Marinate them in Italian dressing. About 20 minutes or so.

Broil them in the oven. I do them on Low setting (and move the shelf down to the low) for the broiler.

Do a bunch so you will have "cook-aheads" LOL! Then you leave sections whole OR slice them up.

Jan at Rosemary Cottage

Jan, did I ever tell you I have a phobia about broiling anything? LOL.

That's because when I was in high school and my parents were out of town, I had people over and we got out all the Filet Mignon's (boy did I ever get into trouble for that!) and broiled them and they caught on fire!

I have never broiled anything again. Italian dressing is my dh's favorite but I need to check to see if I have any. I use it on steaks which really makes them tender.

Is there a way to crisp them up in the oven without skin?

I just checked, I have Creamy Italian and Balsamic Vinaigrette. What about the latter?

Here's my super-easy go to "recipe" for chicken breasts:

Rub breasts with spicy mustard, mix together some brown sugar and picante sauce in a large ziploc bag, put breasts into bag, seal bag, mix around with hands, refrigerate until ready to grill or cook in oven.

Skip the broiler - use a saute pan just big enough for the number of breasts you cook. Sprinkle both sides with paprika (and since your hub likes spicey, also ground cayenne pepper), heat olive oil. When hot, add the breasts, turn down the heat. Cook for a few minutes until they release from the pan. Turn and cook second side. When finished, sprinkle with garlic salt OR seasoned salt. Absolutely deelish! If you have a lid that fits your pan, use it after the first sear; if you don't, don't worry about it.

That's what we're having for dinner, with rice on the side. Takes 2o-25 minutes to prepare dinner from the moment you enter the kitchen till you sit down to eat.

I usually pan saute boneless breasts, but no reason you couldn't sub them in one of these recipes. Both are excellent!

Oven-fried Chipotle Chicken

1 1/2 pounds chicken (I use thighs)
â¨1 chipotle pepper
2 tablespoon mayonnaise
â¨1 cup Panko bread crumbs
â¨salt and pepper to taste (optional ... I don't use it)

Cut chicken into serving pieces and remove the skin and all visible fat. In a food processor, puree chipotle and mayonnaise until smooth. Coat all sides of the chicken pieces with the chipotle mixture and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.

Pre-heat oven to 400� and coat a baking sheet lightly with oil. Season Panko with salt & pepper, if using. Completely coat the chicken pieces with the bread crumbs and place on the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 20 minutes, turn pieces and bake 20 minutes more.

NOTE: Baking time would be less for boneless breasts.

____________________________________________________

Sweet Chili Chicken Wings or Thighs

8 wings or 6 thighs
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili oil
1 Tablespoon Sriracha
2 cloves garlic, sliced
Paprika
Five spice powder

Season the chicken liberally with five spice powder and paprika. Spread on a flat layer on a baking sheet and slide into a preheated oven at 375 degrees for approximately 20 minutes for wings ... 40 minutes for thighs.

While chicken bakes, mix the remaining ingredients in a small sauce pan over medium high heat. Once it begins to bubble, reduce to a simmer and cook until it begins to thicken.

Remove chicken from the oven and drop the pieces into the sauce. Coat in the sauce, cover and simmer another 5-10 minutes until sauce gets thick and dark and coats the chicken.� Remove from the sauce pan and sprinkle with scallions or chives.

Source: Carol (dishesdone)

Here is a link that might be useful: Carol's blog ... Sweet Chili Chicken Wings

Oven-fried Chipotle Chicken

1 1/2 pounds chicken (I use thighs)
1 chipotle pepper
2 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste (optional ... I don't use it)

Cut chicken into serving pieces and remove the skin and all visible fat. In a food processor, puree chipotle and mayonnaise until smooth. Coat all sides of the chicken pieces with the chipotle mixture and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.

Pre-heat oven to 400° and coat a baking sheet lightly with oil. Season Panko with salt & pepper, if using. Completely coat the chicken pieces with the bread crumbs and place on the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 20 minutes, turn pieces and bake 20 minutes more.

