The Most Popular Chicken Breast Recipe on Google Makes My Life Super Easy

Follow this simple method so you can batch out tender, flavorful chicken to use throughout the week.

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My family has reached the best and worst time of the year. My kids are finally back in school, which means my mornings are peaceful again. Unfortunately, the price to pay for this Zen-like quiet is utter chaos come dinnertime. Work deadlines, carpool lines, and afterschool activities wreak havoc on my dinner-prep window.

Last Tuesday, I got home from soccer practice with my seven-year-old at 8 p.m. Everyone was tired, cranky, and very hungry. And guess what? I had absolutely nothing prepared for dinner. The next morning, after a brief cortisol spike while racing to catch the school bus, I set out to come up with a list of recipes I can prepare in advance, so I can throw together quick dinners throughout the week. 

I’m not much for meal prep. Whenever I’ve tried it, I’ve grown tired of the massive amounts of food I prepared in advance. One thing I will often make ahead is chicken breast because it’s so versatile. I pack slices in lunch boxes, make myself chicken salad,  and throw together quick chicken pasta and soups throughout the week.

My only issue? Since I’m often reheating a piece of this chicken, it can dry out and, frankly, taste unappealing. I needed to find a go-to method for cooking chicken breast that yielded juicy, flavorful chicken even when it’s reheated. 

Guess what? Google delivered! I came across the most popular chicken breast recipe on the web (go Google it, you'll see!), which comes from the genius behind the Gimme Some Oven blog, Ali Martin. Her Baked Chicken Breast recipe has over 3,000 glowing comments and a solid 4.9 rating. My take? A full five stars. This recipe will change your dinner routine! 

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Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

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Why This Baked Chicken Breast Recipe Is a Game Changer 

This is not your average chicken recipe. Any recipe that claims you should just throw your chicken into a hot oven and hope for the best is not worth its weight in, well, chicken! And have you seen the price of chicken these days? The key to super succulent chicken breasts is what Martin refers to as the “B.B.R.R.R.” method, an acronym that makes it easy to commit this recipe to memory.

The first B stands for brine, which is normally a turnoff for me. I know it works, but I don’t always have the time. Martin’s method is super approachable. All you need is 15 minutes and some salt. Martin recommends using lukewarm water to brine the chicken, which also helps the poultry to cook evenly, stay moist, and shrink less in the oven.

The second B is for brush. Martin suggests (and I concur) that the best fat to use for this recipe is melted butter. It adds moisture, richness, and a ton of flavor. Just be sure to pat your brined chicken dry after you rinse it so that the butter adheres to the chicken. 

Next up is the first R, which stands for the spice rub you apply to your chicken. For this, let your imagination run wild. Martin suggests a mix of garlic powder and paprika, while I like to use smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt, and pepper.. Whatever spices you add to the mix, just remember to be generous with the salt and pepper. The salt bonds with water molecules and locks in moisture. The pepper just adds pizzazz.

Now for the second R, which means roast! This step is pretty self-explanatory, but the temperature is worth noting. Martin suggests a 450˚F oven. Normally, I wouldn’t roast boneless chicken breast so high for fear of it drying out. However, I was pleasantly surprised when my chicken emerged from the oven after just 17 minutes with a lovely, crusty exterior.

Last but not least, the final R stands for rest. This is one of those things that I intuitively know is right to do, but sometimes my impatience gets the best of me. By simply leaving the chicken alone for just ten minutes, you allow all the juices in the meat to redistribute and the tight muscle fibers to relax after cooking. That way, when you cut into your chicken, it will be perfectly tender. 

One thing that sometimes prevents me from letting chicken rest is the fear that I’ve undercooked it. By investing in a quality instant-read thermometer, you can literally rest easy knowing your chicken has reached the FDA-suggested temperature of 165˚F. 

Martin notes that the chicken is safe to store in the fridge for up to three days or in the freezer for up to three months. I can say with certainty that I’ll be making a double batch of this chicken every Sunday from here on out to help bring some much-needed calm to my busy weeknights—and more deliciousness to my family’s meals!

Read the original article on Simply Recipes.