Getting Grilled Chicken Moist and Tender

From Kimberly Ann:

"Do you know of a way to cook chicken breast in a way that they come out more tender? I've been doing them on a small George Foreman grill and just seasoned for about 3 1/2 minutes which helped with the shorter cooking time. When I did them for 4 min. they were just too done. I was looking for maybe a healthy but low fat marinade. I even thought of squeezing lime juice on them and letting them sit. Do you have any suggestions?"

Good question, Kimberly, because I also have found that a Foreman style grill can make chicken breast fillets dry and/or tough on the outside. Four suggestions from me that I have used.

1. Cut back on the heat and let the chicken cook slower.

2. When you marinate, use olive oil also. Are you using any salt in the marinade? If so, eliminate it. Salt before cooking pull moisture out of the meat. The olive oil helps to keep the chicken moist and the outer layer of the breast meat tender. I like to use olive oil and Tony Tchasheirs Cajun Seasoning, or lemon pepper, or season all. I realize some of this goes against the "no salt" advice, but olive oil and just about any grilling seasoning is great.

3. Start with the breast fully thawed. I usually buy the bags of chicken breasts from Wal-Mart and will cook up a whole bag at one time. I use the extra meat during the following days for all kinds of dishes. When I have tried to cut corners and start cooking while the meat is not fully thawed or still really chilly, I get the dry meat result. When I'm cooking chicken breast (which can be once or twice a week - remember I cook them all at once) I let the meat get up to near room temperature before I cook it. It goes without saying that you don't let that process go on a second longer than necessary.

4. Another way I've cooked the chicken breast is to fry it. Don't gasp. Here's how. Cut the chicken breast up into the size of portions found in Chinese cuisine. Put olive oil in the frying pan (don't use much; it doesn't need it and nobody's that wealthy). And again, cook at a lower temp. Always comes out tender and juicy, but th color is a little pale, so it needs a nice sauce to dress it up if not casseroled.

4. Finally, the best way I've stumbled on to cook the chicken healthfully and without drying it out is to chunk the Foreman and invest in a Nuwave Oven. Frankly, I hardly ever get the Foreman style grill out any more. I still marinate using olive oil as a base, but then it goes into the Nuwave oven and comes out perfect. If you don't have one, you might find a friend who does and borrow it before you invest. Luckily, mine was given to Judy and me as a gift. At first I thought, "What am I going to do with this monster?!" But now I wouldn't part with it.




Hope that helps Kimberly. I understand the problem and have had to deal with it. Keep the nutrition clean. Remember: you can't out exercise a bad diet.