Chicken is a sweet protein that is served in many ways in homes, restaurants, outdoor parties, and anywhere you’d want to enjoy your meat. Chicken breast is among the common cuts of meat, and it can be the hardest to prepare if you don’t know tocook it.
When preparing chicken breast, you’ll have to be creative with your recipes to make it more enjoyable. Baking is a great way of preparing your chicken, but it’s easy to undercook it, or making it dry, which may expose you to foodborne diseases. So, what do you need to know about baking your chicken breast?
What is chicken breast?
Chicken boneless breast is the boneless part taken from thepectoral areaon the under part of the chicken. A full chicken is made of one breast but cut into twohalves and sold as individual parts. Compared to other parts, chicken breast is more costly than chicken thighs, drumsticks, and wings. Its high price is due to its admirable health benefits.
What are the possible ways of cooking chicken breast?
You can prepare your chicken breast in countless methods. You can grill, bake, roast, fry, boil, or make a barbeque. You can use it to make soups, sandwiches, salads, or serve as a stew.
Why should you choose baking over other methods?
A chicken breast is a highly nutritious part of this nutritional bird. Most of the chicken fat is stored in the skin, and chicken breasts are sold boneless and skinless. Serving size of 4 ounces contains about; 1 gram of fat, 26 grams of proteins, 110 calories, 75 mg of cholesterol, and 85 mg of sodium. The nutrition content the chicken breast contains depends on the size of the bird, whether it was caged or not, and if it was pasture-raised.
Are there any health benefits of chicken breast?
Chicken is a great source of proteins. It’s also excellent for providing iron, zinc, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin B, and calcium. Its fats are healthier than those in other meat. Chicken breast contains zero carbohydrates, has no trans fat and has low traces of sodium. It also does not provide dietary fiber.
What’s the difference between a white and dark chicken?
Every chicken has two types of meat-the white and dark meat. These two parts differ in flavor, nutritional content, and color depending on the type of the muscle and how it is used. Dark meat includes the cuts from chicken legs which use more oxygen. White meat is usually found from the chicken breast and wings. Even though the white zone has less fat and calories than dark meat, the dark zone tends to be juicier and better in its contents of zinc and iron because of the oxygenation of their muscles.
What are the equipment needed to bake a chicken breast?
One of the benefits of baking your chicken breast is that it requires less time, and not many tools are required for the preparation. You’ll only need a mixing bowl, a baking dish, and an instant-read thermometer.
What are the ingredients needed?
For a simple preparation of baked chicken breast, you’ll need;
- 4 boneless and skinless chicken breast pieces that are well pounded and dipped in saltwater
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil
- ½ teaspoon of fresh black pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon of paprika
How do you bake a chicken breast?
Depending on your preferences, there are many creative ideas you can use to prepare your baked chicken breast. The basic way of preparing a simple baked chicken breast is;
- Saturate your chicken into warm water containing kosher salt. You’ll do this by filling water into a bowl, add ¼ cup of salt and stir until all the salt is absorbed. Add the cuts of chicken and let them brine for 15 minutes, then remove your pieces and rinse in cold water. Afterward, use a paper towel to dry them.
- Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
3. Add season to your chicken- put your pieces in a baking dish and splash olive oil or butter on both sides. Create a salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder mixture in another bowl and sprinkle on your chicken.
4. Bake for about 18 minutes until the chicken is well cooked and the pinkish color fades. The thickness of the pieces will determine the cooking period. Use the cooking thermometer to confirm if it’s ready. The right temperature is 165 degrees for the thickest part.
5. Remove your chicken. When the chicken is cooked, take it from the oven and place it on the plate where it’ll rest for about 10 minutes.
6. Serving time. Serve your chicken while warm. You can eat it with whatever dish you want.
What are the ideas for preparing a baked chicken?
- Barbeque chicken breast-marinate your chicken breast in a mixture of ketchup, molasses, ground mustard, seasonings, sugar, and vinegar and grill over moderate heat to create a tasty barbecue.
- Chicken soup with noodles-mix chicken breast soup with onions, carrots, celery, eggs, and noodles.
- Chicken salad- enjoy a salad ofchopped breast pieces, mayonnaise, sliced almonds, salt, pepper, and chopped celery.
- Simple roast chicken- marinate your chicken breasts in olive oil, black pepper, salt, and Italian seasonings. Roast and cook it at a temperature of 165F.
- Crispy sesame chickenfry chicken breast in amixture of egg and corn flour, and coat it with sesame oil sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar, garlic, honey, and soy sauce.
- Chicken Milanese- cook your chicken breast in a sauce of stock and lemon juice.
- Thai chicken- coast your breast chicken in garlic, fish sauce, ginger, lime, and chili sauce. Then roast and top with cilantro and chopped peanuts.
- Chicken and vegetables- in your sliced chicken breast, add bell pepper, broccoli, garlic, green onions, and soya sauce.
Conclusion
There are many options for making your chicken breasts tasty. You can slice them into salads, sandwiches or grill them to enjoy a tasty meal. For a healthy option, opt for oven-fried chicken breast or herb-roasted chicken breast recipes. Ensure you practice hygienic handling practices to avoid food safety risks. Make your baked chicken breast now and enjoy your meal!
MS, University of Latvia
I am deeply convinced that each patient needs a unique, individual approach. Therefore, I use different psychotherapy methods in my work. During my studies, I discovered an in-depth interest in people as a whole and the belief in the inseparability of mind and body, and the importance of emotional health in physical health. In my spare time, I enjoy reading (a big fan of thrillers) and going on hikes.
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