Roasting chicken breasts



S

Staycalm

Guest
The health food shop where I often get lunch always have really nice lean
chicken in sandwiches and salads, so I asked how they cook them. Apparently
they just put skinless chicken fillets in the oven and cook them before
chopping them up for the day. It was too busy to get more detail than that.
How long should I cook them and at what temp? Any ideas?
Also what sorts of spices (low fat and low salt) could I add to flavour them
at different times?
 
Staycalm wrote:
> The health food shop where I often get lunch always have really nice
> lean chicken in sandwiches and salads, so I asked how they cook them.
> Apparently they just put skinless chicken fillets in the oven and
> cook them before chopping them up for the day. It was too busy to get
> more detail than that. How long should I cook them and at what temp?
> Any ideas?
> Also what sorts of spices (low fat and low salt) could I add to
> flavour them at different times?

I find it hard to believe baked chicken breasts, chopped or not, are moist
and tender without some sort of liquid. There is something they aren't
telling you.

Jill
 
"Staycalm" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The health food shop where I often get lunch always have really nice lean
> chicken in sandwiches and salads, so I asked how they cook them.
> Apparently they just put skinless chicken fillets in the oven and cook
> them before chopping them up for the day. It was too busy to get more
> detail than that.
> How long should I cook them and at what temp? Any ideas?
> Also what sorts of spices (low fat and low salt) could I add to flavour
> them at different times?
>

the i have recently worked out - get a fry pan that is oven proof - brown
the chick on both sides then put the whole thing in the oven. 180 or a tad
less even. about 15 - 20 mins. then cover it loosley with foil for a bit
before eating.

see how that goes...

chris
 
"Dancing Queen" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Staycalm" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> The health food shop where I often get lunch always have really nice lean
>> chicken in sandwiches and salads, so I asked how they cook them.
>> Apparently they just put skinless chicken fillets in the oven and cook
>> them before chopping them up for the day. It was too busy to get more
>> detail than that.
>> How long should I cook them and at what temp? Any ideas?
>> Also what sorts of spices (low fat and low salt) could I add to flavour
>> them at different times?
>>
>
> the i have recently worked out - get a fry pan that is oven proof - brown
> the chick on both sides then put the whole thing in the oven. 180 or a
> tad less even. about 15 - 20 mins. then cover it loosley with foil for a
> bit before eating.
>
> see how that goes...
>
> chris
Thanks Chris. I plan to chop it up and freeze it in smallish containers. I
can then defrost as necessary for salads or sandwiches.

Liz
 
"jmcquown" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Staycalm wrote:
>> The health food shop where I often get lunch always have really nice
>> lean chicken in sandwiches and salads, so I asked how they cook them.
>> Apparently they just put skinless chicken fillets in the oven and
>> cook them before chopping them up for the day. It was too busy to get
>> more detail than that. How long should I cook them and at what temp?
>> Any ideas?
>> Also what sorts of spices (low fat and low salt) could I add to
>> flavour them at different times?
>
> I find it hard to believe baked chicken breasts, chopped or not, are moist
> and tender without some sort of liquid. There is something they aren't
> telling you.
>
> Jill
>
That's what I thought initially but the chicken is not necessarily moist and
tender for this purpose. They add them to sandwiches and I would be inclined
to prefer them as lean as possible. I could then mix the chopped up pieces
together with mayonnaise, hummus or avocado for example. I am also wondering
whether they spray the pan with something to stop them sticking.

Liz
 
jmcquown wrote:

> Staycalm wrote:
>
>>The health food shop where I often get lunch always have really nice
>>lean chicken in sandwiches and salads, so I asked how they cook them.
>>Apparently they just put skinless chicken fillets in the oven and
>>cook them before chopping them up for the day. It was too busy to get
>>more detail than that. How long should I cook them and at what temp?
>>Any ideas?
>>Also what sorts of spices (low fat and low salt) could I add to
>>flavour them at different times?
>
>
> I find it hard to believe baked chicken breasts, chopped or not, are moist
> and tender without some sort of liquid. There is something they aren't
> telling you.


When done properly, roasting a chicken breast is less likely
to result in dryness than when roasting the whole bird. You
don't have the problem of having to cook the dark meat along
with it, which finishes at a higher temp.

Normally roasting a whole chicken is a compromise between
the light and dark meat. Not so when cooking just one or
the other because it can be done with more precision.

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com
 
"Staycalm" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Dancing Queen" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>>
>> "Staycalm" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>>> The health food shop where I often get lunch always have really nice
>>> lean chicken in sandwiches and salads, so I asked how they cook them.
>>> Apparently they just put skinless chicken fillets in the oven and cook
>>> them before chopping them up for the day. It was too busy to get more
>>> detail than that.
>>> How long should I cook them and at what temp? Any ideas?
>>> Also what sorts of spices (low fat and low salt) could I add to flavour
>>> them at different times?
>>>
>>
>> the i have recently worked out - get a fry pan that is oven proof - brown
>> the chick on both sides then put the whole thing in the oven. 180 or a
>> tad less even. about 15 - 20 mins. then cover it loosley with foil for
>> a bit before eating.
>>
>> see how that goes...
>>
>> chris
> Thanks Chris. I plan to chop it up and freeze it in smallish containers. I
> can then defrost as necessary for salads or sandwiches.
>
> Liz

well have a go at leaving it a bit before chopping. and be sure to tightly
wrap in the freezer!

chris
>
 
In article <[email protected]>,
"Staycalm" <[email protected]> wrote:

> The health food shop where I often get lunch always have really nice lean
> chicken in sandwiches and salads, so I asked how they cook them. Apparently
> they just put skinless chicken fillets in the oven and cook them before
> chopping them up for the day. It was too busy to get more detail than that.
> How long should I cook them and at what temp? Any ideas?
> Also what sorts of spices (low fat and low salt) could I add to flavour them
> at different times?

