest source of protein this side of tofu or fish—a single serving offers 26 grams of protein for the price of 1 gram of saturated fat. But it's boring as hell. And it doesn't help that most people eat their annual average of 88 pounds one of two ways: soaked in Italian salad dressing or slathered in barbecue sauce.
In my mind, that's exactly how I hear the Shrader feud erupting. "Marinade!" one might have said. "No! Barbecue sauce," the other yelled. Back and forth it went until it came to blows, then bullets. (Harley Lee took a slug to the head, but managed to survive.)
That's why I came up with this lis—tnot one, not two, but 50 different ways to prepare a chicken breast. What good is eating healthy food if the boredom nearly kills you?
Stir-Frying
Basic techniqueCut the raw chicken into bite-sized pieces or thin strips. Cook them in a nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until browned. Then choose one of the stir-fry seasonings below, and add the ingredients in the order listed. Cook for 5 more minutes, stirring frequently.Tip: Sesame oil gives stir-fries their distinct flavor. Its nutritional profile is similar to that of olive oil (i.e., high in the unsaturated fats you want). But if you don't have sesame, use canola or peanut oil, since olive oil can burn at high temperatures.
1. 1 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce; 2 tsp sesame oil; 1/2 c green or red bell pepper, cut into strips; 1/4 medium onion, cut lengthwise into strips; 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2. 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce; 2 tsp sesame oil; 1/3 c matchstick carrots; 1/3 c chopped celery; 1 green onion, sliced; 2 Tbsp chopped, unsalted peanuts
5. 1 whisked egg; 1/2 c (or more) chopped broccoli; 1/4 medium onion, cut lengthwise into strips; 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes; 1 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
6. 1 whisked egg; 1/2 c snow peas; 1/2 c green or red bell pepper, cut into strips; 1/4 onion, cut lengthwise into strips; 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
Baking
Basic technique
Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake the chicken breast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until an internal roasting thermometer reaches 170°. Don't overcook it. Err on the side of tenderness. An overcooked, dried-out chicken breast won't give you salmonella, but you probably won't want to eat it in the first place. Bake the chicken with one of the sauces, rubs, crusts, or stuffings listed below.Tip: Quickly searing the breast in a hot skillet will help avoid dryness because it locks in the bird's juices.
Sauced
Watery ready-made sauces like salsa will bake fine—some of the liquid will boil away as the chicken bakes. But thicker sauces, like barbecue or ranch, need water or broth mixed in, otherwise you'll be left with a sticky, blackened char.Tip: Use a small baking dish to keep the meat covered with sauce.
Rub one of the following spice mixtures evenly over each chicken breast, then hit the chicken with a shot or two of cooking spray (not too much, though) to hold the rub in place and help form a light crust when cooking.
22. Tex-Mex style: 1/4 tsp each garlic powder, chili powder, black pepper, and oregano; pinch of salt
23. Southwestern: 1/4 tsp each black pepper, chili powder, red pepper flakes, cumin, and hot sauce
24. French: 1/4 tsp each dried basil, rosemary, and thyme; pinch of salt and pepper
Crusted
A whisked egg acts like glue, holding the crust to the meat. It also gives your poultry a small protein boost. Crack one open in a shallow bowl, whisk it, and dip the chicken in it. Tip: Put your crust ingredients in a shallow plate instead of a bowl—it'll be much easier to coat the breast evenly.
25. Nut crusted: Dip the chicken in the egg, then roll it in 1/3 c nuts of your choice, finely chopped. Spray lightly with cooking spray.
26. Parmesan crusted: Dip the chicken in the egg, then roll it in a mixture of 1 Tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese, 1 Tbsp Italian bread crumbs, and a pinch of black pepper.
27. "Like fried": Dip the chicken in the egg, then roll it in 1/2 c crushed cornflakes or bran flakes. Spray lightly with cooking spray.
Stuffed
Relax, this isn't hard. First, pound the heck out of the chicken breast with a meat tenderizer or the heel of your hand—you want it to be uniformly thin. (Just be careful not to tear it.) Then, arrange your ingredients on the breast, roll it up, and secure it with toothpicks or kitchen twine so it doesn't come undone while it's baking.
28. 1 slice Cheddar cheese, 2 slices deli ham, 1/4 tsp black pepper
Basic technique
Heat the grill, place a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat on the stove until it's hot, or power up the Foreman. Add the marinated chicken, cooking 3 to 5 minutes per side (6 to 8 total on the Foreman), or until an internal roasting thermometer reaches 170°F. The chicken doesn't stop cooking when you take it off the heat. If it's still hot, it's still cooking.
Marinades
Marinades need only about an hour or so to penetrate the meat. See below for a list of difference marinade options. Whether you're cooking one chicken breast at a time or four at once, just mix the marinade ingredients well in a resealable plastic bag, drop in the chicken, seal, shake, and refrigerate.Tip: If you're grilling, make a little extra marinade and reserve it in a separate bag or bowl. Brush it on the chicken during cooking to keep the meat moist.
Great info, this is exactly what I need to know. I have been eating a ton of tasteless chicken breast with sweet potato's. I will be honest in that I do not like to cook I always want it to fast and simple. Hopefully I will slow down and start cooking different meals that have flavor.
Nice....you can make 3-4 different marinades for some variety thru the week...I cook about 3 days worth at a time and by day 3....I'm burned out on whatever way I made it...and then in and out burger starts calling my name!!!
I use this on my chicken when I bulk cook. Saute in cocnut oil, then bake in the oven. Damn good eatin, and it still hasn't gotten boring for the last 2 years. I put this shit on everything.
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