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    5 Ways to Perfectly Cook Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

    Mar 2, 2020 · Leave a Comment

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    For being a household staple that's used in so many dishes and meals, chicken breasts can sometimes be underwhelming. They are so easy to buy and to prepare, but also fairly easy to mess up. And if you've ever eaten a dry, boring chicken breast (who hasn't?), you know how disappointing this is.

    Here are 5 tried-and-true methods to cook boneless, skinless chicken breasts for a flavorful, and NOT DRY piece of chicken.

    You can eat these on their own, shred or dice to use in casseroles/pastas/salads/tacos/etc., or freeze to use later!

    how to cook boneless skinless chicken breasts

    Jump to:
    Baked Chicken Breast
    Poached Chicken Breast
    Slow Cooker Chicken Breast
    Pan-Seared Chicken Breast
    Instant Pot Chicken Breast

    BAKED CHICKEN BREAST

    The Ratings:

    Flavor: 4/5Texture: 4/5
    sliced baked chicken

    My preferred way to cook chicken! You can do lots of chicken at once, and it is almost completely hands-off - season, put in the oven, and forget about it (until your timer goes off).

    Pros:
    - More flavorful
    - Can be done from frozen
    - Seasonings stick (good for lots of different seasoning options!)
    - Shreds well when hot, dices well when cool

    Cons:
    - Can be dry if overcooked

    Best Uses:
    - Cooking large quantities of chicken
    - Hands-off cooking

    shredded baked chicken
    boneless skinless chicken breast in the oven
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    Baked Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Resting Time5 mins
    Total Time40 mins
    Author: Mandy Jackson

    Ingredients

    • 1 (8-10 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast
    • 1 teaspoon olive oil
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper (optional)

    Directions

    • Preheat oven to 425.
      Place chicken breast on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 25-30 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 165 degrees.
      Remove chicken to a plate and tent with foil. Rest 5 minutes.

    Notes

    If multiplying this recipe, make sure the chicken pieces are spread out on the baking sheet - any overlap will increase bake time.
    If baking from frozen, increase cook time to 30-40 minutes and be sure to use a thermometer to ensure meat is cooked through.
     

    POACHED CHICKEN BREAST

    The Ratings:

    Flavor: 3/5Texture: 4/5
    sliced poached chicken breast

    The best way to make shredded chicken! Use for chicken salad, in casseroles, soups, pastas, etc. Make extra to keep in your freezer for future use.

    Pros:
    - Ideal for shredded chicken
    - Can be done from frozen
    - Can add herbs, spices, etc. to the broth for extra flavor

    Cons:
    - Water needs to be monitored to make sure it's gently boiling
    - Will take longer with more chicken

    Best Uses:
    - Shredded chicken
    - Making a light broth

    shredded poached chicken
    boiled boneless skinless chicken breast
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    Poached Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time25 mins
    Resting Time5 mins
    Total Time35 mins
    Author: Mandy Jackson

    Ingredients

    • 1 (8-10 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

    Directions

    • Place chicken in a small pot and season with salt and pepper. Add enough cold water to cover the chicken by 1-inch. Place pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle boil and cook 10-12 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken reads 165 degrees.
      Remove chicken to a plate and tent with foil. Rest 5 minutes.

    Notes

    If cooking multiple chicken breasts, increase salt and pepper accordingly and try to use a pot large enough to fit them in a single layer. If there is a lot of overlap, or you can't fit them in a single layer, you will need to increase cook time.
    To cook from frozen, increase cook time once boiling to 25-30 minutes, and use a thermometer to ensure meat is cooked through.

    SLOW COOKER CHICKEN BREAST

    The Ratings:

    Flavor: 3.5/5Texture: 4/5
    slow cooker chicken breast

    The trusty slow cooker is the perfect tool for cooking boneless, skinless chicken breasts! It works equally well for shredded or diced chicken.

    Pros:
    - Hands-off
    - Makes a concentrated broth
    - Shreds well when hot, dices well when cool
    - Low risk of dry chicken

    Cons:
    - NOT recommended for frozen (too long in the 'danger zone')
    - Not good for large quantities

    Best Uses:
    - Hands-off cooking

    shredded slow cooker chicken
    slow cooker boneless skinless chicken breasts
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    Slow Cooker Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time3 hrs
    Resting Time5 mins
    Total Time3 hrs 10 mins
    Author: Mandy Jackson

    Ingredients

    • 3 (8-10 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
    • 1/4 cup water

    Directions

    • Place chicken in a single layer in the basin of a slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper and add water. Cover and cook 2-3 hours on high or 4-5 hours on low.
      Remove to a plate and cover with foil. Rest 5-10 minutes.

