The Wellness Center's Blog

5 Out-Of-The-Box Chicken Breast Recipes

By: Dexter Staff

October 1, 2019, 9:00 am - Categories: Nutrition

Get creative with these five scrumptious skinless and boneless chicken breast recipes:

Chicken Saltimbocca with Crunchy Pea Salad by Aaron Crowder, Katie Jackson and Nick Perkins – 4 Servings

INGREDIENTS

• 2 8-oz. skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 3 large eggs, beaten to blend
• 2 cups panko
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• Kosher salt
• 8 sage leaves
• 4 thin slices prosciutto
• 2 cups vegetable oil
• 4 scallions, very thinly sliced on a diagonal
• 8 oz. sugar snap peas, strings removed, thinly sliced
• ½ cup mint leaves, torn if large
• 2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• Flaky sea salt
• Lemon wedges (for serving)

RECIPE PREPARATION

• Place a chicken breast on a cutting board. Holding a knife parallel to board and working along a long side, cut through center of breast until you are ½” from the other side. Open like a book and place butterflied breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Gently pound as thin as possible without tearing meat—about ¼” thick and 8″ wide is ideal. Repeat with remaining breast.
• Place eggs, panko, and flour in separate shallow bowls (cake pans or pie plates work great). Season cutlets lightly with kosher salt. Working with 1 cutlet at a time, press 2 sage leaves onto both sides of meat. Wrap 2 pieces of prosciutto around each cutlet to make a belt that holds in the sage. Dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in eggs, letting excess drip back into bowl. Coat in panko, pressing lightly to help it adhere, then shaking off excess. Place cutlets on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high until very hot (an instant-read thermometer should register 350°–375°). Carefully lower 1 cutlet along the side of the skillet closest to you and let it slide into oil so it’s lying flat. Swirl oil in skillet carefully so that cutlet is submerged and cook just until bottom side is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, carefully turn and cook until golden brown on the other side, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; season with kosher salt. Let sit 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining cutlet.
• Toss scallions, peas, mint, lemon zest and juice, and olive oil in a medium bowl; season with kosher salt. Arrange cutlets on a platter and top with pea salad. Sprinkle with sea salt; serve with lemons

PRO TIP: The combination of prosciutto and sage is a classic that pairs with just about any side or salad. 

Seamus Mullen’s Brothy Chicken with Ginger and Bok Choy – 2 Servings

INGREDIENTS

• 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (about 1½ pounds total)
• 1 4×4-inch piece kombu, broken into bite-size pieces
• 1 1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, crushed, plus more cut into thin matchsticks
• 8 small dried shiitake mushrooms (about ½ cup)
• 1 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar
• Kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon dried turmeric or 1 1-inch piece fresh turmeric, peeled, grated
• ¼ head of bok choy, stems thinly sliced, leaves torn

RECIPE PREPARATION

• Place chicken on cutting board and flip onto skin side to expose rib bones. Using a small sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut a slash alongside dark brown, vaguely rectangular bone in the center of breast (it’s the keel bone, for the record). Use your fingers to pull the bone out, reserving bone, then tease out a long strip of flexible cartilage just below it. Use shears or your fingers to strip off rib bones, reserving bones. Yes, this requires touching raw chicken, but doing this will allow the chicken to lay flat in the pan so it browns evenly and cooks more quickly.
• Combine chicken bones, kombu, ginger, mushrooms, vinegar, and 3 cups water in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, skimming off any foam that rises, until reduced by about a third and broth tastes rich, 15–20 minutes. Discard bones.
• Meanwhile, season reserved chicken meat generously with salt and let sit 5 minutes. Fit a steamer basket or insert into saucepan with broth. Transfer chicken to steamer. Cover and steam over medium-low heat, maintaining a gentle steam and replacing any water that evaporates, until chicken is firm to the touch and just cooked through, 15–18 minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board.
• Remove steamer insert and discard ginger. Add turmeric and bok choy stems to broth. Let simmer until stems are beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in bok choy leaves and simmer until wilted, about 2 minutes. Season broth with salt, if needed.
• Remove skin from chicken and slice on a diagonal. Divide broth among bowls. Arrange chicken over (the kombu and mushrooms are fine to eat but it’s up to you). Top with ginger matchsticks.

