How do I keep chicken moist when I cook it? (frying, baking, sautéing) It is very dry every time!

4 Comments

Jon P. November 24, 2010
Be gentle with the chicken. If you're cooking on the stovetop, I find that browning both sides and then finishing in a 350-degree oven produces good results. The longer high heat is on the chicken, the greater the chance that it will turn out dry.
 
Sally November 24, 2010
Thermometer, thermometer, thermometer! 160 degrees kills bacteria, so if you go a few degrees over that, you're okay, but after that, the chicken is just drying out.
 
usuba D. November 24, 2010
Most commercial chicken no matter how hard you try comes out dry and tasteless. That is from the diet they are fed, they way they are raised and the way the chicken is processed. If you go for a organic chicken, you will see a big difference in taste and moistness. Remember, you are what you eat . . that is particularly true with animals. Feed them low quality, cheap grains, they will taste like it. It is what I do for a living. . . I know exactly what goes on in the commercial and organic livestock/meat business.

And be careful not to over cook. Get a good instant read thermometer if you don't already have one. Make sure it is calibrated properly and cook the chicken to no more than 165 as USDA recommends. Personally, I cook to 155 and let it rest for 15 minutes. It continues to cook to 165.

Also, skin on, bone in chicken will ALWAYS cook up better that totally skinless, boneless.
 
drbabs November 24, 2010
Brine it first. Cook it on a lower temperature. For less time. Use an instant read thermometer to tell when it's done--somewhere between 160 and 165 is usual.
 
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