Boneless chicken breast is the healthiest part of the chicken, and can be cooked in many different ways. The secret to cooking boneless chicken breast is to keep it moist, as it is white meat, which is drier than dark, and it is off the bone, which would otherwise add juice. Here are several different recipes for baking boneless chicken breast:
Breaded Chicken Cutlets
To make chicken cutlets, which are delicious with practically any side dish, the first step is to pound the chicken breast flat with a mallet until thin. Dredge each piece in lightly beaten raw egg, and then dip each piece in a mixture of bread crumbs and garlic powder until coated well. Pour several tablespoons of vegetable oil into a frying pan and heat the oil. Using tongs, set the coated chicken pieces into the pan and fry the first side for eight minutes, and the second side for five minutes.
For a baked version of the same recipe, set coated chicken breast into a greased baking pan, and drizzle some oil over the chicken. Bake uncovered for approximately half an hour at 350 degrees.
The chicken can be reheated, covered, for ten minutes in a sweet sauce such as a mixture of ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar and garlic powder for sweet and sour chicken. Mix the sauce separately in a bowl and experiment with the ingredients to achieve the desired taste.
Dicing and Stir Frying
Boneless chicken breast can be diced into cubes, and incorporated into any vegetable stir fry. An important tip for chicken stir fry recipes is that it is preferable to stir fry the chicken separately until mostly cooked through and then added to the vegetable mix to continue cooking, so that it is certain that the chicken is completely cooked when served.
Crockpot Chicken
Boneless chicken breast can be cut into chunks and added to a crockpot vegetable stew. The stew should not be overcooked or the chicken will dry out. Any vegetables can be used. Sauce can be made of honey, soy sauce and garlic, or soup mix and spices. Add water until covered and let the crockpot do the cooking.
Adding Meat to the Mix
Pound chicken breast until flat. Dip one side of each piece in breadcrumbs. Put a thin slice of pastrami on the unbreaded side, and roll up the chicken breast until closed. Continue rolling each piece this way. Pour duck sauce into a baking pan to cover the bottom of the pan. Place each rolled chicken piece into the pan, and pour more duck sauce over the chicken. Bake uncovered for one hour.
Spicing and frying
Chicken may be spiced with paprika, garlic powder, and cumin or other spices. Spice generously to form a coating, and fry in oil, several minutes per side until cooked through. Because this chicken recipe has a Middle Eastern flavor, it tastes particularly good dipped in hummous.
Tips
Raw chicken must be handled carefully to prevent salmonella infection. Wash hands and cooking surfaces with soap and water or disinfectant. Raw chicken may be left in the fridge for one day before cooking. Frozen chicken must be cooked once it has been defrosted and may not be re-frozen. Cooked chicken is best when eaten within three days.
All chicken should be trimmed of excess fat and rinsed before beginning any recipe.
