Ina Garten-Inspired Roasted Chicken Breasts

Compiled by Igor Kukolj, Editor. Nobody here has cooked this — how these are made.

The usual advice for keeping lean meat moist is low and slow. For a bone-in chicken breast it is the wrong way round.

Time above 60°C is what dries out chicken, so the goal is to spend as little of it there as possible. An hour at 160°C keeps the breast in that range far longer than thirty-five minutes at 220°C, and it comes out drier despite the gentler heat. High heat also renders and crisps the skin, which then bastes the meat underneath for the whole roast.

Hot and fast, bone in, skin on. Everything about this cut is designed to survive it.

The bone is not decoration

It conducts heat slowly and shields the underside of the breast from the pan, which is exactly what a boneless breast lacks. It also holds the meat's shape as the muscle contracts. A boneless skinless breast has neither protection, which is why it is the hardest common cut to roast well.

Dry the skin, and salt it early

Salt the breasts and leave them uncovered in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Salt seasons the meat through and the moving air dries the skin, and dry skin is the only kind that crisps. An hour is worth doing; overnight is noticeably better.

68°C, not 74°C

74°C is the figure for a whole bird, driven by the thigh. A breast held at 68°C for a couple of minutes is equally safe and considerably juicier. Pulling at 74°C means arriving at 77°C after the rest, which is where the texture goes chalky.

Storing

Four days. Leave the meat on the bone until you need it — it dries far more slowly that way. Cold roast breast is much better than reheated.