OVEN ROASTING
CHICKEN BREAST
1. Defrosting. If
you’re using frozen chicken, it’s best to defrost it first. If you’re really on
top of it, you can defrost it a few days ahead of time in the refrigerator. I
can guarantee you 100% that I am never that on top of things. This leaves the
microwave defrost setting or placing it in a Ziploc bag in cool water, changing
the water regularly. I prefer the cool water method because I almost always end
up accidentally cooking at least part of the chicken in the microwave and
unseasoned, microwaved chicken is not good.
2. Rinse the chicken breast in cool water.
Especially if you’re buying it non-frozen. Especially if it’s non-frozen with
skin and bones. Even if your chicken is well before its expiration date, those
liquids it’s sitting in don’t smell good and if you don’t rinse the liquid off,
it will affect the flavor of your chicken after it’s been cooked.
3. Pat the chicken
dry. Unless you’re poaching the chicken, it’s not a bad idea to dry it off,
even if it’s going straight into a marinade. Just grab a few paper towels and
blot the water off the chicken.
4. Marinating. If
you’re after a particular flavor, marinating is a great way to go. However, if
you’re after a more neutral flavor for something like chicken salad or a
casserole, rub the chicken with a little extra-virgin olive olive oil and
sprinkle with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. If you want to meet
somewhere in the middle, you could go the salt-based seasoning route from the
Fauxtisserie Chicken method again–just sprinkle it on there.I almost always
marinate chicken breasts because it’s a great, cheap way to get some flavor
into the chicken. You can use anything that has a little bit of acid (not the
drug…we’re not that kind of blog…) in it–your favorite salad dressing, lemon,
lime, orange juice, etc. One of my favorites is just juice from a few limes, a
splash of red wine vinegar, and a few cloves of garlic. It works great on fish,
too, but that’s another post.
Generally, you want to marinate chicken in the fridge for
4-8 hours or overnight. If you go for longer than 24 hours, things might start
getting a little weird.
5. Oven Roasting.
Preheat oven to 350. If you’re using
boneless skinless chicken breasts it will take less time. Depending on the size, about 20-30
minutes. Again, the juices running clear
and the internal temperature are the best ways to be sure!
Whether you use boneless or bone-in chicken, remove from
oven and allow to stand about 5 minutes before serving. This keeps the meat
juicy and flavorful (and hey, not burning yourself is a positive side
benefit). You can just toss the skin
from the bone-in chicken.