NOTE: Baking time would be less for boneless breasts.

Sherrman wins. lol. I have all those ingredients and it looks easy to do! Thanks!

Question. When I first put the breasts in, I'm going to sear the first side, right? Shouldn't I then turn the heat down and let it cook longer than a few minutes and THEN turn over and sear/cook the other side?

I can always brown it more with the lid off after the chicken is done.

What about adding butter to the OO?

I like simple lemon chicken: sear both sides well in evoo until done. Transfer to a plate. Add juice of 2 lemons (for 4 breasts) and scrape up all the brown bits. Add a good splash of white wine and several tablespoons of butter. Cook for a minute or two until a nice glaze. Put chicken back in pan and turn to coat. Serve over angel hair pasta.

I buy Chicken Tenders from Costco and I am hooked on this recipe: Oakley, you may not have the ingredients but it's so worth putting them on your grocery list. My grandkids LOVE this recipe. (I double the marinade recipe and generally use 1 1/2 pounds of chicken tenders. They will be gone...)

Thai Chicken Sate:

1 pound Chicken Tenders
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 TBSP Asian Fish Sauce
2 TBSP Lime Juice
2 Tsp aquave nectar (or honey, sugar, etc.)
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground Turmeric

Combine coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, garlic and turmeric in bowl and whisk to blend marinade.

Put chicken tenders in plastic ziplock type bag and pour marinade over chicken. Let marinade a couple hours and grill on medium high.

Serve with peanut sauce if desired. (I make my own peanut sauce but you can buy it bottled in the Asian section of your grocery store, since you don't like to cook.)

My fall back is always:

On each breast:
Pinch of kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to your liking
Pinch of dried thyme (fresh sprigs if you have them)
Pinch of crushed dried rosemary

Increase or decrease pinches to your liking.

Grill it or in a pan using a bit of extra virgin olive oil sear each side at a high temp for 1-2 minutes (careful of splatter from oil especially when you put the chicken in the pan) then I turn the heat off, cover, and let sit on the cooling burner. I cook the sides at this time.

Not baked, but easy.

Chicken breasts
Salt
Pepper
Orange juice

Amounts are flexible.

In a frying pan (with cover) large enough to hold all the breasts, sprinkle the pan with salt. Heat the pan. Add the chicken breasts on top of the salt (the heated salt keeps the breasts from sticking to the pan) and brown lightly on both sides. Add pepper to taste and pour on enough orange juice to cover the breasts. When the OJ starts to boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cover the pan. In about 30 minutes the breasts should be done. If the OJ hasn't reduced to a thick syrup, uncover the pan, remove cooked breasts, turn the heat to high and reduce the OJ. If the OJ reduces too much and the breasts are not done, add more OJ.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I'm going to print this page for future reference.

I got hungry and made Sherrmann's recipe. BEST.CHICKEN.EVER!

I sliced the chicken lengthwise to make it thinner and I was able to cut it easily with a fork.

The only tweaking I did was add Paprika, Black Pepper & Seasoned Salt on the chicken at the same time.

I can't wait until my dh comes home. He had best like it. lol. I'll let you know what he says, but boy is this a fast and easy summer recipe!

Thanks Sherrmann, I owe you!

Oakley, if you pound your breasts they only take about 3 minutes per side in the saute pan.

Here is a link that might be useful: how to pound chicken breast (video)

Woo Hoo! I'm tickled pink that you liked it. Thanks for the shout out!

That was a good video, Natal. Do they pound it to make it cook faster, or just to have thinner slices?

I'll try that next time, especially when I make chicken strips.

DH loved the chicken! Since it was cooked in OO, I fried some Okra to go with it. Perfect combo for summer.

I found this very informative. I won't even tell you how long I cook chicken in a pan.

I'm also hungry for chicken. :)

Sheesh! Do tell us how long you cook your chicken? Spill it!!

:) Aw heck, I guess it's no secret I only feel comfortable in the kitchen baking.

I never know how long to cook meat and I'm always afraid to undercook it. I've been known to throw some unpounded (never pounded meat) chicken tenders in the pan with some water and cook them for 40ish min. Sometimes longer. I don't always time.

I do have a meat thermometer but the temp never seems to go up high enough when I use it.

I really should invest in a cook book with what I consider to be normal food. Someone let me borrow those 3-4 ingredient cook books and everything called for cans of cream of soup. Blech. Guess I'm also a poor meal planner and somewhat lazy about cooking.

Pounding boneless breasts or tenders, makes them more tender and they cook much faster. That's especially important for breasts since they can dry out so quickly. I use boneless breasts a lot for Picatta & Marsala. Takes less than 15 minutes to cook either one. Six minutes to saute the breasts, then another 7 or 8 to reduce the sauce.

I like to pound them inside ziploc freezer bags- very little mess.

I've got a meat pounder on my grocery list! :)

Shee, what are chicken tenders? Do you boil them to use for rice or chicken salad?

Take one out after 5 minutes or so and cut into one to see if it's done. Smaller pieces cook pretty fast.

If you want a good cookbook with old fashioned/classic and new recipes and it explains a lot of things, is:

Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. They have THE best potato salad recipe. lol.

I put the meat in empty cereal bags & then pound it. The bags are nice & thick so no tearing (like plastic wrap often does) & it's "green" since I'm reusing a cereal bag. Also, it makes me feel like I am containing all that ickiness that goes along with raw chicken.

Make sure to buy a meat tenderizer that is heavy and it's best with a large surface. I used to use a mallet style but have switched to a meat tenderizer (from Pampered Chef) with better results.

I think PC products are overpriced, especially once they tack on S&H, but it was a purchased from a fundraiser right when I needed one. You should be able to find a meat tenderizer for less than their price but, if not, you could always order one.

Sitting around watching cooking shows has improved my skills. Instead of sauteing sp? a chicken breast, which gets dry easily, I pound it thinner. Then I dredge in flour with whichever seasoning I choose. Saute in half butter, half olive oil until done. Then I pour in some chicken broth to deglaze the pan, instant gravy. DH and kids were amazed and have never complained about dry chicken again.

Now I'm hungry!

I never pound the chicken tenders. I think they are small enough and cook super fast, approx 5-7 mins. Oh, shee, I think you might be over-cooking those if your cooking them for 40 minutes. When I cook regular boneless chicken breasts, they cook in no longer than 10 minutes. My gang hates tough chicken:). I would recommend for basic cooking "Joy of Cooking" and "The Basics Cookbook". Joy of Cooking was/is like my Bible. I've had it since my bridal shower. The outer cover of the binding is gone, but it is still bound. When the binding goes I will buy the updated version. It covers everything from table setting, menus, recipes, how to cut meat for service. Just about any questions I've ever had, has been answered by "Joy of Cooking".

Just did a turkey london broil on the grill last nite. Sadly, it was overdone as I was distracted by other things in the middle of cooking dinner. Yeech.

I make a recipe similar to natal's sweet chili chicken. A few different ingrediants like dried ginger and dijon mustard, etc. Bake boneless and skinless chicken thighs 350 degrees for 40 mins. Makes a nice sauce to pour over the cooked chicken.

Golddust, copying your recipe. Sounds great.

Shee, Shannon had a good suggestion ... cooking shows might be a good place for you to start getting more ideas. I always had a natural inclination for cooking, but cooking shows expanded it, then cooking forums/bulletin boards, and now food blogs.

I don't even know what the current crop of shows is, but my top choice would be Ina Garten. She also has excellent cookbooks. Just watch the salt ... IMO she uses way too much.

Here is a link that might be useful: Barefoot Contessa

Natal, Ina uses lots more than too much salt, IMO. Her food would kill my DH in a week! LOL!

That said, I love her 'Geoffrey'.

Golddust, what besides salt?

I can't believe I admitted that to you guys! Meat seems to be my real down fall. I've been learning to use my crock pot more.

