To Bake Or Broil? That Is The Question

Don't roll your eyes, this is a post about broiled chicken, and hopefully it will make you a believer. Chicken is a great, healthy protein - so why does it always get a bad rap in the gourmet world? Chicken seems to automatically conjure up images of bad wedding buffets and cafeteria food. I admit, when I am out, I rarely order chicken, and never really served it, until I stumbled upon this trick: broiling. It will result in delicious, tender, moist chicken every time, while baking tends to dry out the bird.

Gour-Maybe trick - please, please save yourself some seasoning and herb-chopping time and start with the pre-marinated chicken breasts (boneless, skinless) at Central Market. My personal faves are the Orange Honey Habanero, and the Dijon Herb varieties, but use whatever you like. 

Full instructions after the jump.


Really focus....'cause this is going to be tough!


Broiled Chicken (serves 2) You will need:

• 1 pre-marinated, boneless, skinless full chicken breast (split into two halves) appx 1/2 breast per person if you need to increase the quantities.

First, pre-heat your oven to broil. Place the chicken breasts on a layer of aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Place the cookie sheet with chicken breasts in on the second rack from the top once the oven has heated. Flip the chicken breast over once it appears to be opaque from the top down to halfway through the breast (cooking time depends on size of chicken breast)...
Remove from the oven once the entire breast is cooked, opaque and no longer pink**, and let rest for about 3 minutes wrapped in the foil that was on the baking sheet.

**Note, a portion weighing 1.25lbs usually takes 7 minutes per side. But the best way is to check with a digital thermometer. Poultry should be cooked to 165 degrees.

You're done. I think that was 5 steps? This is such a great weeknight way to cook, when you don't have or don't want to spend a ton of time. When it's done, slice, dice, eat with roasted vegetables, rice, a salad, sandwich and use the leftover in an omelet or scrambled eggs (See picture below: I did the next morning with rosemary, goat cheese and sweet onion). Try it out, I think you will be a broiled chicken convert, just like me.