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I recently bought thin sliced chicken breast for Chicken Parmesan and after cooking it I found it to be rubbery. It was Purdue chicken so it was not cheap and I believe it was cooked throughly. This has happened before. Any idea why this is happening? Is it the chicken? Is it the way it was cooked? Should it be cooked longer? Any thoughts on ways to make it more tender? Jay
I recently bought thin sliced chicken breast for Chicken Parmesan and after cooking it I found it to be rubbery. It was Purdue chicken so it was not cheap and I believe it was cooked throughly. This has happened before. Any idea why this is happening? Is it the chicken? Is it the way it was cooked? Should it be cooked longer? Any thoughts on ways to make it more tender? Jay
I have had the same experience with thin chicken breasts myself. It kinda freaks me out
It's the lack of fat in the breast itself. To cook them with direct heat without a lot of fat in the pan, the protein seizes up and gives that bad texture. Either put a lot of fat in the pan, or if you're trying to avoid that, then gently poach/steam until just done and then give them a very quick sear in a fry pan with a small amount of fat.
It's overcooked. Those thin chicken breasts literally takes a minute per side on the stove top on high heat. Then remove and serve. If you are cooking them in oven such as chicken parm, no more than 10-15 minutes at 400.
Hmm, noticed the same thing with one of the turkeys we cooked for Thanksgiving this year. It wasn't very tender at all. Moist and all, but not tender. It was only one of the three, though, so I'm hoping it isn't the new "normal".
It's overcooked. Those thin chicken breasts literally takes a minute per side on the stove top on high heat. Then remove and serve. If you are cooking them in oven such as chicken parm, no more than 10-15 minutes at 400.
I agree. The chicken is most likely overcooked. It's thin sliced and without the skin. It takes just few moments on each site to be cooked perfectly.
You can brush it with an Italian dressing. It will really improve the taste.
Whole chicken breast marinated over night is just simply yummy!
How do we know if the chicken is real whole chicken breast meat and not glued together meat. If you watch videos of how most ham, turkey, chicken cold cuts and cutlets are made you'll see that they are chunks of meat being combined and formed. The use certain binders to glue the meats together to form a uniform texture.
Anyone that has cut and cooked real chicken knows, there's no way you can get a big piece of chicken breast meat uniform without any fat or edges.
You want quality meat, you have to buy your own raw chicken and butcher the meat yourself.
I recently bought thin sliced chicken breast for Chicken Parmesan and after cooking it I found it to be rubbery. It was Purdue chicken so it was not cheap and I believe it was cooked throughly. This has happened before. Any idea why this is happening? Is it the chicken? Is it the way it was cooked? Should it be cooked longer? Any thoughts on ways to make it more tender? Jay
I noticed this at the deli in my building at work. The previous owner used a thicker cut and cutlets were always juicy and golden. The new owner uses a thin cut and they're overcooked plus they microwave the cutlets when making a sandwich. The end result is a chewy piece of rubber. The whole piece comes out of the sandwich when taking a bite.
Use a thicker cut and if possible try to prep them the night before. I usually beat a few eggs, add some parmesean cheese, chopped parlsey, salt and pepper and when I add my cutlets to the mixture, I like to pierce them with a fork a few times. When I fry my cutlets, I make sure there's enough oil and it has to be hot enough. When I make chicken parm I put a lot of sauce (not a chunky tomato sauce) and bake them only until the sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted. Once the sauce gets too dry, chances are the chicken will get too dry as well.
Same thing with a thinner cut. I prep the night before and pierce them that way the egg mixture gets into the meat.
I also think it's the meat quality. We've found lately that drumsticks tend to have a rubbery consistency, which may possibly be from them being frozen. A lot of supermarkets sell "family packs" that are already frozen.
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