The Temperature Rule For Baking Breaded Chicken

Cooking chicken may seem like a simple task, but there is actually a lot that goes into it. To start off, chicken is one of those meats that is dangerous to eat if it's under-done. While you might like your Ahi tuna barely seared, or your steak medium rare, chicken is unsafe to consume below 165 degrees Fahrenheit, according to FoodSafety.gov. Cooking chicken with a meat thermometer can help you to be sure it's cooked through without drying out, which chicken breasts are prone to doing.

While you do need to be mindful when preparing chicken, the good news is that chicken can be a blank canvas for many flavors. It's great in soups and stews, braised, or served with sauces, and if you're looking for a great juxtaposition of textures you truly can't beat a succulent chicken breast that has been breaded. Whether you're dredging with flour, or doing a shake-and-bake style with breadcrumbs, and seasoning the last thing you want is burned breading. While many prefer to fry breaded chicken, baking it can be just as delicious. Here's a simple trick that will help your breaded chicken breast come out perfectly the next time you pop it in the oven. 

Keep an eye on it

Baking breaded chicken breasts perfectly isn't entirely a set-it-and-forget-it kind of cooking technique. However, if you're willing to invest a little bit of time in keeping an eye on your meat, a succulent, juicy chicken breast with a perfectly browned crust is possible. The first thing you want to do is bread your chicken. There are multiple ways you can do this. You can dredge the chicken in flour, you can bread it with an egg wash and then hit it with flour, or you can use breadcrumbs or even cork flakes in a pinch. Be sure to season the chicken and the breading so that your chicken will be flavorful.

Next up, you'll want to bake the chicken for 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, but then monitor it every 10 minutes after that until you achieve the desired result. What you're looking for is a perfectly browned outside and an internal temperature that reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit or higher in the thickest part of the breast. Don't forget to rest your meat for a few minutes before digging in. Employ this technique next time you're baking breaded chicken and you absolutely cannot go wrong.