The MOST important thing with chicken breast is don’t over cook it! I like to salt and pepper boneless chicken breast, rub with olive oil, and cook either in a cast iron pan or on the grill until JUST done. I use a Thermo pen and pull a few degrees under. It will finish cooking as it rests. After it cools, I slice into the sizes needed.

If I'm making chicken breasts to use that way, I like to steam poach or steam roast them. I use a combi-steam oven, but you can do it with a steamer insert on the stovetop or in the oven, or just put some 360water in the bottom of a broiler pan, and the chicken on the grid. You can use stock/broth, wine or beer for flavor, but it's not necessary. You can also put some sprigs of fresh herbs on top of the chicken, brush on a sauce, sprinkle with ground spices and/or dried herbs, etc. The exact temperature and time depend on your appliances and the size and thickness of the chicken. As Sherry said, don't over cook it and do use a good thermometer if you're unsure.

Cacciatore is a good way to cook chicken breast and keep it moist because it includes a lot of vegetables. This recipe uses chicken thighs (as do I), but you can use breasts instead, and I sometimes do that.

We frequently grill boneless/skinless breasts that have been marinated. Takes about 10-12 minutes total (turning halfway through). Size/thickness can change the cooking time. This is how I cook them most often when using in salads.

For your purposes, you might try roasting bone-in/skin-on breasts. It's easier not to overcook them and keep them moist. Just rub with olive oil, salt, pepper, and any other seasonings that suit you. Roast at 350 for about 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Let them cool a bit, then remove the skin and pull off the meat.

Not sure this would help, but you can't beat rotisserie chickens from Costco and Sam's Club. I've used them over and over when I need chicken meat for various dishes like pot pie or enchiladas. They're moist, tasty, convenient and a total bargain at $5.

We really like the frozen boneless skinless breasts from Costco. Kirkland brand. They always stay moist. But they may be brined, which doesn’t bother me, but some don’t like that. I usually just season and ready ast them at 375* for about 20 minutes if they’re thawed first

Have tried to post a response here a few times but nothing will post. Just posting this to see if it takes.

Here is my favorite way to cook just the breast, from my old Martha Stewart Quick Cook cookbook. It's actually part of a recipe for chicken salad, and it always results in moist & tender meat. I buy the Trader Joe's Grill Pack which has 2 skin-on, bone-in breasts & 4 drumsticks, & I freeze the drumsticks for later use.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Lightly butter a baking dish w/ a well fitted lid (I use a covered Pyrex casserole) and place the breast(s) in it, skin side down. Sprinkle with lemon or lime juice and season with salt & pepper (I sometimes add a little coriander, or substitute Old Bay Seasoning for the salt & pepper), turn over and do the same to the skin side. Cover and bake for between 40-45 minutes - less time is breasts are small - maybe 35-40 minutes.

Let cool covered, then use as desired. I like to use the meat in chef's salads.

You can also try other spices/herbs. When I used the Old Bay seasoning, the breasts were really good just as they were and made a delicious entree.

I use about 1/2 lemon or lime.

If you leave the skin on the breast while you cook it, the meat will be moister. I have never soaked poultry in salt water before cooking it, but that helps too. Over cooking is commonly what causes the meat to be dry.

Tennessee (TN here too!), I use a method for soups, chicken salads, pastas, etc., - my most recent way to cook a skinless chicken breast without it drying out (and I hate it when that happens!):

For 2 boneless breasts:

1. Pound fairly flat by placing inside a plastic bag and pounding with mallet or rolling pin (this helps break up connective tissue, tenderizing it).
2. Brine if possible: 1 Tbs salt/1 cup water or 4 Tbs salt/per quart water 15-30 min. outside fridge, up to 4 hours in fridge. Rinse and pat dry. Season.
3. Heat large skillet on med-high until hot, add 1 Tbsp. olive oil and swirl to coat pan. Turn heat to “4” and add salted breasts, allowing to cook 1 minute (not brown, just white).
4. Turn breasts over, turn heat to low and immediately cover with lid. Set timer for 10 minutes and leave. Do not lift lid.
5. After 10 minutes (above) remove skillet from heat, leaving lid on and not removing. Allow to sit another 10 minutes covered.
6. Remove lid, check for doneness. Remove to platter to cool.

If you wish to cook more, repeat as needed. I find overcrowding a pan creates issues.

If you had sous vide, you would not need to brine or pound. I'm assuming you don't. I sous vide boneless chicken breasts now.

