The Key To Cooking Frozen Chicken Breast So It Stays Moist And Delicious
Compared to thighs, wings, and drumsticks, chicken breast reigns supreme. It's higher in protein and lower in calories and, when cooked fresh, is juicy and easy to impress with flavor. Baked, buttered, poached, fried, infused with lemon, or sliced into a chicken Caesar salad, it truly is quintessential in a wide array of dishes, both traditional and innovative. Frozen chicken breasts are a great way to keep this ingredient convenient and ready to go. The only hitch? It can be challenging to recreate the succulent center that the fresh variety boasts.
While frozen chicken breasts are a brilliant way to reduce food waste, they can be notoriously dry when cooked from frozen and time-consuming when left to thaw. So where's the middle ground? The key to cooking frozen chicken breasts so they remain moist and delicious is super easy. All you need is a little oil or fat that allows the breasts to stay juicy right through from oven to plate.
A little bit of oil goes a long way
A prior concern you may hold is it safe to cook chicken from frozen. The answer is yes. Just ensure you cook the chicken for an appropriate time to be certain it's completely cooked through. To make the most of those frozen chicken breasts, it's important to use fat to keep all those wonderful juices inside the breast. Oil is a great choice as it's extremely versatile and will compliment other flavors effortlessly once the chicken has cooked. Fully coat the frozen chicken breast in oil, and it's ready to cook.
Other fats that can be used include melted butter, ghee, and yogurt. A little seasoning does not go amiss, either. A mixture of Dijon mustard and mayonnaise is also a great way to keep all those wonderful juices, especially if you want the chicken to sing with those flavors too. The secret to this hack is that it works best when the frozen chicken breasts are roasted. The chicken is cooked evenly, and the fatty layer you've created is not seared off in the frying pan or boiled off when poached.
Frozen chicken marinades
Putting frozen chicken breasts into an easy marinade is a fantastic idea, as you pack in loads of flavor and have a pre-made fatty shield already with the breasts. As soon as you take the chicken out of the freezer, it will begin to thaw and absorb all that wonderful marinade as it defrosts in the refrigerator. You can also freeze chicken breasts in a marinade too! Inspirations for freezer marinades include garlic lemon with plenty of olive oil, or teriyaki with honey, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Marinades keep the meat nice and moist while it cooks.
Yogurt is also safe to freeze into a marinade with chicken breasts. However, the texture of the yogurt may be slightly grainy upon removing it from the freezer. While you can stir out these bits, your chicken breasts may look slightly unappealing — it's safe to consume, so it's really your call. Frozen chicken marinades will last for up to nine months, however, its best quality is typically observed within the first four months.
When you decide to cook frozen chicken breasts next time, consider generously coating them with a drizzle of oil, and you'll be pleasantly satisfied with the results.