Chicken Breast... Easy and Juicy

I consider this recipe to be sort of a foundation for my meals. It is both an easy entrée and is also used in a lot of other dishes I cook for dinner. It is great fresh and used a day or two later in another entrée. They key is this cooking method, described below.

The end result... not very attractive, but juicy and tasty.

In the past I've had mixed results with preparation. I've gone through a lot of marinade (such as those from Lawry's or Newman's). That is a quick way to put some flavor into the meat, but then I'd throw it on the grill, cranked up the heat a little too much, and burned the outside and dried out the inside.

Instead, I found a much easier way to cook the chicken and with zero prep. I found it at this link... it is the "baking in parchment" method.

All you do is:

• Get some chicken breast (frozen or fresh)
• Put it on some aluminum foil (I use two sheets because one will occaisionally leak)
• Add any kind of spice or liquid you want
• Tent the foil by crimping the top and sides. Leave some open air in the inside/top.
• Bake on 425 for about 25-45 minutes (depending on if it is frozen or fresh).

Easy peasy lemon squeezey!

Three wrapped up chicken breasts, ready to go.

What It's Good For
This preparation is good for a main course, but it is also great for adding to other dishes such as:

• Salads
• Chicken fried rice 
• Stir fry
• Quesadillas
• Or literally anything that requires chicken 

I'll typically bake three breasts at a time, eat one that night as a meal, and then use the others for any other random dish. When you use it for another dish a day or two later, you save a lot of time because the chicken is already cooked to perfection.

My Preparation Details

• I douse the chicken with random spices like Cajun seasoning or Mural of Flavor from Penzeys. 
• If I think I'll be using one of the breasts in another dish, I'll just bake it plain. 
• The key with the foil "tenting" is to do a good job of sealing it up. You want the steam and juices to stay inside.
• I use a rimmed baking sheet, in case anything leaks.
• Baking at 425 seems to be the magic number. 
• Timing will vary but I found fresh to take about 25 minutes and frozen to take 40-45 minutes.
• Standard advice is to cook to 165 F.

I found a USDA chicken preparation fact sheet if you are really bored... being an analytical person, it is an interesting read.