Why is the chicken breast so tough? How to fix the tough chicken breast

Chicken breast is the meat on the inside of the chicken breast. It is low in fat, high in protein, and easily absorbed by the human body. It can be cooked by boiling, frying, steaming, stir-frying, and stewing. However, most people find chicken breast very woody and not as delicious as pork. You should have the same experience! What is the reason? Let's find out with you below.

Contents of this article

1. Why is the chicken breast so tough?

2. How to fix the problem of dry chicken breast

3. Tips to make chicken breast less dry

Why is the chicken breast so tough?

If the chicken breast tastes particularly tough, it may be related to the cooking time. If the chicken breast is fried for too long, it will taste tough.

Many times, some people will blanch the chicken before eating it. The temperature of the blanching water will make the chicken breast tough. If the blanching temperature is too high or the blanching time is too long, the chicken breast will taste tough.

How to fix dry chicken breast

If the chicken breast is very woody, it means that it is already cooked and cannot be repaired. Chicken breast is the meat on the inside of the chicken breast. It is low in fat, high in protein, and easily absorbed by the human body. There are cooking methods such as boiling, frying, steaming, stir-frying, and stewing. However, most people feel that chicken breast is very woody when eating it, and the taste is not as good as pork. Because the fiber of chicken breast is coarse and cannot lock in moisture, the chicken breast will have a very woody taste.

The most common way to make chicken breast less dry and more tender when cooking at home is to coat it with starch. Simply put, after cutting the chicken breast and before cooking, sprinkle an appropriate amount of starch and stir evenly. This method is also relatively simple and effortless. You can also fry the skin of the chicken breast on high heat before cooking to shrink the moisture inside. Then fry it on low heat. In this method, the vegetables and chicken breast must be fried separately, and finally stir-fried together and seasoned.

There are also some delicate and exquisite marinating methods to make chicken breast more tender and delicious. It is to marinate chicken breast with skim milk, which is common in Western cuisine. It can make the chicken breast more moist and enhance the milk flavor. However, the marinating time cannot be too long, because too much acid will cause the meat to decompose and look like a paste. Considering the cost, you can also replace skim milk with salt water for preparation. Salt enters the meat and can change the structure of muscle fibers and proteins to improve the water retention capacity of chicken breast. At the same time, it absorbs the salt taste. If it is too salty, you can add sugar to coordinate.

Tips for making chicken breast less dry

If you want the chicken breast to be less dry, you can marinate it with salt and pepper 2 hours before cooking, and then pour some olive oil into it to prevent moisture loss. Or you can soak the chicken breast in 5% salt water for 1 hour before cooking, and it will not be dry.

Chicken breast contains very high-quality protein. Many fitness experts or friends who want to lose weight like to eat it. However, if you cook it at home, you still need to master certain skills, otherwise it will easily cause the chicken breast to become dry.

If you want the chicken breast to be less dry, it is best to marinate it with salt and pepper within 2 hours before cooking, and then add some olive oil to it. This will form a protective film on the surface of the chicken breast to prevent moisture loss.

Alternatively, you can first prepare a cup of salt water with a concentration of about 5%, with the amount of water just enough to cover the chicken breast. Soak it for about an hour and then wash it clean. This way you can ensure that the chicken breast will not be too dry.