10 Hacks That Guarantee Your Chicken Breasts Won't Suck

Updated on June 4, 2016 at 7:00 AM

POPSUGAR Photography | Anna Monette Roberts

If you feel as though every time you cook chicken breasts, the results are dry, chewy, and far from exciting, allow these hacks to intervene. There are simple ways to guarantee your chicken is perfectly cooked every time (even without a thermometer), and you might discover new ways to marinate or season your chicken that you haven't thought of before — beer-brined grilled chicken breasts, anyone? Keep reading for 10 ways to get juicy, nonboring chicken that deserves a spot at your dinner table.

Meal prep with chicken breast freezer packs.

Consider lemon, garlic, olive oil, and poultry seasoning your secret weapons for meal prepping the juiciest chicken breasts. Setting up chicken freezer packs means you'll have perfectly seasoned and ready-to-cook chicken whenever you need it, and all you have to do is dump the bag and the juices into the pan.

Get perfectly cooked chicken breasts without a thermometer.

No thermometer? No problem. Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, but if you're unable to check the exact temperature, know that baking chicken at 400°F for 30 minutes will get it perfectly cooked.

Get the recipe: lemon-thyme baked chicken

Bake with ghee.

Using ghee, or clarified butter, instead of regular butter when roasting chicken in the oven will result in even juicier chicken breasts and drippings. Ghee can withstand high-heat temperatures without burning, which makes it ideal for cooking chicken at temperatures above 350°F.

Get the recipe: easy lemon-pepper roasted chicken

Get perfectly cooked chicken breasts in a slow cooker.

If you don't even want to bother with cooking chicken breasts on the stove or in the oven, turn to your slow cooker. Making chicken in a slow cooker results in juicy, tender, easy-to-shred chicken every time.

Get the recipe: slow-cooker shredded chicken

Brine chicken breasts in beer.

Brining chicken breasts in a beer-salt-sugar solution not only seasons the meat throughout, but it also tenderizes the chicken. If you have the time and the patience to let the chicken set in the brining liquid for two hours, you'll be on your way to some of the most flavorful chicken breasts ever.

Get the recipe: beer-brined grilled chicken breasts

Buy bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts.

Most people buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts for convenience, but it's a fact that meat is tastier and juicier on the bone. Try buying bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts and make this butter basil roasted chicken or throw them on the grill for an easy grilled chicken dish.

Get the recipe: butter basil roasted chicken

Stuff chicken breasts with gooey cheese.

Instead of simply topping chicken with cheese, stuff the inside of it for maximum juiciness. Cheese is fat and fat is flavor, so allowing the chicken juices to seep into the cheese makes for a luscious and decadent center. Think beyond mozzarella and go for something unexpected, like gooey, melty brie.

Get the recipe: brie-stuffed chicken

Pound the chicken breasts thin.

It's a lot easier to tell when sautéed chicken breasts are done if they're thin. Pounding them to about 1/4 inch thickness, which is the common method for making chicken piccata, makes the chicken cook even quicker and lets you take the guesswork out of judging its doneness.

Get the recipe: Gwyneth Paltrow's chicken piccata

Cook chicken breasts under a brick.

You can thank Chrissy Teigen's cookbook, Cravings, for this ingenious chicken-cooking hack. Using a foil-covered brick creates a sear on the outside of the chicken breast while the inside remains juicy.

Get the recipe: Chrissy Teigen's brick chicken

Go heavy on the marinade.

If you're marinating your chicken, don't skimp on the liquid! Not only do you want the chicken itself to be as flavorful as possible, but you'll also want to make sure there's enough liquid left over to use as a sauce or gravy to pour on top.

Get the recipe: lavender chicken