How to cook juicy and tender chicken breasts every time (2024)

No amount of convincing from chefs can shake people’s love for boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Yes, the bones add more flavor. Yes, skin too adds flavor (and texture). Yes, bone-in chicken is almost always cheaper. And yet, the ease and speed of cooking chicken breasts remains eternally appealing. This accessible protein is healthy, quick and can take on any flavor from a lemony butter sauce to spicy harissa. And with the right tips and techniques, you can avoid the rubbery, flavorless chicken breasts of all our collective nightmares.

The first step is admitting that there is a problem, and so it goes with boneless chicken breasts. There are a few reasons behind why chicken breasts often turn out dry. When a butcher removes the bones and skins from meat, all the fat and connective tissue that gives the meat moisture disappears as we cook. That moisture gives us leeway — if we overcook the meat a little bit, that fat and tissue can keep some moisture present.

But there are ways to cook truly tender, juicy chicken breasts, none of which are particularly difficult or time-consuming.

How to buy better chicken breast

A lot of the problems with the chicken we eat has to do with incentives to raise chicken breeds that grow faster and to feed them as simply as possible. But their poor diet and rapid growth also contributes to the chicken’s flavor when we cook and consume , and without sufficient time to grow steadily, they just won’t be as flavorful.

So, start by looking for slower-growing or heritage breeds — roaster chickens are older than broiler breeds (although many breast-specific packages won’t include this distinction). Brands, rather than generics, can also have better traceability to understand how the chickens were raised. And look for descriptions: Every buzzword doesn’t necessarily mean it is a better bird, but it does showcase more care — organic, free-range, non-GMO, antibiotic-free, Amish and kosher are all indications of an attempt at higher quality. However, few of these terms are actually regulated, so take them with a grain of salt. Cost is certainly a factor for so many people, but sometimes spending a little more money for a higher-quality chicken can have a profound impact on the flavor of the chicken (plus, it indicates that they likely lived a better life).

Get a meat thermometer

Nothing makes chicken breasts drier than overcooking them. You can buy the best heritage chicken and make the best brine or marinade, but if you cook it even a few minutes too long, it won’t taste great. Without the bones and skin adding in moisture, there’s a small window of time to cook it just right.

However, it is exceptionally easy to avoid overcooking chicken if you use a meat thermometer. Don’t have one? You can get a reliable one for less than $15. Check your meat when you are a few minutes shy of thinking you’re done to ensure you stay in the right zone.

Most sources online will say that chicken is safe to eat when the thickest part of the breast reaches 165 F. But that doesn’t mean you should remove your chicken from the heat when the thermometer reaches 165 — the temperature will continue to rise five to 10 degrees as it rests. Remove the chicken from the heat at 150 to 155 F; it will maintain its temperature long enough to kill any harmful bacteria but will also ensure you don’t have rubbery chicken breasts.

Keep in mind the different sizes of your breasts. If one is significantly thicker than the other, you’ll probably need to pull them out at different times. You can certainly pound the breasts with a meat tenderizer to make them even, but it’s usually easier to just remove them a few minutes apart. Either way, if you have the meat thermometer, you’ll ensure that you’re removing the meat at the proper time.

How to brine or marinate chicken breast

To most people, brining or marinating chicken breast sounds like a time-consuming activity that negates the entire purpose of cooking a quick and easy cut of meat. But in just 15 minutes, you can profoundly change your chicken breasts.

Brines and marinades help tenderize the meat by bringing more moisture in the protein. With that extra moisture, you lose less when you cook. The simplest way to do this is with a dry brine — unwrap the chicken breasts, salt them on both sides and let them sit in the fridge for at least an hour.

However, I find that a wet brine makes for a much moister cut of meat. To do this, dissolve 1/4 cup of salt in a cup of hot water and then dilute it with three cups of cold water. Add the chicken breasts and let sit for about an hour — but even as little as 15 minutes can help.

The best tenderizer though, is a salted yogurt marinade. The salt has the same effect as in a regular brine, but the lactic acid in the yogurt further tenderizes the meat. A 15-minute marinade with one cup of yogurt and one teaspoon of salt makes for the most tender chicken breasts imaginable. It adds its own flavor, but it also allows for even more flavor to easily adhere to the chicken. Feel free to add other flavors to the marinade as well such as citrus juices and ground spices; you don’t have to do anything else once it is done cooking.

How to cook chicken breast

The other benefit to cooking chicken breasts is that they can be prepared in almost any scenario — on the stove, in the oven or grilled. But for every scenario, there are a few tips that can improve the overall look and taste of the chicken. My favorite method is in the oven under the broiler because you get the char and speed of the grill without the extra work.

How to cook chicken breast in the oven

There are two ways to cook chicken breasts in the oven: bake or broil. I am partial to the broiler because it creates great browning and retains moisture, but if you’re not comfortable with that, you can also bake them.

To bake: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place the breasts on a lined sheet tray in the oven and cook for 30 to 40 minutes. To maintain extra moisture, tent the foil halfway through to keep the breasts covered and lock in some more moisture. Start checking the temperature after 25 to 30 minutes — by now you know that the biggest mistake is overcooking, so check each piece since they will likely be different sizes. Once a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reach 150 to 155 F, pull them out and let them rest.

To broil: Make sure the top rack is close to the top, about 4 to 6 inches away from the heat source. Turn on the broiler and, once heated, place the chicken breasts in the oven and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then turn over and cook for another three to four minutes. After about six to eight minutes, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat.

How to cook chicken breast on the stove

Cooking chicken breasts in a skillet on the stove is one of the easiest methods, especially when you are cooking for one or two people. The most important thing is retaining that moisture, which can be done through ensuring the right temperature.

To cook chicken breasts on the stove, place a pan on high heat and add one tablespoon of neutral oil (unless the pan is nonstick). Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and season both sides thoroughly with salt and pepper. Put them top-side down and cook for three to four minutes, or until they have browned. Turn the heat to medium-low, turn the breast over and then cover with a lid. Cook for an additional five to eight minutes, depending on the size of the breasts and remove when they have reached an internal temperature of 150 to 155 F.

How to cook chicken breast on the grill

Nothing beats grilled protein, especially chicken! Before grilling, make sure to brush the grates with neutral oil to create a nonstick surface.

Once the grill is fully heated, season the chicken and place it on the grates, top-side down, and cook for three to four minutes, then flip and put the cover on. Check in after five to eight minutes, depending on the size of the breasts. Remove when they have reached an internal temperature of 150 to 155 F.

Now that you know the basics of how to cook chicken breasts, experiment with some of our favorite recipes. Try these marinated and broiled chicken breasts — it’s a recipe that makes the most tender and flavorful version, hands-down. But you can also use this recipe as a base — keep the yogurt and salt and then add other spices and herbs you want to the mixture. Want something light and bright? Add a handful of chopped herbs instead of the spices. Looking for heat? Add hot sauce or sriracha. For a sweeter profile, add honey and balsamic vinegar. The choices are endless, but as long as you have salt and yogurt under the broiler, you’ll get the best texture around.

More chicken breast recipes: