Boneless skinless chicken breasts are one of the healthiest, easiest-to-cook protein sources out there. Though they’re especially great for low-cost bulking b/c of their high protein content to cost ratio, they also have only a couple of grams of fat per breast which makes them superb for cutting as well.

Here’s some of the ways I’ve recently discovered you can cook them with just a skillet, spatula and the necessary spices:

ALL RECIPES ASSUME YOU HAVE THEM DEFROSTED, RINSED AND PATTED DRY WITH A PAPER TOWEL. To defrost them easily, just put their container in the fridge and leave them there for around 24 hours.

1. Pan-Fried With Garlic

Ingredients: chicken breasts, chopped up garlic, salt, extra virgin olive oi

Directions:
1. Heat up a skillet to HIGH, add oil
2. Add chicken breasts. I love the loud frying noise when you add each one in.
3. Sprinkle salt onto each one.
4. Wait about a minute until the water that appears in the bottom of the pan is nearly gone. Then quickly turn the oven to MEDIUM, add a half cup of water to the skillet and COVER IT.
5. After 5 minutes, check the water level in the skillet; if there’s not much water left then add some more. At this point add all your chopped garlic to the chicken, I like covering each breast with as much as I can, then adding some more to the water underneath. RE-COVER THE SKILLET.
6. After another 5 minutes, use your spatula and flip each chicken breast over. Add more water if necessary, re-cover.
7. After another 5 minutes, cut open the thickest part of the thickest chicken breast and see if there’s any pink inside. If there is, then add more water and cover the skillet again for another few minutes. Repeat until the pink has disappeared. (Don’t wait too long though, or else the chicken won’t be juicy anymore.)
8. UN-COVER THE SKILLET, and turn the stove to HIGH. Let it fry for another 1-2 minutes until most of the water is gone, and you’re done.

2. Curry-Flavored
***This recipe is DELICIOUS***

Ingredients: chicken breasts, curry powder, salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil

For the curry powder I use the one below, but you can use whichever brand you like. I would just go to the international section of your grocery store, and try to find something that looks Asian or Indian, and is in powder form. Whole Foods has some especially good curries if you have one nearby.

Directions:

THIS IS OPTIONAL BUT WILL MAKE IT TASTE BETTER: A day or so before you want to eat the chicken, take a Rubbermaid container and add your washed, defrosted chicken breasts. Sprinkle salt liberally over the chicken (don’t worry about making it even), add even more curry (more = spicier) and add a tiny amount of pepper. Now stick your hands in and rub the salt/curry/pepper all over the chicken breasts, coating them on all sides. Now cover the container, stick in the fridge for 24 hours to let the chicken marinat

IF YOU DON’T WANT TO GO THRU THE ABOVE: Just do the same thing except don’t let the chicken marinate in the fridge.

Now it’s time to cook the chicken:
1. Heat a skillet to HIGH, add oil
2. Add now-coated chicken breasts
3. Let sit for a minute or two for the chicken to sear on one side, then…
4. Add 1/2 cup water, turn stove to MEDIUM, cover skillet
5. Every 5 minutes or so (as with recipe 1 steps 4-7) check to see if you need to add any water, and if the chicken has turned completely white on the inside. Remember to flip the chicken over after 5 or 10 minutes of being in the covered skillet.
6. Once chicken is all white, turn heat back to HIGH, uncover, and let the water evaporate and the other side of the chicken sear.
7. You’re done!

Picture: