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There are a thousand and one reasons to cook chicken breast as often as possible. Juicy meat has a pleasant mild taste, is saturated with the most important elements, has a high nutritional value and at the same time is a reference dietary product. And although the chicken fillet is prepared quite quickly and without any special tricks, it does not cost anything to spoil it. Proven culinary secrets and tips from MAGGI® will help you always achieve the perfect result, no matter how you cook chicken breast.
Pot, cook!
It all starts with the proper preparation of the chicken breast. The frozen product should be removed from the freezer in advance and left on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, the fillet can already be cooked. Do not defrost the meat in the microwave or in hot water. Because of this, it will turn out to be rubbery and tasteless.
The easiest and fastest way to get a juicy soft breast is to cook it in vegetable broth. Take a peeled onion, carrot and a small piece of celery root, pour water, bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes over medium heat. Remove the vegetables, and instead of them, lower the chicken breast into boiling water. Do not forget to add a bay leaf, a couple of peas of allspice and your favorite dried herbs.
Cook the breast for an average of 15-20 minutes, based on the size. Do not pull the meat out of the broth immediately. Cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer on the stove for at least another 15 minutes. Then the fillet will better absorb the subtle aroma of spices, and thanks to the broth it will become especially soft and juicy.
Spiritual Conversion
When baking, the maximum of useful elements is preserved in the chicken breast. However, in the oven, the meat is often dry and hard. To avoid this, it is pre-marinated. The classic option is to lubricate the fillet with vegetable oil and rub it with spices for poultry. For the marinade, you can also use soy sauce, tomato juice, honey with mustard, kefir or yogurt, slices of orange and lemon.
Some housewives soak the chicken breast in brine. It is mixed at the rate of 45 g of salt and sugar per liter of water. The desired volume of brine is boiled for 1-2 minutes, cooled, the fillet is left in it for 32 hours in the refrigerator, and then dried. Ideally, before sending it to the oven, it is fried over high heat until golden brown. So the meat retains all the fragrant juices inside. And in order not to lose them during baking, cover the chicken breast with foil or parchment paper. Another win-win option is to cook the fillet in the sleeve, generously filling it with marinade.
Professional chefs recommend baking fillets at a high temperature, at least 240-250°C, for 15-20 minutes. If you wrapped the breast with foil, do not open it for another 10 minutes — there the meat will “ripen” to the optimal state.
Pleasant longing
Stewed breast, in sauce or with vegetables, also turns out juicy and soft. To do this, the fillet is first of all slightly beaten off and cut into small pieces, necessarily across the fibers. Then, during heat treatment, it will absorb the juices more deeply and it will turn out more tender.
As with baking, the fillet pieces should first be fried in a hot frying pan, greased with oil. When in contact with it, the protein forms a thin film and locks all the juices inside. For a dietary option, you can make a simple onion-carrot passer and pour hot water or vegetable broth over the chicken. For a richer taste, add tomato paste, thick cream, sour cream, dry white wine, soy sauce. Take any vegetables that are at your disposal.
Do not forget about spices and herbs. Sweet paprika, curry, coriander, garlic and turmeric are the best choice, according to experienced chefs. As for greens, it is better to give preference to basil, oregano, thyme, parsley and cilantro. Fresh or dried, it does not matter.
Tender meat in a frying pan
The most delicious chicken breast is obtained in a frying pan. However, there is also a risk of over-drying the meat, making it hard and rubbery. This will never happen with MAGGI® on the second for a tender chicken breast fillet. Thanks to special sheets for frying, tender chicken fillet seals all the juices inside. That’s why the meat turns out so tender and juicy. At the same time, you do not need to add additional vegetable oil. And the leaves also contain pieces of dried vegetables and the necessary set of spices in the right proportions. This gives the fillet an exquisite aroma and expressive taste shades.
The cooking technology is simple. First, you need to beat off the chicken fillet to a thickness of 1.5-2 cm with a kitchen hammer, the side without spikes. Then it is wrapped in frying sheets and lightly pressed with the palm of your hand over the entire surface. In this form, the breasts are sent to a well-heated frying pan without oil. They are fried quickly, no longer than 5-7 minutes on each side. If you notice that the spices have started to burn, turn down the heat a little. Transfer the finished fillet to a plate and cover with foil for 5 minutes — so it will be even more saturated with the aromas of fragrant herbs.
Sandwich for slimness
Fried breast is delicious on its own. And a sandwich with her participation is a real treat. Sprinkle two whole-grain toast with vegetable oil and brown in a dry frying pan. We beat off 200 g of chicken fillet, tightly wrap it in MAGGI® frying sheets for the second for a tender chicken breast fillet with tomatoes and basil. Fry the fillet for 5-7 minutes on each side, let it cool and cut into thin strips. Puree half of the pulp of a mature avocado, mix with 2 tbsp. l. natural unsweetened yogurt, 1 tsp. lemon juice, a pinch of salt and chili. Grease one toast with sauce, cover with lettuce leaves, put pieces of chicken fillet on top, circles of cherry tomatoes and slices of sweet pepper, sprinkle with green onions. Cover everything with lettuce leaves and a second whole-grain toast, smeared with sauce. A hearty and healthy chicken sandwich is ready!
Quesadilla from the tropics
Fried chicken fillet will be an excellent basis for an exquisite juicy quesadilla with pineapples. We wash 300 g of canned pineapples under a stream of water, dry them well on a paper towel and fry them in a grill pan until dark stripes. We beat off 2 chicken breasts with a hammer, wrap them in MAGGI® sheets for the second for a tender chicken breast fillet with garlic and herbs, press them with our hands. Fry them in a frying pan without oil for 5-7 minutes on each side. The finished cooled fillet is cut into cubes. Cut the pineapple and jalapeno pepper into slices. Grease a round tortilla tortilla with tomato sauce, spread fillet, pineapple and pepper pieces on one half, sprinkle with grated cheese, sprinkle with barbecue sauce and cover with the second half of the tortilla. We brown the tortilla properly and immediately serve it to the table, while the cheese inside remains hot and stretches with appetizing threads.
Ordinary chicken fillet can be prepared in such a way that even the most discerning home gourmets will be surprised. The unique MAGGI® frying sheets for the second tender chicken breast fillet will help you with this. Thanks to them, the fillet will always turn out to be extremely tender, juicy and so tempting. In addition, it will retain all the valuable properties and bring the body a solid benefit. Your dishes will acquire a unique zest and will always delight your relatives with successful combinations.