Thanks for the book recommendations! "Joy of Cooking" sounds so familiar to me for some reason but I don't have it. We have basic cable tv so I'm not sure what channels or when any cooking is on. I'll have to check into that too.

Ha, I always say how cooking takes so much time but maybe I won't quite feel that way if I start cooking food the correct amount of time!

Hey, I can make a mean baked mac and cheese. ;)

Oh Oakley, chicken tenders are just the skinny boneless chicken strips. We normally just eat them plain or we'll put them in salad. Leafy salad not chicken salad with mayo. DH is very plain jane with his food. I sneak stuff in on occasion and he's adjusting.

A simple google search of her recipes include pancakes, muffins, pasta, jam, potato salad, marshmallow mix, pecan squares. Butter.

All yummy. None on our diet. (Except for Jeffrey. I love him!)

I could and actually almost do live on chicken. One really simple technique I like to use is to marinate in some Italian salad dressing then grill. Whether it is cutlets, tenders or breast pieces this yields the basis for so many meals: chicken with beans and rice, chicken tacos/fajitas, chicken sandwiches, caesar salad with diced chicken, heck ANY kind of salad with diced chicken on top :). No limits.

As for Ina Garten, she REALLY loads in the salt doesn't she?! I love her recipes but many I don't make due to the abundant use of cream, butter and other not so healthy ingredients. I made the mistake of following her curried chicken salad recipe exactly and it was too salty to eat. I just ignore her salting recommendations; my husband's blood pressure tends to run high and as said I don't want to kill the man (most days at least :).

However many of her recipes are amazingly good. Digressing from chicken but...if you haven't tried scallops provencal give yourself a treat: Dredge scallops in flour then saute. I use a 50-50 mix of Smart Balance and olive oil. After they are browned on both sides stir in 1/4 cup of white wine and a chopped garlic clove along with fresh chopped parsley if you like that. I usually plop in a little more Smart Balance to make a smooth sauce. Stir and let simmer a minute to reduce-the liquid will thicken very slightly. Serve immediately over rice, pasta or even mashed potatoes with a squeeze of lemon on top of the scallops. It's to die for! And so simple to make. I've used butterflied shrimp too but I prefer the scallops.

Ann

Two family favorites from Ina are her hummus and Orzo with roasted veggies. Those scallops sound good, I'll be making them in the next few weeks.

Sheesharee - like most things, you'll get better at cooking the more you do it. You may never enjoy it, some people don't, but it will at least get easier. Many people work out a list of 8 or 9 dishes and constantly rotate them. That would drive me crazy because I like to cook & try new things but to each his own.

I am a fan of Ina Garten's recipes too! I've never done any of her dessert recipes as I am not into baking. If you use iodized salt as opposed to kosher salt which Ian Garten's recipes call for, you need to reduce the salt mesurement. Also, if you have sea salt, that is a good and tasty alternative to regular salt. You need much less sea salt than iodized salt.

In the event you have health issues preventing the use of salt, you can make up the flavor with lemon juice or any other seasoning of your choice to beef up the flavor.

It's easy to adjust salt, butter, and cream in most recipes.

Golddust, I'm guessing you've never seen one of her cookbooks. Your short list is hardly indicative of her recipe range.

Here is a link that might be useful: Barefoot Contessa - Back to Basics

Natal, you are right and I'll just eat my words right now!! LOL! I promise to check out her cook books since I collect them.

Shee - don't feel bad. Everyone isn't a cook. LOL I do enjoy cooking - always have - but I will admit, I enjoy it a whole lot better when I have plenty of time!

Cooking shows, cook books, cooking forums and blogs are all a good idea - but it's hard to find time for all that. I know you work, go to the gym, and of course want to spend time with your hubby - not to mention the regular day to day chores. I'd look for a good cookbook with quick and easy recipes, or even search the net. You like the crock pot, so look for more recipes to use there. Chicken tenders is a good idea - I like to grill chicken breasts and do extra also - good for more than one meal. If your husband is like mine and will eat leftovers, try to cook a couple of meals each week that will give you leftovers. Or cook a meal that you can reuse a main item (usually the meat) for a second meal. That will cut down on your cooking. Do some chopping (veggies, etc.) and meal planning on the weekends and that should help.

