How to Broil Thin Chicken Breasts

Broiled, thin chicken breasts can be part of a quick, healthy dinner.

Thin chicken breasts can be a challenge to cook because they dry out quickly. Broiling them is an effective technique because the process browns the skin quickly while the meat cooks. Broiling thin breasts with the skin on works well because the skin will add fat to the meat and help prevent it from drying out. However, if you are concerned about fat intake, broil the chicken without the skin, taking care not to cook the thin breasts for too long.

Things You'll Need

• Buttermilk
• Vinaigrette
• Herbs and spices
• Chicken breasts, pounded
• Broiler pan

Instructions

1. Mix a marinade or spice rub for your chicken. The marinade could be something as simple as a vinaigrette salad dressing or buttermilk flavored with garlic and herbs. If you're using a dry spice rub, rub a small quantity of olive oil into the chicken breasts first, then rub in the spice rub. You can use a variety of herbs and spices to create different flavors, such as Italian, jerk or Cajun.

2. Place the chicken in a resealable plastic bag and add the marinade or spice rub. Place the bag in a bowl in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Because the chicken breasts are thin, they don't require a long time in the marinade to tenderize and absorb the flavors.

3. Preheat the broiler in your oven. Remove the chicken from the plastic bag and discard the remaining marinade. Place the chicken on broiler pan. Using this pan is important because any excess fat will drip through the slats into the pan below, which will allow the chicken to get brown and crisp.

4. Place the chicken in oven, ensuring the oven rack is about six inches from the broiler. Broil for between 6 and 10 minutes, turning once, until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast registers 170 Fahrenheit. Check the internal temperature of the chicken at the 6-minute mark, because thin chicken breasts will cook quickly. If you've broiled the chicken with the skin on, remove it if desired.

References

• Recipe Tips: Grilling and Broiling Chicken
• Canadian Living: Broiled Cajun Chicken Breasts