What To Do When Chicken Breasts Turn Out Rubbery (And How To Prevent This)

Rubbery chicken is usually a sign that you've overcooked your chicken, depleting any moisture and causing its muscle fibers to contract for a tough and unpleasant chew. We spoke to Dan Pelosi, author of the cookbooks "Let's Eat" and "Let's Party," who presents some preventative measures to avoid or correct rubbery chicken.

Overcooking chicken is often a case of second guessing its doneness, which Pelosi describes as: "That moment when you panic that the chicken is not cooked through so you throw it back in the oven or in the pan and it overcooks." A second bout of cooking usually isn't necessary, but even if you have left the chicken a bit too long in the oven or frying pan in the first place, not all hope is lost.

According to Pelosi, "First, you have to remember that chicken will cook a bit after it's out of the oven, so cover it and let it rest for 10 minutes! Also, If you are anxious about undercooked chicken, it's worth it to invest in a meat thermometer." This meat thermometer should display an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, signaling it's time to turn off the heat and let the meat rest. Chicken, and most cuts of steak and pork, benefit from a 5 to 10 minute resting period during which their natural juices redistribute, improving their flavor and texture. Covering the chicken as it rests traps any steam rising off it, which prevents the loss of the moisture responsible for instilling that juicy, tender texture.

While it's easy enough to prevent the overcooking that leads to rubbery chicken, accidents still happen. So if you find yourself with woefully tough, dried out chicken, chef Pelosi admits, "That's a tough one to come back from." While you shouldn't grin and bear it, you also don't have to waste a bad batch of rubbery chicken. Pelosi recommends repurposing it. He told us, "I would shred it and use it in a juicy dressing for chicken salad or throw it into a pot of soup!"

Since the reason that chicken is rubbery is because it has dried out, Pelosi's recommendations entail adding back that lost moisture. Shredding dry chicken breast also breaks it down into palatable pieces. Try adding the shredded chicken to this apple pecan chicken salad recipe. You can also add shredded chicken as a salad topper to toss with a creamy dressing like Ranch, blue cheese, or peanut sauce. It'll work well in this recipe for Cobb salad or tossed with peanut dressing before adding it to a Chinese chicken salad.

Another way to incorporate moisture is to repurpose the chicken into a creamy or saucy stuffing for casserole dishes. Make chicken enchiladas by tossing shredded chicken with salsa and a bit of cream cheese, rolling it into corn tortillas to smother with more salsa and cheese. Use dry shredded chicken in this recipe for classic chicken casserole or this zestier King Ranch chicken casserole. And you can also saturate shredded chicken with barbecue sauce for a sandwich filler.