Liz, are you hellbent on roasting them to cook them? If you are, I
can't help you. If you are not, consider poaching them. It's been a
long time since I've done it, but it was wonderful and had the advantage
of providing some flavorful liquid for soup, as well.

Let me see if I can reconstruct this: Put the breasts (boneless and
skinless) in a pan and cover with cold water, seasoned as you wish.
Bring to a boil, then cover it and remove it from the heat and let it
stand for 20-30 minutes. Remove the meat from the liquid and use it as
you desire. You can use the liquid for a soup start if you add some
carrots, celery, onion, parsley, peppercorns, salt to it.

The meat is nice and moist,
--
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com, updated 1-3-2006, Sam I Am! and Hello!
 
Staycalm wrote:
> The health food shop where I often get lunch always have really nice lean
> chicken in sandwiches and salads, so I asked how they cook them. Apparently
> they just put skinless chicken fillets in the oven and cook them before
> chopping them up for the day. It was too busy to get more detail than that.
> How long should I cook them and at what temp? Any ideas?
> Also what sorts of spices (low fat and low salt) could I add to flavour them
> at different times?
>
>

I used to work as a cook in a similar kind of store. We steamed the
chicken breasts for the salads, except for one recipe where we put a
spice rub on them, and grilled them. When the steamer went out we either
grilled all of the breasts or cooked them in a convection oven with
plenty of water in the pans.

--

saerah

http://anisaerah.blogspot.com/

"Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a
disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice."
-Baruch Spinoza

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what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear
and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There
is another theory which states that this has already happened."
-Douglas Adams
 
Staycalm wrote:
>
> That's what I thought initially but the chicken is not necessarily moist and
> tender for this purpose. They add them to sandwiches and I would be inclined
> to prefer them as lean as possible. I could then mix the chopped up pieces
> together with mayonnaise, hummus or avocado for example. I am also wondering
> whether they spray the pan with something to stop them sticking.
>
You'd get tastier results from roasting whole chicken breasts, on the
bone with the skin. Easily boned and skinned when cooked. Since
you're going to add mayo and avocado later the tiny bit less 'lean'
this way would be more than offset by the richer flavor and juiciness.
I'd start with a moderate oven (350°F or so) for 30 minutes, then
check for doneness. -aem
 
"Staycalm" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The health food shop where I often get lunch always have really nice lean
> chicken in sandwiches and salads, so I asked how they cook them.
Apparently
> they just put skinless chicken fillets in the oven and cook them before
> chopping them up for the day. It was too busy to get more detail than
that.
> How long should I cook them and at what temp? Any ideas?
> Also what sorts of spices (low fat and low salt) could I add to flavour
them
> at different times?
>
>

The way I've always done it is to marinate the meat then sear it in an
intensely hot iron skillet to flash cook the outside of the meat. Takes
about 1 minute per side. Heat the pan until it smokes - you want to
simulate a grill. The meat will be raw in the middle. Then cover the meat
with tin foil for about 20 minutes to finish cooking. The meat will be very
tender and juicy and fully cooked.

Paul
 
"Staycalm" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The health food shop where I often get lunch always have really nice lean
> chicken in sandwiches and salads, so I asked how they cook them.
> Apparently they just put skinless chicken fillets in the oven and cook
> them before chopping them up for the day. It was too busy to get more
> detail than that.
> How long should I cook them and at what temp? Any ideas?
> Also what sorts of spices (low fat and low salt) could I add to flavour
> them at different times?
I have two methods of roasting skinless breast fillets

1. Place chicken on a rack in a roasting pan. Fill pan with water (don't
let the water touch the chicken). Into water, place some chopped onion and
garlic (these flavours infuse into the chicken). Sprinkle herbs and spices
over the chicken -- whatever you have available (even dried chicken
flavoured soup powder will do). Bake at 180 degrees for about an hour.
You may need to top the water in the pan up during cooking.

2. Place chicken in an oven bag with whatever herbs and spices you have
available. Shake bag to cover the chicken with the seasonings. Place bag on
rack in a roasting pan. Bake at 180 degrees for about an hour.

The chicken is cooked if the juices run clear when you insert a skewer into
the thickest part of the fillet. If they are not clear (have blood in them)
put back in oven and continue roasting.

After roasting, wrap the chicken in alfoil for at least 15 minutes to allow
the meat to rest prior to carving.

You can try marinating the meat overnight in the fridge for a different
flavour each week or so!

Good luck
A
 
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