I need a good Chicken breast recipe!

rustypotts

I hardly ever cook chicken breasts because my wife and I prefer dark meat.  What is your favorite boneless, skinless breast recipe?  Do you marinate or rub?

nolaegghead

I sous vide cooked a few the other day, seared them, then sliced them up and put on a mixed green salad with lardons and home made bacon dressing.  They pick up flavor from the dressing in a salad.  You could 100% grill them as well, with a rub.  To make them extra juicy - brine them first.  Be careful to not over cook them - 160 internal and pull them off.

rustypotts

NEH......My sous vide rig isn't here yet so I'll be grilling.  What is the minimum time I can brine them?.  I'm eating them tonight.

nolaegghead

You can make a strong brine (10% rather than the usual 5%) and it brines faster.  Here's some good info:

http://ruhlman.com/2010/10/how-to-brine-chicken-quick-brine-recipe/

2 hours at room temp will do it.  Rinse well.

Skiddymarker

SWMBO is a chicken breast fanatic, which is good because I get steak and she has chicken. 

Her two favorites are:

Brined, rubbed with olive oil and her rub du jour, this week it was Ozark from Penzey's. last week it was Kickin' Chicken from Weber. Cook either indirect or direct. Sometimes BBQ sauce. 

Souvlaki, great for low cal and adds taste, easy to cook direct if you like that Greek thing. Cut and load one breast onto each skewer. Marinate for at least an hour. Per skewer you need 1 clove crushed garlic, 2 Tbs EVOO, 1 tsp lemon juice (concentrate is OK) 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp marjoram and dash of Wooster. You can marinate then skewer, but it is really messy, I use bamboo skewers.  

rolltideegghead

Slice chicken breast to form a pouch in the side stuff with cream cheese and jalapeño then wrap with bacon.

tjv

big bob gibson's alabama white sauce....best made day ahead.

grill breast, leave skillet on grid for dunking chicken about half way through cook, when done dunk all breasts in skillet.

white sauce recipe

t

MattyMc

Pound 'em flat so they cook evenly

rustypotts

rolltideegghead said:

Slice chicken breast to form a pouch in the side stuff with cream cheese and jalapeño then wrap with bacon.

Man......that looks good!  It sort of defeats my reason to eat the chicken breast though.

rustypotts

Skiddymarker said:

SWMBO is a chicken breast fanatic, which is good because I get steak and she has chicken. 

Her two favorites are:

Brined, rubbed with olive oil and her rub du jour, this week it was Ozark from Penzey's. last week it was Kickin' Chicken from Weber. Cook either indirect or direct. Sometimes BBQ sauce. 

Souvlaki, great for low cal and adds taste, easy to cook direct if you like that Greek thing. Cut and load one breast onto each skewer. Marinate for at least an hour. Per skewer you need 1 clove crushed garlic, 2 Tbs EVOO, 1 tsp lemon juice (concentrate is OK) 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp marjoram and dash of Wooster. You can marinate then skewer, but it is really messy, I use bamboo skewers.  

Great idea wiith the souvlaki.

rustypotts

nolaegghead said:

You can make a strong brine (10% rather than the usual 5%) and it brines faster.  Here's some good info:

http://ruhlman.com/2010/10/how-to-brine-chicken-quick-brine-recipe/

2 hours at room temp will do it.  Rinse well.

FedX just delivered my sous vide machine.  Nola......how long and what temp for 3 chicken breasts?

GQuiz

Soak in olive oil, heat Egg to 375, season chicken with rub, figure 45 minutes Indirect. When chicken hits 160, snuff the fire. In 10 minutes, perfection.

nolaegghead

rustypotts said:

nolaegghead said:

You can make a strong brine (10% rather than the usual 5%) and it brines faster.  Here's some good info:

http://ruhlman.com/2010/10/how-to-brine-chicken-quick-brine-recipe/

2 hours at room temp will do it.  Rinse well.

FedX just delivered my sous vide machine.  Nola......how long and what temp for 3 chicken breasts?

2 hours at 147 if they're thick.  A little longer if frozen. 

nolaegghead

Lay them out flat in the bag - don't stack them.  You can season with whatever - don't put the brine in the bag - make sure it's rinsed off.  No oil if you season.  Don't worry about over-seasoning them - you can go nuts with spices.  Don't use any fresh garlic. Powdered if you want garlic.

Little Steven

rolltideegghead said:

Slice chicken breast to form a pouch in the side stuff with cream cheese and jalapeño then wrap with bacon.

