Introduction
Cooking a chicken breast takes minutes, but it can also take hours depending on which method you use. However, there’s no reason to let one piece of meat ruin your dinner plans. Whether you’re cooking a whole bird in the oven or grilling up individual fillets on the barbecue, we’ve got everything you need to know about how long to cook a chicken breast for maximum flavor and tenderness.
The Best Way to Cook Chicken
The best way to cook chicken is by boiling, searing and roasting.
The first step is to boil your chicken in a pot of salted water for 15 minutes. Then take it out of the boiling water and let it cool down for 5 minutes before cooking on an outdoor grill or indoors in an oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (or 176 Celsius). You can also use an instant pot if you want to speed up the process!
How Long to Cook a Chicken Breast in the Oven
- Cooking time depends on the thickness of the chicken breast. Thicker breasts will need more time to cook through, while thinner ones will be done more quickly.
- The oven temperature is also important to consider when cooking chicken breasts. In general, lower temperatures mean longer cooking times and vice versa (though there are some exceptions). For example: if you’re using an oven set at 350 degrees F (180 C), then your chicken might take 20-25 minutes; whereas if it’s set at 400 F (200 C), then expect around 15-20 minutes per pound (500 g).
- You can reduce this cooking time by using a convection oven or baking stone instead of regular bakeware–the former will circulate hot air around food faster than standard heating elements do; while the latter helps distribute heat evenly throughout all sides of whatever dish is being prepared so that everything cooks evenly from start through finish!
How Long to Cook a Chicken Breast on the Grill
Grilling is an easy way to prepare chicken breasts. To grill a boneless, skinless chicken breast:
- Heat your grill pan over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Place the chicken on the grill pan and cook for 6 minutes on one side, then flip it over and cook for 3 minutes more (or until cooked through).
How Long to Cook a Chicken Breast in the Instant Pot
The cooking time for a chicken breast depends on the size of the breast and the temperature of your Instant Pot. If you want to cook your chicken at a lower temperature, use a pot holder to adjust the dial on top of your Instant Pot.
The best way to cook chicken is by boiling, searing and roasting.
The best way to cook chicken is by boiling, searing and roasting.
Boiling: Boiling is the simplest way to cook a whole chicken. Start by placing your whole bird in a large pot of water with salt added (1 tablespoon per gallon), then bring it to a boil over high heat. Once it reaches a boil, reduce heat and simmer until cooked through–about 15 minutes per pound for bone-in breasts or thighs; 20 minutes per pound for boneless breasts or thighs; 25-30 minutes per pound for whole birds like roasters or turkeys (breasts only). You can check doneness by cutting into one of the larger pieces with an instant-read thermometer–the thickest part should register 165 degrees F when inserted into its center.* If using frozen poultry products instead of fresh ones, add them directly into boiling water without thawing first.*
- Searing: Searing is another method that works well for cooking just about any type of meat dish — including poultry dishes! To sear meat means simply browning one side before finishing off cooking in some other way such as braising or grilling over direct heat so keep those flames going strong!
Conclusion
If you’re looking to cook a chicken breast, we hope this article has given you some insight into how long it takes and what method works best. We always recommend the traditional method of boiling the chicken first before searing or roasting. This ensures that the meat stays juicy and flavorful while also making sure there are no bacteria left behind after cooking!