PRO TIP: Even steaming can overcook chicken. Keep the heat and steam gentle and remove it when it’s just firm and has a bit of spring when pressed. 

Andy Baraghani’s Quick Tomato Chicken Curry – 4 Servings

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons ghee, coconut oil, or extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large red onion, cut into ½-inch wedges
• 1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled, finely grated
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 15-ounce can coconut milk
• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1½ pounds total), cut into 1-inch-thick pieces
• ½ cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
• ½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro

RECIPE PREPARATION

• Heat ghee in a large wide saucepan over medium-high. Add onion and cook, turning occasionally, until undersides are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes; season with salt. Add garam masala, bay leaf, and red pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in honey and cook until slightly caramelized, about 1 minute.
• Add tomatoes along with juices and bring to a boil, smashing down on tomatoes with a wooden spoon until pieces are no bigger than 1″. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often and scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot, until sauce thickens, 8–10 minutes. Add coconut milk and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, 20–25 minutes; taste and season with salt, if needed. Add chicken strips and reduce heat to low. Cook, partially covered, until chicken is cooked through, 8–10 minutes. Season with salt.
• Stir yogurt, a big pinch of salt and 2 Tbsp. water in a small bowl.
• Drizzle yogurt sauce over stew. Top with cilantro before serving.
• Do Ahead: Curry (without yogurt sauce) can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.

PRO TIP: The honey lends a sweet, caramelize-y twist to this quick curry, but if you want to up the heat, add a big pinch of cayenne pepper. Have some thick, crusty bread handy to scoop up all the extra sauce, or serve alongside a pile of rice.

Jeanne Thiel Kelley’s Reduced-Guilt Fried Chicken – 4 Servings

INGREDIENTS

MARINADE

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• 4 5-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/3-inch thickness

ASSEMBLY

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Vegetable oil (for frying)

RECIPE PREPARATION

MARINADE

• Whisk first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl; season with pepper. Add chicken breasts to bowl; turn to coat. Cover and let marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

ASSEMBLY

• Place a wire rack inside a baking sheet lined with paper towels; set aside. Whisk flour and next 4 ingredients in a shallow baking dish just large enough to hold 1 chicken breast at a time. Remove 1 chicken breast from buttermilk mixture, allowing excess to drip off. Dredge in flour mixture, turning to coat evenly. Carefully place on prepared rack. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts. Let stand for 10 minutes. Carefully turn chicken over and sprinkle any moist parts with flour mixture.
• Pour oil into a large heavy skillet to a depth of 1″. Heat over medium-high heat until deep-fry thermometer registers 350°-360°. Carefully add chicken to oil. Fry, turning once, until chicken is golden brown and cooked through, 8-10 minutes total. Transfer chicken to a clean rack to drain.

PRO TIP: Put these in the marinade before you head to work.

Andy Baraghani’s Master Poached Chicken – 4 Servings 

INGREDIENTS

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2¼ pounds)
• 3 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 1½-inch irregular pieces
• 1 head of garlic, split crosswise
• 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal or 1¾ teaspoons Morton kosher salt
• ⅔ cup dill fronds, divided
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil (for drizzling)

RECIPE PREPARATION

• Bring chicken, carrots, garlic, salt, ⅓ cup dill, and 5 cups water to a bare simmer in a medium pot over medium heat. (It will take some time for the liquid to come to a simmer…be patient. If you rush it, the chicken will be tough.) Once liquid begins to simmer, reduce heat to low and cook until juices run clear when thickest part of chicken is pierced, 10–12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, coarsely chop remaining ⅓ cup dill. Remove pan from heat and stir in lemon juice; pick out and discard dill. Transfer chicken and garlic to a cutting board and let cool slightly. Smash garlic using the side of a chef’s knife and stir back into poaching liquid. Cut chicken crosswise into thin slices.
• Divide chicken among bowls. Pour some of the poaching liquid over chicken, then top with chopped dill, pepper, and a drizzle of oil.
• Do Ahead: Chicken can be poached 2 days ahead. Let chicken and broth cool separately. Wrap chicken and transfer broth to an airtight container; chill.

PRO TIP: Starting the chicken in cold, well-seasoned liquid ensures that the meat will stay very tender as it cooks while absorbing lots of flavor.

Reference: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/chicken/slideshow/34-boneless-skinless-chicken-breast-recipes-not-boring