Kinda defeats the purpose doesn't it?
)

Little Steven

Best I've done before the sous vide was seared on the medium cast iron grid in the woo and finished raised direct on the rig

rustypotts

Wow.....2 hrs.  The book says 1 hour @147 but i'll trust you. Better safe than sorry.  I can't decide if I am going to cut my brine short and sous vide or just cook it on the egg.  These are smallish breasts by the way.

NecessaryIndulg

rolltideegghead said:

Slice chicken breast to form a pouch in the side stuff with cream cheese and jalapeño then wrap with bacon.

That's what I'd do!

nolaegghead

rustypotts said:

Wow.....2 hrs.  The book says 1 hour @147 but i'll trust you. Better safe than sorry.  I can't decide if I am going to cut my brine short and sous vide or just cook it on the egg.  These are smallish breasts by the way.

My PolyScience book, I just checked, says 147 for 1 hour.  A few places on line say 146 for 2-4 hours.  You're probably fine with one hour.   You're not gonna make it more tender, it's pasteurized in minutes at 147.  There's a certain amount of latitude here - learn the limits and stay away from them.  I'll have to dig up the pathogen info I posted a while back - you'll be cool, don't worry.  Do what I do - when you're done and pull it out of the SV, I cut off a corner and probe around with the thermapen, make sure the temp is uniform.  If it's uniform, it's been in long enough. If it ain't, then seal up the corner and throw it back in.  You'll get an innate feeling for how long it takes after a while.  When you get into breaking down Chef's cuts - lots of connective tissue and collagen, the long times are just to tenderize - safety limits are well exceeded.

rustypotts

I'll know in 20 minutes.  If you do 2 hours then I know I'll be good......unless the thermostat is bad in this brand new polyscience rig.....which I doubt.  I even fired up the mini for the sear.  I'm going all out!

nolaegghead

Food, sex, skiing, in that order, are the best things in life....SV fits into slot 1.  FULL THROTTLE!

rustypotts

Well.........I'm a believer.  even though my recipe was a little lacking, my wife kept commenting on how moist and good the chicken was.  And it was.  She didn't have a clue what this apparatus was hanging on a pot in the utility room.  But she likes it now!

rustypotts

nolaegghead said:

Food, sex, skiing, in that order, are the best things in life....SV fits into slot 1.  FULL THROTTLE!

Nola.......you gotta start snowboarding.  If you stick with it for three days......you will never ski again.

td66snrf

nolaegghead said:

Food, sex, skiing, in that order, are the best things in life....SV fits into slot 1.  FULL THROTTLE!

What kind of skiing. When I was in New Orleans I saw a lot of water, didn't see one hill. Kinda have to agree with you on the best food in the world thing in your quote.

nolaegghead

td66snrf said:

nolaegghead said:

Food, sex, skiing, in that order, are the best things in life....SV fits into slot 1.  FULL THROTTLE!

What kind of skiing. When I was in New Orleans I saw a lot of water, didn't see one hill. Kinda have to agree with you on the best food in the world thing in your quote.

I learned to ski living in Germany.  You right, down here all we got to ski on is water.  IMO Tree skiing while you've got a nice bourbon buzz is the shiznit.

bboulier

I usually slice the meat thin and stir fry it with vegetables.   A common approach would be to toss it with a tablespoon of soy sauce, a tablespoon of cornstarch, and a pinch of sugar about an hour before frying it on a wok, preferably in peanut oil.   By cooking  it so quickly, you keep it moist.

billyray

rustypotts I did 147 for 2 hours the other night and they turned out great. My wife said that is the only she wants me to do them from now on.

JerkChicken

I like to pound 'em flat with a tenderizer mallet, Brush with EVO, add favorite rub and some fresh crushed garlic. Sear over direct coals. So bueno

double

I do them 146 for 3hrs also turn out great been eating them all week.

Chubbs

nolaegghead said:

Food, sex, skiing, in that order, are the best things in life....SV fits into slot 1.  FULL THROTTLE!

Wow, I left this thread at work yesterday and returned to this.... Covering everything. I like it.

woody's wood pit

Simple is always a great way to go:

Did this for kids to change things up and they love it...cut breast into two pieces, 60/40 (40 being fat end-you want both pieces to be approximately the same size)

wrap with bacon using toothpics to hold roundshape..season liberally with Cluck & Squeal (or your rub of choice), grill direct to internal temp of 160...then enjoy