Are you wondering how to cook skinless boneless chicken breasts to add to a salad or sandwich? A covered skillet on the stovetop will produce moist results quicker and with less mess than the oven will.
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The dish I most often order in a restaurant as a gluten free person is a salad with chicken on it. It's what I often make for myself at home, too. There are so many salad variations, and plain, cooked chicken will take on the flavour of the salad dressing and other ingredients.
I use cooked chicken in
- Easy Chicken Salad with Mango
- Mango Avocado Salad with Chicken
- Festive Cranberry Salad with Chicken and Pecans
- Chicken Salad
There are times when I don't want to heat up my whole oven. I don't even have a conventional oven in our motorhome.
This method is great when you just want to cook two or three chicken breasts. You can even customize the time by adjusting the temperature a little, depending on your schedule. Keep the heat turned up a bit if you're in a hurry; turn it down really low if you want to ignore it for a while.
The meat steams in its own juices, finishing up nicely plump, moist, and tender.
For chicken, or any meat, the best way to be sure that it's sufficiently cooked without being overdone is to check the internal temperature with a thermometer. This Meat Temperature Guide for Safe and Tasty Cooking is very helpful.
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
Although I've used chicken breasts in these instructions, you can cook chicken thighs in the same way. In fact, chicken thighs will cook quicker and retain more moisture than the breasts will. Just keep an eye on the internal temperature with your meat thermometer.
How to Cook Boneless, Skinless Chicken in a Pan on the Stovetop
I like to set my skillet to a medium-high heat to get things started. Drizzle in some oil such as avocado or coconut oil.
Add the chicken breasts without crowding them. Let them cook on the first side for a minute or two. (I'm not concerned with browning the meat for this purpose.)
Then, turn the chicken over. Reduce the heat. How low you set the heat might depend on how much time you have. If you can leave it nice and low, the meat will be more moist and tender.
Put the lid on the pan and leave it for 15 minutes to half an hour.
Cook until a meat thermometer inserted into the centre of the thickest part reads 165F (74C). The cooking time will vary greatly depending on the cooking temperature and the thickness of your chicken breasts.
Remove from the pan. Let the meat rest for 5 to 10 minutes to retain the juices.
Slice up the meat to serve.
Recipe
Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 6- ounce skinless boneless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
Instructions
- Place a lidded skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil.
- Place chicken breasts in oiled pan and cook for a minute or two.
- Turn meat over, reduce heat, and put the lid on.
- After 15 minutes, check the internal temperature of the meat by inserting a meat thermometer into the centre of the thickest part.
- Once the internal temperature has reached 165 F (74C), remove the meat from the heat. Let it rest 5 to 10 minutes before slicing to serve.
Video
Nutrition
Don Baiocchi says
Wow. I cook chicken all the time but have never tried this method. It's so easy! Thanks for the info!
Cathy says
It really is easy! You're welcome.