Do you have bad experience in dealing with chicken breasts that they come out really dry and stiff from the oven? Well, you are at the right place! I am sharing great tips with you to achieve juicy and tender chicken. 🍗 Follow the following steps and you will see & taste the amazing result!
You can also check out my YouTube video here!
How to bake moist, juicy and tender chicken in an oven?
1. Brine your chicken for 15 minutes.
It is very important to brine your chicken, it make chicken moist and with a better texture when you bake them. Use about 1 litre of water with 1/4 cup of salt, mix quickly so the salt dissolves. It is better to use cool water, never use water that is very warm because it might accelerate the growth of bacteria. After 15 minutes, remove the chicken from the water, rinse quickly and dry completely with kitchen towel.
If you really want to know the science behind how brining make chicken more juicy and tender. Here is a good article to read:
Why Brining Keeps Turkey and Other Meat So Moist
2. Brush with butter.
Chicken breast is very lean, like turkey. Therefore, it is very important to coat well with oil. I like to use butter because it not only gives a better flavor, it also gives a light golden color in the cooking. Make sure BOTH sides of chicken are well coated with butter and season with salt and pepper. While they are cooking in the oven, it is always good to bring them out half way through and quick brush with butter again before sending them back in the oven.
3. Rest
I understand the temptation to dig into the chicken breast when it came out of the oven. Please wait! Let the chicken rest a little bit. Well, because it’s hot it can burn your mouth, and also the temperature inside the chicken breast is still rising. Cover with aluminium foil and let the chicken sit and soak up the flavor and juice for 5 minutes. It also ensures chicken is well cook in the middle. If you have a cooking thermometer, insert to the thickest part of the chicken. It should be at least 160F/ 71C if it well cooked.
Here is a list of – Safe Minimum Cooking Temperatures
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 20 minutes |
| Servings |
|
- 4 chicken breast skinless & boneless
- 1 potato diced
- 6 clove garlic
- 3 tbsp butter melted
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme
- salt & pepper
- 1/2 lemon sliced
- pinch fresh thyme
Ingredients
Garnish
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|
- In a large bowl, combine 1L of water and 1/4 cup of salt. Let chicken breasts rest in the water for 15 minutes.
- In small bowl, add melted butter, lemon juice, garlic, and fresh thyme. Give it a mix and set aside.
- Rinse the chicken breasts and dry well with kitchen towel.
- Pour the butter mixture in a baking dish, and line the chicken breasts in the baking dish. Make sure to brush the top of the chicken breast with butter, too.
- Season both sides of the chicken breast with salt and pepper.
- Add diced potatoes (potatoes should be diced into small sizes), and lemon slices in the baking dish.
- Bake the chicken breasts at 220C/ 425F for 20 minutes. (Turn the chicken breasts half way through and brush the top with butter. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes.)
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