    Notes

    It's important to only cook meat in a single layer in the slow cooker. You may reduce or increase the number of chicken breasts you use accordingly, but make sure they are all in contact with the bottom of the slow cooker.

    PAN-SEARED CHICKEN BREAST

    The Ratings:

    Flavor: 5/5Texture: 5/5
    skillet chicken breast

    The gold standard of a well-cooked, flavorful chicken breast! Juicy on the inside, with a crisp buttery crust on the outside. This is a really simple, satisfying chicken to serve on its own, or to slice for salads. It is also the quickest way to cook chicken!

    how to cook chicken breast on the stovetop

    Pros:
    - Super flavorful
    - Quick
    - Seasonings stick (good for lots of different seasoning options!)
    - Good for slicing/dicing/serving whole

    Cons:
    - Won't work from frozen
    - Might set off your smoke alarm
    - Not ideal for shredding
    - Difficult to cook a large quantity at once

    Best Uses:
    - Cooking thawed chicken quickly
    - As an easy chicken dish on its own

    boneless skinless chicken breast on the stovetop
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    Pan Seared Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time15 mins
    Resting Time5 mins
    Total Time25 mins
    Author: Mandy Jackson

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 (8-10 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

    Directions

    • Heat olive oil in a skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high. Meanwhile, pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.
      Once oil is hot, add chicken to skillet and cook - without moving - for 5 minutes. Flip chicken and add the butter. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking - covered - for 10 minutes.
      Remove chicken along with any juices from the pan to a plate and cover with foil. Rest for 5-10 minutes.

    Notes

    You will need the chicken breast here to be 1-inch thick or less for this method to work best. If your chicken is thicker, you can either flatten it by pounding, or - if it's an extra hefty piece - cut it in half lengthwise. 
    You can cook as many chicken breasts as will fit in your pan. The amount of oil/butter remains the same up to 3 chicken breasts (after that you will likely need to increase both slightly), but do use 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper on each breast.

    INSTANT POT CHICKEN BREAST

    The Ratings:

    Flavor: 3/5Texture: 3.5/5
    chicken breast in the pressure cooker

    Despite the love/hate relationship I have with my Instant Pot, I am amazed at how well it cooks chicken! It's easy and hands-off, and perfect if you want slow cooker-esque chicken in a fraction of the time. Good for shredding or dicing.

    • how to cook boneless skinless chicken breast in the instant pot
    • how to set instant pot to seal
    • how to quick release the instant pot

    Pros:
    - Makes a lighter chicken broth
    - Can be done from frozen
    - Shreds and dices equally well

    Cons:
    - Can't check the temperature as it cooks

    Best Uses:
    - If you want slow cooker-esque chicken, done faster

    instant pot chicken for shredding
    boneless skinless chicken breast in the pressure cooker
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    0 from 0 votes

    Instant Pot Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Resting Time5 mins
    Total Time40 mins
    Author: Mandy Jackson

    Ingredients

    • 1 (8-10 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 cup water

    Directions

    • Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in pressure cooker. Add water and lock lid. Seal valve and cook at high pressure for 8 minutes. Natural pressure release (this means do not move the valve) for 10 minutes. Quick pressure release (this means move the valve) the rest.
      Transfer chicken to a plate and cover for with foil. Rest for 5-10 minutes.

    Notes

    You can increase number of chicken breasts to however many you can fit in a single layer in your pressure cooker. Adjust seasons accordingly. Water amount will not need to be adjusted.
    If cooking from frozen, cook at high pressure for 12 minutes. All other times remain the same.
    how to cook chicken

    Important Things to Know

    Chicken should be cooked to 165 degrees farenheit. Because I am terrified of poisoning people, I always temp any meat I cook. We have this inexpensive meat thermometer and like it!

    How much chicken per person? If you're serving meat as a main component of the meal, plan for 8-12 ounces/person.

    6 ounces of raw boneless, skinless chicken breast will yield about 1 cup of cooked diced/shredded chicken. If you need 4 cups of cooked chicken, you'll want to cook about 1 1/2 pounds of raw chicken.

    How long does cooked chicken last? Cooked chicken will keep 4 days in the fridge, or 3 months in the freezer.

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    Mandy Jackson

    hi, i'm mandy.

    A regular Midwest homebody. Here, I share recipes we love, and how we're thoughtfully renovating our 100-year-old American foursquare.

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