# Roasting Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast?



## muzzlet (Aug 21, 2008)

Whenever I make a large amount of boneless skinless chicken breast to be cut up and frozen in one cup portions, I usually poach them in some chicken broth and a bay leaf. However, I would like to try roasting them instead. Would this work or would there be too little fat and they would just dry out?

Thanks for your help!
Jan


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## CharlieD (Aug 21, 2008)

You could bake or grill them, hoever it very important not to overcook it. You can marinade them first, or brine it. Just make sure not to overcook it and you'll be fine.


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## suziquzie (Aug 21, 2008)

you would be better off roasting them with bone and skin, cheaper too.


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## SizzlininIN (Aug 21, 2008)

You'll add a lot of flavor if you roast them with the bone and skin on. Just drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Personally, I love to add some garlic powder and rosemary to mine. I find them to be very moist when roasted.


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## BreezyCooking (Aug 21, 2008)

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts were never meant to be roasted.  Baking in a sauce - yes.  Sauteeing - yes. Pounding thin & frying - yes.  Cutting into bite-size pieces & stirfrying - yes.  Poaching - yes.

Roasting - no.

You'll end up with dry tasteless chicken.  Why oh why, with all the thousands of recipes for boneless skinless chicken breasts would you want to use one of the few cooking methods not suited to them?

I'd definitely stick to poaching for what you're doing with them.


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## ChefJune (Aug 21, 2008)

BreezyCooking said:


> Boneless, skinless chicken breasts were never meant to be roasted. Baking in a sauce - yes. Sauteeing - yes. Pounding thin & frying - yes. Cutting into bite-size pieces & stirfrying - yes. Poaching - yes.
> 
> Roasting - no.
> 
> ...


 

what Breezy said....


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## gadzooks (Aug 21, 2008)

Ain't necessarily so...I roast or grill 'em, then slice for salads. I have a pump aerosol sprayer filled with evoo. Spray 'em, sprinkle liberally with cracked pepper and roast on a rack with some water in the pan or grill fast and hot hot hot. Just be careful not to overcook. use a meat thermometer to check. I should add that I fold the small "tail" end under so the breast is pretty much of uniform thickness. Cooks more...uniformly.


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## ChefJune (Aug 21, 2008)

gadzooks said:


> Ain't necessarily so...I roast or grill 'em, then slice for salads. I have a pump aerosol sprayer filled with evoo. Spray 'em, sprinkle liberally with cracked pepper and roast on a rack with some water in the pan or grill fast and hot hot hot. Just be careful not to overcook. use a meat thermometer to check. I should add that I fold the small "tail" end under so the breast is pretty much of uniform thickness. Cooks more...uniformly.


 
Gadzooks..... OP might like a roasting time.  I didn't see one posted. 

Actually, when they're placed on a rack over water, that's more steaming than roasting.....


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## bowlingshirt (Aug 21, 2008)

BreezyCooking said:


> You'll end up with dry tasteless chicken.


 
Dry chicken is due to overcooking, not the method itself.

ANY method you use to cook chicken breasts can result in them being dry when you over-cook them.


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## gadzooks (Aug 21, 2008)

I go by temp. 160°f. And when I say "water in the pan," I mean very little water in the pan. It will be gone before the bird is done.


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## DramaQueen (Aug 21, 2008)

BreezyCooking said:


> Boneless, skinless chicken breasts were never meant to be roasted. Baking in a sauce - yes. Sauteeing - yes. Pounding thin & frying - yes. Cutting into bite-size pieces & stirfrying - yes. Poaching - yes.
> 
> Roasting - no.
> 
> ...


 
*Gotta go with Breezy on this one.  I don't think roasted chicken breasts will hold up to the length of time it  takes to roast them.  They contain no fat so they cook in very little time.  They won't have time to brown so what's the point of roasting them?   If you do decide then go with the others' advice and leave the skin on and the bone  in to retain  some moisture but roast them for a very short time.*


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## CharlieD (Aug 25, 2008)

I have an English lenguage question. What is roasting? It seems to me that I don't really know what it means.


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## kitchenelf (Aug 25, 2008)

CharlieD said:


> I have an English lenguage question. What is roasting? It seems to me that I don't really know what it means.



Roasting is when something is placed in an oven and cooked with no addition of liquid to the pan...usually considered a "dry heat" method of cooking.  People roast a whole chicken but it turns out because the bones give flavor and moisture.  A boneless, skinless chicken breasts benefits from quick cooking either through a sear and not very long stay in the oven or several of the other methods mentioned above.


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## CharlieD (Aug 26, 2008)

Ok, so if I simply bake a piece of chicken breast it is called roasting. So what happens if i baset that same piece with some kind of sauce or marinad during baking?


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## Andy M. (Aug 26, 2008)

It will taste better.


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## CharlieD (Aug 26, 2008)

Ok, now I really do not understand what theproblem is then. I bake chicken quite often and is never dry and always taste good. The thing is not to overcook, period!


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## Andy M. (Aug 26, 2008)

That's right, Charlie.  But, because the boneless skinless chicken breast is so lean, it's easy to overcook it.


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## Callisto in NC (Aug 27, 2008)

BreezyCooking said:


> Boneless, skinless chicken breasts were never meant to be roasted.  Baking in a sauce - yes.  Sauteeing - yes. Pounding thin & frying - yes.  Cutting into bite-size pieces & stirfrying - yes.  Poaching - yes.
> 
> Roasting - no.


Interesting.  I roast them all the time to freeze for salads.  I don't need extra flavoring when all I'm going to do in the end is slather them with dressing.  I always thought the point of boneless skinless was to get away from the fat of the skin and make roasting for salads easier.  I had never heard not to roast them until today.


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## lindatooo (Aug 27, 2008)

I brine them for 20 minutes then grill them - perfect for paninni sandwiches and salads.


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## melt (Aug 31, 2008)

BreezyCooking said:


> Boneless, skinless chicken breasts were never meant to be roasted. Baking in a sauce - yes. Sauteeing - yes. Pounding thin & frying - yes. Cutting into bite-size pieces & stirfrying - yes. Poaching - yes.
> 
> Roasting - no.
> 
> ...


 
Not competely true.....I marinate boneless chicken breast over night with a good marinade and grill them (put a small aluminum pan of water on the grill while the chicken is cooking)I  even broil them, when your done put them in a metal pan with cover, let them sit for a while and all juices will build up in the meat. Very tender and juicy.


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