How to Cook Chicken Breast So It Stays Juicy

This guide is for anyone who has cut into a chicken breast and found it dry, tough or, worse, pink in the middle. You will learn why chicken breast dries out so easily, how to prepare it so it cooks evenly, three reliable cooking methods, and how to tell when it is safely done without overcooking it. A digital thermometer is the one tool that makes the biggest difference. Food-safety points are general information, not professional advice; follow the food-safety guidance for your country.

Why Chicken Breast Dries Out

Chicken breast is very lean. It has almost no fat running through it and little connective tissue, so there is nothing to keep it moist once the muscle fibres tighten and squeeze out their juice. The window between safely cooked and dry is narrow, and most dry chicken is simply chicken that was cooked well past done because the cook was unsure.

The other common problem is shape. A whole breast is thick at one end and thin at the other. By the time the thick end is cooked through, the thin end has been overcooked for several minutes. Fix the shape and the uncertainty, and most of the dryness goes away.

Prepare the Chicken First

Ten minutes of preparation does more for juicy chicken than any sauce. Work on a clean board you can wash in hot soapy water afterwards, and keep raw chicken away from food that will not be cooked, such as salad.

1. Do not rinse it Rinsing raw chicken does not make it safer and can splash bacteria around your sink and worktop. Cooking is what makes it safe.
2. Pat it dry Use paper towels to dry the surface well, then throw them away. A dry surface browns; a wet one steams and turns grey.
3. Even out the thickness Place the breast between two sheets of baking paper or inside a freezer bag and gently tap the thick end with a rolling pin or the base of a heavy pan until the whole piece is roughly the same thickness, about 2 cm (3/4 inch). Alternatively, slice it horizontally into two thinner cutlets.
4. Salt it early if you can Sprinkle about half a teaspoon of fine salt per breast over both sides. If you have time, leave it covered in the fridge for 30 minutes up to several hours. The salt draws out moisture, dissolves into it and is reabsorbed, seasoning the meat and helping it hold on to juice.
5. Wash up straight away Wash your hands, the board, the rolling pin and anything else the raw chicken touched with hot soapy water before you carry on.