Chicken Breast

Look for chicken breasts that are roughly the same size. If one is twice as thick as the other, they won't finish at the same time and you'll overcook the thin one waiting for the thick one. A good method to ensure consistency is pounding your chicken. Pound uneven breasts to about 3/4 inch thick with a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy pan. Fresh chicken breast keeps 1-2 days in the fridge; if you're not cooking it today, freeze it flat in a zip-lock bag and it'll thaw in 20 minutes in cold water.

Chicken breast has a reputation for being dry and boring, but that's a cooking problem, not an ingredient problem. If you don't want dry chicken breast the fix is simple: don't overcook it. Hit 165°F in the thickest part and pull it off heat immediately; every degree past that is moisture you're not getting back. Whether you're roasting, air frying, grilling, or doing a stovetop sear, the times and temps for every method are below.

Chicken is safe at 165°F, period. Unlike beef, there's no doneness spectrum, it's either safe to eat or it's not. The good news is if you stick to the temperature guideline at 165°F and don't go much past it, the meat stays juicy. Overshoot to 180°F and it dries out fast. A thermometer sideways into the thickest part is the only reliable way to know. Two notes: 1) you can pull your chicken at 160°F and it will carryover heat to 165°F while it rests. 2) Pink chicken doesn't necessarily mean undercooked. Chicken contains myoglobin which can give it a tint. Your thermometer is better than your eyes here.