Cooking doesn't come naturally to everyone. Don't be so hard on yourself.

tina

My favorite easy chicken breast recipe is this one.

For each skinless, boneless breast place 2 slices of bacon in an X pattern. Place the seasoned breast (salt, pepper, garlic powder)on the bacon strips and secure the bacon with toothpicks.

Either broil the chicken breasts or grill them outdoors. That's all there is to it.

Chicken is not a favorite of mine; although it used to be. My "mother" cooked it too much growing up and for the last 10 years before we stopped talking; would only eat baked chicken.

Parents both came here in the 50's from Hungary; there's one dish she used to cook that I ended up finding a recipe for & making it my own.

Chicken Paprikash

2 - 2 1/2 pounds meaty chicken pieces (breast, thighs, drumsticks)
1 tablespoon cooking oil.
1 cup chopped onion
3 -4 teaspoons paprika
3/4 cup chicken broth (think it's 1/2 a can)
1/4 cup dry white wine (I omit this step)
1 8-ounce sour cream (I omit this)
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups noodles or rice

*I go one further and add Hungarian banana peppers - or there is a mix at my food store that has small red/yellow/orange peppers

*I also double the sauce - use a full can chicken broth & double the Paprika. I use 2 different brands Paprika

Cook chicken in hot oil about 15 minutes or till lightly browned. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Remove chicken & set aside.

Add onion & paprika (peppers if using them) to skillet; cook till onion is tender. Add chicken, turning pieces to coat with paprika mixture. Add broth (& wine). Bring to boiling - I don't really boil, I let mine simmer for a while. Cover, simmer 40 minutes or till chicken is tender & no longer pink.

This is where I stop & serve mine, using the pan juices on the noodles or rice

Take chicken out of pan. Measure 1 1/2 cups pan juices; adding water if necessary. In a bowl stir together sour cream & flour; gradually stir in juices mixture. Pour into skillet. Cook & stir till thickened & bubbly; cook & stir for 1 minute or more. Spoon sauce over chicken

Is it still Paprikash without the sour cream?

No clue lol my "mother" didn't use sour cream either. I'll have to use sour cream one day to see if anyone likes it that way. We all love the flavor without.

I also use my own broth & if I have to use a can, I throw in pan drippings that I have saved from when we bake chicken

Curious minds ... what's up with the quotes?

Sorry.. I guess people on this board don't know my history with my "family". When my dad got diagnosed a lot of drama came about; everyone was jealous of my relationship with him & how I was in charge of his medical decisions. His marriage was not happy - she cheated on him from day one which came out when I was going to donate stem cells - I found out he may not be my bio-dad. Jealousy got worst when this came out - how could I be his favorite when he knew I may not be his; did a DNA test on his deathbed - he passed 2 hours later. I was accused of stealing insurance policies; forging the DNA results.. so I have no family after my dad passed. Haven't spoken to anyone since 2/2006 except for mediation of his will where they pushed me out from being a trustee & wanted me to give back my dad's ashes that I have.

I'm so sorry. It's stories like that that make me realize how fortunate I was even with my own dysfunctional family.

Thanks.

Back to the chicken, this is similar to natal's, too, with some different spices. My family loves it. I often just buy the tenders already cut, if they're on sale.

Oven-Baked Chicken Tenders

* 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
* 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder blend
* 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar
* few drops of hot sauce
* 1 pound chicken breast, cut in strips
* 1 cup fine dry bread crumbs
* 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
* 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes

Preparation:
Heat oven to 375°.

Combine the mayonnaise, curry powder, lemon juice, and hot sauce. Coat the chicken pieces with the mixture.

In another bowl, combine the bread crumbs, salt, and parsley flakes. Roll coated chicken strips in the crumb mixture. Arrange chicken in a lightly greased shallow baking dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, turning once about halfway through cooking. The chicken should be tender and juices will run clear when pierced with a fork.
Serves 4.