The Perfect Baked Chicken Breast
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Whenever I cook chicken, I go with boneless and skinless. Chicken thighs are my favorite cut of chicken. They are flavorful, great for grilling, and hard to overcook. Chicken breast, on the other hand, is a white meat and, if you're not careful, very easy to dry out. Dried out chicken breast is the worst!!
I have tried sooooo many different ways to cook chicken breast, and this method is by far my absolute favorite. And if my son likes it, you know it's a sure thing!!
Here's a little info about my son. He's a spitting image of me and pay back from when I was a kid. I was the pickiest eater of all time, not exaggerating. I didn't even start eating vegetables until I was 18 years old. I honestly thought they tasted disgusting. My poor parents. As a child, I would gag just trying to eat vegetables. So how is my son with eating? The exact same as me. I'm a lover of all things food now, so it gives me hope for my son's nutrition, but for now, I've got to deal with trying to get him to expand past the 5 different foods he will currently eat.
So of course, I was thrilled when he ate all the chicken I put in front of him, and did not have to tell him, "Pick up the chicken, put it in your mouth, chew, keep chewing..."
Perfect Baked Chicken Breast
Ingredients
1.5 lbs to 2 lbs chicken breast
4 cups water
3 Tablespoons sea salt
3 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon butter
1 1/2 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
1. Pound the chicken with a rolling pin or meat pounder to even thickness. This part is very important. You want even chicken breast to ensure even cooking.
2. Make the brine. In a large bowl, add 4 cups of warm water, 3 Tablespoons of sea salt and 3 Tablespoons of honey. Mix until the salt is dissolved. Add the chicken breasts to the brine. Cover with lid and place in refrigerator for a few hours. If you're running short on time, you can brine for at least 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
4. Remove chicken from bowl and pat dry and place in baking pan.
5. In a small bowl, melt 1 Tablespoon butter, 1 1/2 Tablespoon honey, and 1 Tablespoon lemon juice.
6. Brush both sides of the chicken breast with butter, honey, and lemon juice mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness of chicken breast, or until internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
8. Let chicken rest for a few minutes before cutting into it. Save the juices from the pan!! Dip the chicken in the juice for the PERFECT BAKED CHICKEN BREAST.
Let me know what you think when you try it out!
I used the chicken for a delicious strawberry salad which will be on the blog tomorrow!!!
