what's the best way to cook chicken if you're adding it to chicken salad or casseroles?

Question

I will be using boneless skinless chicken breasts and would like to prepare some ahead of time to use in some new recipes for the coming week and want to know which way to prepare it so that it has the best flavor. Do I boil it, bake it or what?

Answer 1

When I have a recipe that calls for cut up, cooked chicken, I buy chicken breasts on the bone, and boil them with onion, celery, carrots, salt and pepper. Cooking it on the bone gives it more flavor, and a chicken breast is very easy to de-bone and pull the skin off after it's cooked. Boneless chicken works well too, though.

After you cook your chicken, the broth has excellent flavor, so you can save and freeze it for soups, or anything else that calls for chicken broth.

Answer 2

For salads cut the chicken into thin strips or small pieces.
For the salad:
You could make up a marinade of honey, balsamic vinegar, some garlic salt and extra virgin olive oil. leave to marinade for an hour and then coat the chicken in a southern fried coating.
fry in olive oil until crispy, don't overcook. Delicious hot or cold.
For the casserole just put the plain chicken in strips or chunks into the casserole. It will take on the flavoiur of your casserole.
For the stock ingredients of the casserole you could a add whole baby carrots, diced swede, red onions, garden peas, with whole new potatoes and a vegetable stock (cubes or your own).
Add the chicken near the end or slow cook in a slow roaster for 6 to 8 hours.
Serve with cabbage and or string beans.

Answer 3

For the chicken salad, why not grill the breasts? It would add a unique flavor

for the cassarole and others, i'd boil it. You can add a lot or a little bit of flavor when boiling.

Answer 4

I boil the chicken -- but start it on very low heat and bring to a simmering boil to keep the chicken tender. Never a high rolling boil. To season I add some carrots, celery, onion and lemon pepper to the water. Good luck.

Answer 5

Most delis will boil the chicken, try seasoning the chicken and roasting it in a hot oven 425-450. You will be adding flavor as well as texture.

Answer 6

Well... if your using it for chicken salad I would say roast/bake it 1st and add some spices to add flavoring...

If in a casserold I would just boil it

Hugs

Answer 7

boil it, if you putting it in a casserole the flavour will come from the spices and other ingredients you add this will also make it more tender than baking or even frying. same for a salad. although for a salad it will add extra something if you fry it but it wont be as tender.

Answer 8

I always boil it when using it for a casserole or salad.
If you bake it, it is greasy, and could get dry, and you don't want to fry it, unless you are eating fried chicken.

Answer 9

The first thing I would do with the unfrozen chicken is soak it for an hour in salt water. then cook it on the grill with a high heat to sere the outsides and then lower the temp to finish it off

Answer 10

I like to bake extra when I fix chicken for a meal and use that. Best bet, though is probably to fry it with your favorite seasonings.