Why is my chicken always dry?

Question

I am not a chef, but I do know my way around a kitchen pretty well. My husband and I think that I am a fantastic cook. I recently decided to never cook chicken again because it always seems to come out dry except for when I stuff it with tomatoes, mozzerella, and spinach, and bake it in light Italian dressing (that's a recipe I invented when Brian decided he wanted to drop a few pounds and it's delicious and seems to be the only one that doesn't come out dry no matter how I prepare chicken.) So why does my chicken always come out dry, and what can I do to make a moist, juicy, delicious chicken?

P.S. It has to taste good too, because chicken has almost no flavor on it's own.

Answer 1

Let me tell you, what you need is a Thermometer. Every home cook should have one. that's why your chicken is always so dry, and seems to be lacking in flavor. It's because you're overcooking it. I mean, you may not think you are, but I can guarantee you are. And I mean absolutely no offense, but before I started working professionally, I was totally the same way. All a chicken really needs is a good quality sea salt, and some fresh ground black pepper. You'll realize how wonderfully flavorful a roasted chicken really is. It'll be like something you've never had before. It'll be an awakening. So, the secret is, go out and you get that thermometer, and roast that chicken to about 155-160F. oh, and before you roast it, rub the skin with copious amounts of butter, and I do mean copious. that's how you get that amazingly crisp skin.

Answer 2

It all depends on what type of dish you're are preparing. Fried chicken is suppose to be cooked in vegtable oil at a high temp, (400 degrees for about 20 - 30 mintues). The outside will be very crispy and the inside will be moist and juicy. If you bake it, (375 degrees), make sure you put a lid on your cookware with a little water. When the water heats up, that will cause the chicken to bake but will not become dry as long as you dont over cook it, around 45 minutes to an hour.

Answer 3

I don't know what type of chicken you use but my favorite chicken ever is the frozen, bagged boneless/skinless, Kirkland chicken from Costco.

I thaw the chicken
season it with pepper, season salt, and garlic salt (and I use a lot for good flavor ;-) )
Then bake it at 375 for about 30-40minutes (depending on how many pieces)
Turning over once 1/2 way through

You can also saute some mushrooms and serve them on top of the chicken
Put cut mushrooms (canned, make sure to drain water or fresh) in a saute pan
Add butter
Cook over medium heat stirring frequently
Add season salt, pepper, garlic salt
reduce heat
Saute for about 10 minutes

Hope this helps out!

Answer 4

Try poaching the chicken, or marinate it, wrap it in alluminum foil and cook on about 350 for 20 mins if it's thawed. That should keep it nice and moist. Also, salt and pepper it first.

Good luck! My chicken is usually very moist when I make it this way..also a good recipe it..


Buy a whole chicken that's cut up in 8 pieces..bone and skin still in. Put it in a pot with big pieces of onion, celery, and carrots. Cover with water or chicken stock and boil for 1.5 hours. Remove the chicken to cool. Add box of chicken stock to fill the pot 3/4 full. Bring to a boil and add dumplings.

3.5 cups flour
1/2 stock
1tsp salt
3 eggs.

Mix eggs and stock, make well in center of flour and salt mixture.
Adding flour, roll out very thin and cut into strips. Add to the boiling stock. Boil 15 minutes, turn down to simmer.

De-skin and De-bone chicken..it usually Falls RIGHT OFF the bone its so moist and add to pot.

so good!!

Answer 5

If you are grilling you have to be cafeful not to over cook it. Try using a meat thermometer. I gifted my husband a digital meat thermometer and we have long since said "bye-bye" to overcooked chicken. You cant fail if you marinate the chicken before you grill. Italian dressing is a great marinade for grilling also!

I really do not cook chicken any other way... frying is too messy for me. Baked chicken never tastes good, unless it is in a dish or something like what you have mentioned.

Answer 6

your not sealing your chicken and you might be tearinfg off the skin or removing it before you cook it this makes it dry out fast and cook dry on the ends and over cook. the chicken on the grill needs a fast sear on the hottest part of the fire then cook the rest of the time in smoke and heat covered in a seasoned foil away from the heat in the heat areas and smoke but not on the fire direct cause the cooking is low and slow for all grilling. low and slow the first sear is to seal up the chicken skin and hold in the juices. chicken needs to be browned and seared closed by high heat early in the cooking and then low and slow to allow the seasoning to enter and smoke to flavor it otherwise the chicken can be dry and burnt on the edges and very unflavorful. I over season chicken even marinate the chicken with teriyaki seasoning over night and add olive oil and garlic to the teriyaki season then leave the skin on and allow the skin to taken off after cooking long slow the first three minutes the meat side down on the hot grill to seal in the flavors and juicyness. then lower the heat and off the heat smoke the chicken with wet wood chips on the coals that way the meat is smoked and flavored full and a dry rub over the outside insures the skin allows the chicken to take in all the flavors and they are layers inside the best is the smoke for a long time like 45 minutes to ahour over a msoking hot coals bed sometimes .I make a hot bed sear the steaks first and the chicken together then pull off the steaks after both sides are seared and push the chicken to the sides where the fire is not on the chicken direct i foil them and in a pan smioke the chicken add more coals get the heat up and finish off the steaks and allow the chicken to smoke well. long and slow smoking.the smike makes the chicken take on a great flavor of the dry run and a crunch one way to this is to bread the chicken like in a batter and then cook the chicken with a little oil over it in the smoke will make the fried roasted chicken. good times just leave the chicken skin oon and remove it after cooking. cheer \

Answer 7

I always flatten my (boneless) chicken. Sprinkle it with water, and wrap it between two sheets of plastic wrap. Then either flatten it with a skillet, or you can get a nice fancy tenderizer. Not one with the spikes, the one with a wide flat circular surface. Try to get it to less than an inch thick.

Then make sure to cook it at a high temp, and FAST, if the recipe lends itself to this. The secret to moist chicken is to cook it through as fast as possible.

Answer 8

If you are using breasts, try this, flatten to about 3/8 to 1/2 in then dip in egg then breadcrumbs and fry till golden brown on each side ( total about 15 minutes) or put on a cookie sheet sprayed with PAM in 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes. turning once during cooking. they come out very moist

Answer 9

i think that also depends on the part of the chicken u are using. the chicken breast has a dryer taste than the thigh or leg. try using some kind of sauce (very liquidy) to dip it in or cook it with to that it soaks up the juices.

Answer 10

Depends on how you want to prepare the chicken, cook, bake, or fry.
Each one requries special preperation.

One useful way is to bake it with barbecue sauce. this sauce sinks into the chicken to give it flavor and moisture, and more sauce can be applied after baking for added flavor and moisture.