Here are 7 actionable techniques you can use to instantly get better tasting, more juicy chicken breasts. Aviron has their best prices of the year on right now and you can get an additional $50 off all of their products with code BRIAN50. Visit
▶️WATCH NEXT:
CRISPY CHICKEN CAESAR (Pounded cutlet):
CHICKEN NUGGETS (Jaccard):
CHICKEN QUESADILLA (Dry Brine):
PAN ROAST CHICKEN (Wet Brine):
BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP (Poaching):
CHICKEN SALAD 3 WAYS (Poaching):
CHICKEN MARSALA (dredging):
BEEF & BROCCOLI (Velveting):
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🔪MY GEAR:
JACCARD TOOL
WOK
LAGERSTROM 8” CHEFS KNIFE
4QT SAUCE POT:
NONSTICK FRY PAN:
BRINE CONTAINER:
DIGITAL SCALE:
DUTCH OVEN:
INSTANT READ THERMOMETER:
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Dry Brine Recipe:
▪2 8oz chicken breasts (or another lean meat)
▪10g or 2 1/4tsp olive oil
▪10g or 1 2/3tsp salt
▪Zest of 1 lime + juice ½ a lime
▪3-4 garlic loves, minced
▪2g or 1tsp black pepper
▪3g or 1 1/4tsp chili powder**
▪1g or .5tsp dried oregano
▪Splash of tequila (Tbsp or so)
▪10g or 2 1/4tsp agave syrup
1. Pound chicken out into about a 1”/2.5cm thick cutlets. Add to bag with other ingredients and massage to coat. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes to marinate.
2. If you’ll be grilling the chicken…cook on a high grill for 5-6min on the 1st side then cook on second side for about 2 minutes.
If baking the chicken… bake at 450F/230C for 12-15 min. The internal temp should reach 150F/65-66C.
Herby Wet Brine Recipe:
▪1qt/L water
▪150g or 1/2c salt
▪50g or 1/4c granulated sugar
▪2 bay leaves
▪1 head of garlic, halved
▪Several sprigs of rosemary, sage, and thyme for brine + additional to finish
▪1000g or 2qt ice
▪2 halves skin-on deboned chicken (see video @4:32 for process)
▪Vegetable oil
▪50-70g or 4-5Tbsp unsalted butter
1. Add water, salt, sugar, garlic, and herbs to a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Continue to simmer for 10 minutes, then turn off heat and allow to seep for another 5min.
2. Add ice into a large (at least 4qt/3.5L) container. After brine has seeped, pour it over the ice. When melted the brine is ready. Add deboned chicken halves, refrigerate, and allow to brine for 4 hours.
3. After 4 hours, remove chicken from brine and dry as much as possible with towels (and blow dryer on cool for extra credit). Refrigerate uncovered to dry further until ready to cook.
CHAPTERS:
0:00 Technique 1
1:52 Technique 2
3:32 Technique 3
5:11 Technique 4
5:27 I got a treadmill
6:37 Technique 4 continued
8:52 Technique 5
10:07 Technique 6
11:05 Technique 7
🎧MUSIC:
EPIDEMIC SOUND
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7 Techniques to INSTANTLY Upgrade Your Chicken Breasts
25 Comments
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I thought chicken is supposed to be cooked to 165⁰, isn't 155⁰ dangerous and too low or am I missing something?
Hey Brian, how do you clean your jaccard tool??? I bought one but I'm scared to use it just because it seems like you have to take the entire thing apart to clean it every time it's used? Do you just do something else?
Using methods 1-3 & 5 tonight. Tossing lemon zest on top, serving w bed of mashed garlic red & rosemary.
I have used all of these techniques other than the Jacard. Getting ready to pound some really thick chicken breasts to get them ready to grill tonight. But I've also ordered the Jacarding tool that you've linked to.
Marinate in buttermilk overnight before. Gamechanger.
I came back just to add some feedback from my attempt at velveting chicken the way you showed here.
1: The water immediately washed off all of the coating on the chicken
2: After i took the chicken out, it would not stop losing juices. The chicken was drowning in juice just minutes after i took it out. Like, seriously i've never seen chicken lose juice that bad.
3: I tried separating the juice from the chicken and stir frying it in a piping hot pan, but the chicken lost so much juice in the pan that it basically turned itself into chicken soup.
4: By the time i was done cooking the chicken was the consistency of an eraser and tasted similar too.
Not really sure where the "locking in" of the juices happens because it lost more juice than if i had just fried the bare chicken in a hot pan.
Home run here. Excellent video.
Great tips. But you missed sous vide. It's the only way cook chicken at home these days. Consistent results everytime and keeps it nice and juicy. Plus you can cook directly from frozen. If you desire you can seat it fit a minute afterwards too and keep the juicy inside and have a mallard reaction
I really like your knowledge and teaching techniques, but like everything with learning, time can be an issue. I'll try to make more time to watch your videos. Take care.
The best technique I’ve found is to use a meat thermometer to avoid over-cooking. I also like using a meat hammer.
Steaming instead of poaching?
we often make Chicken Breasts on bushfire during our outdoor picnics! Great takeaways from video!
Jaccarding does NOT " break down the protein structure of the meat"
Jaccarding changes the physical structure and texture of meat but does not chemically shorten the protein molecules themselves. It’s mechanical disruption, not molecular degradation.
I put off watching this video because I thought “I really don’t like chicken very much.” But I’m thinking that with these techniques, I might actually like it. Super informative.
No good the very first chicken breast he showed was overcooked I’m out!
Gracias Maestro!
11:50 "… more than a quarter teaspoon per POUND of baking soda." Did you mean "per pound of chicken?"
I love the flour the best, especially with piccata. I also like brining with salt, pepper, lemon and Italian seasoning.
Can't get enough!
Great advice mate
Beware the Jaccard tool…I tried it out (tool not as cheap as you would imagine from this video), used the same technique (7 pumps per side) and the result was mashed chicken breast that had the same consistency as Underwood Deviled Chicken…I think the tried and true method of pounding it out and then grilling is the way to go.
The cut at 1:29 made me feel like he took a bite of that raw chicken and it was deeply upsetting for about one second.
…sometimes I want big plump and succultent breasts, while other times a nice firm smallish and sooo tasty breast is just what I need… 😇
This is a fantastic tutorial for the best ways of cooking chicken breast. Very educational without being too overly scientific. My favorite is definitely the velveting. Thanks Chef Bri!
I told that exact thing to Ellen page, and whelp. Here we are.