I suck at cooking chicken. Its always baked with olive oil and salt and pepper. And its never as moist or tender as i wish it was
probably not resting it enough. you can also brine them.
if you're talking about full breasts, well, these are allegedly "tricky", but it's actually pretty easy:
1. Get pan smoking hot
- 250+ degrees C! Buy an infrared thermometer if you don't have one, takes all the guess work out -- no more "medium heat", "high heat" bullshit -- :
http://amzn.to/WZKiau <-- only $10 WTF!!).
- Use a nice, thick pan. This one is great: http://amzn.to/1s1m4ez
2. Add oil, about 2 tbsp
3. Saute a couple of minutes each side. Do the second side a minute less than the first. If it's brown enough for your liking, it's good.
4. Put in 200 degree C oven for 15 minutes.
5. Let rest for 15 minutes before cutting / eating.
Brine for at least 6 hours beforehand for even better results. Too lazy to type up instructions right now.
Another VERY easy method:
1. Flatten chicken breasts (easiest to cut them thin before flattening. If they give resistance, use the "tenderizing" side of the mallet first) to about a quarter inch.
2. Marinade in something with at least a little sugar for 30 minutes.
3. Get pan smoking hot (again 250+ C).
4. Sear chicken 45 seconds per side.
5. Rest for 10 minutes UNDER FOIL before slicing.
This will make super moist, tender chicken breasts with very appealing color. The "browning" isn't the same as you get from a longer sear time; the color comes from the sugar, not the meat, in this case.
An example of a marinade which works well for this: teriyaki. Equal parts soy sauce, mirin, and honey.
If you want to use thighs:
1. Flattten to a half-inch
2. Get pan smoking hot (250+ C)
3. 2 minutes per side
4. Rest for 10 minutes under foil.
And I just realized I forgot to mention salt. I salt generously using all of the above methods. Just remember to put the salt on JUST before you put the chicken into the pan. If you put it on too early, it will draw out moisture and interfere with the sear. For this reason, I actually wait to salt the second side of the chicken until just before I flip it for the first time.
