Our trick to perfectly cooked chicken? Butterfly the chicken breast first! Butterflying a breast into cutlets makes for the best, evenly-cooked tender and juicy meat. Why? Here’s what you need to know and a quick guide on how to butterfly a chicken breast. You’ll be a master in no time!
Why to butterfly chicken breasts
Why is this cooking technique so important? Chicken breasts are often very thick, making them tricky to cook evenly. The thin part finishes cooking before the thick part cooks through, and that’s a safety hazard if the meat isn’t up to temperature before eating (chicken’s internal temperature should be 165°F before enjoying, per the FDA). The trick? Butterfly a chicken breast before cooking it! Slicing the chicken breast in half horizontally makes two thinner pieces which cook more evenly. They’re also easier to eat, and it’s easier to infuse seasoning into the thinner pieces of meat. Butterflied chicken breasts are called cutlets.
What about pounding chicken?
There is some debate on whether butterflying chicken means to cut it into two thinner pieces or whether that also includes pounding it. Pounding chicken is a technique used to make the pieces even thinner, more tender and easier to cook. A butterflied and pounded chicken breast is called a “paillard” in French. Typically, we don’t do the pounding step unless it’s specifically noted in the recipe, like Chicken Piccata. But you’re welcome to do it if you’d like an even thinner, more tender piece of meat.
How to butterfly a chicken breast
You can buy a chicken breast already butterflied, which is marked on the package or they may be marked as “cutlets”. If you buy regular chicken breasts, you can butterfly them yourself. To butterfly a chicken breast:
Recipes using butterflied chicken
There are so many chicken recipes that start with a butterflied chicken breast! This is our favorite way to cook chicken because it comes out so beautifully tender and seasoned. Here are some ways to use cutlets in our top chicken breast dinner ideas:
Chicken Piccata: This classic Italian-American recipe starts with chicken cutlets that are lightly floured and cooked in a caper garlic butter sauce. Blackened Chicken: 15 minutes is all it takes for blackened, seasoned goodness. Creamy Tuscan Chicken: This skillet of goodness is outrageously delicious and comes together in just 30 minutes! Pan Seared Chicken Breast: This go-to method cooks up chicken in just a few minutes. Lemon Garlic Chicken or Creamy Garlic Chicken: These pan-fried chicken recipes feature seared cutlets with an irresistibly cream pan sauce. Pesto Chicken: Cook butterflied chicken breasts with pesto and cream for a delightful meal. Grilled Chicken: Butterflying chicken breasts first is the key to juicy, succulent grilled chicken! Greek Chicken: This baked chicken recipe layers chicken breast over tomatoes, olives, garlic, lemon, and feta cheese, then bakes until juicy and tender.
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