For some reason, when I pound the chicken flat, we never eat as much as it seems like so much more, though it's not : )

I have another poaching recipe, but can't find it. This one is a tried and true for me.

Basic food chemistry and physics: hi temperature + any meat = leather.

1. For chicken, first look into food safety recommendations for minimum safe temperature for chicken, you may read that at that temperature, even very safe, you will still get pink meat and some thin blood near the bones.

2. Have you eaten "White Cut Chicken" at a Chinese restaurant? It is basically century-old recipe for poached chicken with minimum seasoning. It is a very popular dish. Very tender juicy and delicious chicken. Go to youtube and check out the method for making it. But be careful, 95% of those videos do it wrong.

But if you have a sous vide cooker, you can be 100% sure of no dry tough chicken meat, even if you are a first time cook.

dcarch

I got a method for cooking chicken used for chicken salad from Sarah Moulton years ago: Put B/S chicken breasts in a large stock pot, fill with cold water, bring to a boil and boil for two minutes, turn off heat, put on a tight-fitting lid and leave the chicken in until the water cools. It kind of sounded dangerous to me but I tried it and the chicken comes out very moist and tender. I've never used it for anything other than chicken salad cooked this way though.

Just want to say that I have had food poisoning a bazillion times from " just cooked" chicken so now I use a thermometer and cook it to 160. Sigh.

I use organic breasts and sometimes thighs. Fattier but not as dry and tastier.

I like Ina Garten's method:

Start with skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts for best flavor.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts, skin side up, on a foil covered baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (165degrees). Set aside until cool.

When the chicken is cool, remove meat from the bones and discard the skin and bones or use for stock.

Consider roasting vegetables separately to eat with your chicken. You could reheat in microwave or they are even good cold.

Sous vide has been the only way it has worked for me. Otherwise, if it has been myself or ANYone else cooking it... dry. (Although if I am a guest somewhere, I'm polite, but I certainly won't be going back for seconds!)

PS: Your doc says "less veggies"? What does he mean by this? Less starchy veggies, or veggies overall? Mine says "pile on the cruciferous ones"! And, asparagus, leafy greens...

Maybe I'm missing what the dietary issue is, but I can't imagine any condition that requires less veggies overall. Starchy ones (a minor component) perhaps, or less nightshades, but "less vegetables"?

Do enlighten. I am here to learn (along with any responsible sharing), after all.

FWIW, hubby is prone to kidney stones and was advised by his Dr. to limit a number of common vegetables, since they are high in oxalates.

The clue with white meat is do not over cook!...I rub with "something"...mayo...mustard...seasoned buttermilk, whatever....dip into my own bread crumbs....dried and ground up bread ends and dry bits and bake at 375 until just not pink at the thickest part...time varies for the size....but 20 minutes should be about right for an inch thick piece.

Artemis, my doctor said I should eat less veggies like potatoes, carrots and tomatoes. Although tomatoes are technically fruits. What I should be eating is celery, spinach and kale. No corn, squash or cucumbers. I do feel better without eating these. I still eat plenty of broccoli, celery and I have salads several days a week.

All these ideas sound great. I picked up two packages of chicken today and I’ll cook them tomorrow to have over the weekend :)

I use a jaccard to tenderize and even out the thickness of the chicken breasts and then put them in a Vacuvin meat marinator with teriyaki or other marinade of choice for about 30 minutes to an hour. Grill over medium heat to seer for a minute or 2 per side and then move to indirect heat until the internal temperature reaches 165F. Let rest for 10 minutes under foil before serving.

The vacuum in the Vacuvin causes the marinade to suck into the meat. They turn out juicy and perfectly cooked every time with just a light bark on the skin.

Thank you Carol for this idea, it's THE BEST.

Rub butter or oil on bottom of small pyrex casserole dish. Place boneless skinless chicken breast on bottom, salt and pepper both sides, dot top with a little butter or oil. Cover with pyrex lid and bake for 30-35 minutes or until 165 degrees with instant thermometer.

Quick, easy, tender what more could I want! Great sliced in a sandwich, or as your protein for dinner. I'm not into flavorings, good organic chicken fixed this way is perfect for me.

If I was doing two breasts the time might be longer but not by much is my guess.

Ginny

I have discovered an IP recipe for frozen skinless chicken .breasts. my wife and i love them. stack the frozen planks vertically [that way one can fit the whole 2.5 lb package in there]. Add 1 cup of chicken stock [or water]. pop on the lid and cook 28 minutes and let it slow release. They are great for sandwhiches ar shredding or sliceing. easy clean up too. even the GK approve.