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Recipe File: Grilled Skinless Chicken Breast
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Dilbert



Joined: 19 Oct 2007
Posts: 1304
Location: central PA

PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 1:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

well, there's a bit of 'terminology' to get past.

a brine - usually salt & sugar in water - is aimed at making the meat more moist and juicy.

one can add 'stuff' to a brine for flavor.

pushing that, there's a marinade - which is aimed primarily at introducing flavor.

most brines do not include an acid component
many / most marinades do include an acid.

acid may be vinegar, fruit juices, wine, lots of liquids on the acid scale.

so what? valid question.

the process of "cooking" - typically by heat - causes changes to the structure of proteins.

interestingly enough, "acids" produce the same changes.

some tv chef once demonstrated you can "cook" fish at room temperature in a bowl of lemon juice. the acid makes the same protein changes as the heat. if you need a home proof, buy some salmon, cut in half, put one pc in oven, liberally douse other pc with lemon juice, observe results.

so.... vinegar & chicken -
first vinegar has a taste - and that'll show up in the finished product. wine vinegar, cider vinegar, balsamic, etc. all have their own flavor profiles.

second, it will denature aka start to cook the proteins. too much too long can produce a chunk of chicken that is tough/chewy on the outside.

in my experience a splash of vinegar does help with marinade flavor penetration. a really mild acid - such as buttermilk - can go overnight with good results.

however, overdoing the acid is not a good approach.
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Alex
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 1:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you so much for this!! I hate having to buy pre-cooked chicken because I don't know how to properly grill my own. I Googled "seasoned grilled chicken breasts" expecting to find some generic cooking site, but then I saw the result for Cooking for Engineers and immediately clicked it because I know I can trust your recipes. I've had enormous success with your English toffee and peanut butter cookie recipes before. THANK YOU!! Smile
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Guest






PostPosted: Thu Jan 28, 2010 5:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Excellent! I thought I would never buy boneless skinless breasts becuase the way they turned out before (hawaiian slipper to start with) until I saw this. With this method, it turned just the way as they serve in restaurants. Brining is the most important step. Apart from the rub you used, I sprinkled steak seasoning (from costco). My wife and I just loved it.

Thank you!!
Ajay
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morganmoonlady
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PostPosted: Mon May 31, 2010 4:54 pm    Post subject: brined chicken breast Reply with quote

this is the only way I do chicken breast! The meat is so moist and tasty, it is like chicken from the deli when you use is for cold sandwiches! I have also done Turkeys and Pork. Teasing
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Guest






PostPosted: Mon May 31, 2010 6:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What if you use a charcoal grill? It seems that this recipe only mentions grilling using a gas grill.

I use a charcoal Weber. Should I use the direct method? Indirect method? How many briquets shoud I use? And how should I time it?
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Michael Chu



Joined: 10 May 2005
Posts: 1654
Location: Austin, TX (USA)

PostPosted: Mon May 31, 2010 9:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Anonymous wrote:
What if you use a charcoal grill? It seems that this recipe only mentions grilling using a gas grill.

I use a charcoal Weber. Should I use the direct method? Indirect method? How many briquets shoud I use? And how should I time it?

I would build a two stage fire. Start with a hot fire providing direct heat to sear, then move to a low fire to finish. I don't use briquettes - only hardwood charcoal which seems to vary from manufacturer to manufacturer quite a bit, so I can't really provide guidance on how much to use. Don't time, use a fast response digital meat thermometer and go by internal temperature instead.
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donny dirk
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 11:53 pm    Post subject: pop ups Reply with quote

Never saw one single pop up.
Chicken's in the brine right now.
thx
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Guest






PostPosted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 6:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

On a gas grill Lid open or closed? Direct heat or indirect heat. Need details
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Michael Chu



Joined: 10 May 2005
Posts: 1654
Location: Austin, TX (USA)

PostPosted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 9:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Anonymous wrote:
On a gas grill Lid open or closed? Direct heat or indirect heat. Need details

In this particular case, the chicken was cooked over low direct heat with the lid closed.

Sorry, this was one of my more poorly written articles/recipes...
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me
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 9:14 am    Post subject: can we use a frying pan for this? Reply with quote

can we simply cook it using a frying pan instead of a grill. do we need to apply oil on frying pan before doing so?
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Meenie
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 29, 2010 9:50 pm    Post subject: Brining chicken Reply with quote

Bobbie Flay talked about brining on his grilling show, but he used much more salt. (he didn't measure, of course, just poured salt in from the box Smile but he poured in quite a bit and said, you want it salty. Don't worry, it won't make the meat too salty. Smile
I love brining - it makes the meat so much more juicy and flavorful!
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jiffy
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 2:59 pm    Post subject: chicken made tender Reply with quote

brilliant recipe!!! thank you - and to anyone who hasn't tried it, do give it a go: you'll be wonderfully rewarded with completely yummy tender chicken
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shooble
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PostPosted: Thu May 26, 2011 11:40 pm    Post subject: Great! Reply with quote

Just did it.

Defrosted 4 breasts.
Put 18g salt in 1 pint water.
Soaked for 2h
Dried off on towel.
Rubbed lightly with spices.

Seared 45sec each side oiled smoking hot cast iron broiling pan.

Finished in halogen oven 200C (400F?) for ~15min removing the thinner breasts earlier.

TASTY, TASTY, TASTY! Maybe a little less salt next time, but overall, WHAT A DIFFERENCE! Not dry in the slightest. An incredible transformation.

You sir are a genius. Cheapest frozen breast I could find, turned out as good as any I've had out. Without skin too. It's a miracle. - Will be replacing the spice rub with some Tikka / Tandoori / Cajun spice, but other than that, and reducing the salt a little. Other than that, simply perfect.
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cincy smoker 420
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 21, 2011 12:03 am    Post subject: cinnamon Reply with quote

I found that less cinnamon is a good idea. It burns a little too much.

The brining is a great idea just take it easy on the cinnamon Cool
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guest
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 11, 2015 3:20 pm    Post subject: wooow! Reply with quote

I just cooked chicken breasts for the first time I'm my life! I was very surprised as to how nice and juicy they turned out. Now, there is no excuse for anyone to cook dry chicken..haha
Thanks for the amazing website. I've been using it as a guide, as I recently am getting into cooking.

Btw, I used 600ml water, 15g salt for 4 hours. The cayenne overpowered the other flavors, but I like it spicy so that was fine
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