How do you moisten dry chicken without broth?

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1. Always remember the power of chicken thighs.
2. When baking chicken breasts in the oven, dry-poach them.
3. Or opt for a smart stovetop method for chicken breasts.
4. Internal temperature is the best indicator for doneness.
5. Milk is the secret to the juiciest roast chicken ever.
1. Slather it with a sauce.
2. Put it in a soup.
3. Hide it in a sandwich.
4. Definitely don’t reheat it.
How to avoid the problem in the first place:
Buy bone-in cuts.
Cook with the skin on.
Cook with fat.
How do you make dry chicken juicy again?
How do you salvage overcooked chicken?

When chicken is moist and juicy, it can really affirm just why it’s in your dinner roster week after week. And yet, when it’s overcooked and as dry as sandpaper, it can seriously have you considering banishing the bird forever. Not so fast! There are five tips to ensure chicken breasts or thighs do not dry out when you’re pan-frying, baking or roasting them. Follow these tips and you will never have to chew your way through a piece of dry chicken again.

1. Always remember the power of chicken thighs.

If you’re at all worried about your chicken dinner being dry, skip the breast in favor of chicken thighs because they are practically foolproof. It’s nearly impossible to cook them to be any other way than moist and tender. They have a higher fat content than chicken breasts and also happen to be more wallet-friendly than breasts as well.

2. When baking chicken breasts in the oven, dry-poach them.

If you’re really craving chicken breasts, just memorize the best ways to cook them in the oven. Using a method called “dry-poaching” is best. It involves covering the breasts with a piece of parchment paper before they go in the oven. This allows them to baste in their own juices so they cook up to be tender and juicy.

3. Or opt for a smart stovetop method for chicken breasts.

If you’d rather cook your chicken breasts on the stove, there’s another way to ensure they won’t dry out. It requires a little trust, as you must cover the pan and not peek for the 10 minutes the meat cooks, but it really does work!

4. Internal temperature is the best indicator for doneness.

We’re told that chicken is safe to eat when its juices run clear, the inside is no longer pink, and it registers at least 165°F in the thickest part of the meat. Checking the temperature is really the only surefire method for doneness, as sometimes fully cooked chicken can still retain a pinkish tinge. If you keep cooking it past 165°F, the meat will most definitely dry out, so always use that as your best indicator.

5. Milk is the secret to the juiciest roast chicken ever.

This method really is incredible — trust us. Roasting a whole chicken in lemon- and sage-infused milk not only ensures that every inch of meat will be as moist as it possibly can be, but it also results in a rich sauce for the chicken that you may find yourself finishing off with a spoon.

A dried-out, overcooked chicken breast happens to everyone every now and again. Keep your head up—you can fix this. Here's how.

Few things are as dissapointing as cutting into what you planned on being a succulent, juicy __insert your favorite cut of poultry, beef, or pork here__, and finding that you (or worse, someone you paid) overcooked the meat into a lifeless and dry slab of "tough luck, kid." It's upsetting, but it happens to all of us. And here's the secret that kitchen pros know: An overcooked cut isn't a lost cause. So the next time you step away from the grill for just a few minutes too long, here's how to remedy the your exceptionally well done meat.

1. Slather it with a sauce.

While this won’t undo your kitchen mistake, it WILL add a little moisture back into the meat. Use a basting brush (or one of these clever hacks) to generously slather a sauce onto that over-cooked chicken breast can make a world of difference. Go for a barbecue sauce, honey mustard sauce, pesto sauce... whatever feels right to you.

2. Put it in a soup.

Soaking overcooked meat in broth can bring a little moisture back into it, which means soup is, as usual, a perfect dinner-saving solutuon. Keep in mind, you don’t have to go homemade here—store-bought soup will save you in a pinch. Cut or shred the meat into bite-sized pieces and gently heat in a pot of your favorite veggie or noodle soup.

3. Hide it in a sandwich.

Surrounded by lettuce, veggies, and good bread, you won’t even notice that steak is a little tough. Also relevant: mayonnaise. So much mayonnaise. All of the mayonnaise. Seriously, tuck that overcooked protein into the context of a custom Reuben, panini, club, sloppy Joe, or whatever sandwich floats your boat, and you'll be good to go.

4. Definitely don’t reheat it.

Got leftovers? Eat them straight outta the fridge. Reheating them will only cook them further, making them more dry and tough. Shredded chicken salad, anyone? Remember—all the mayonnaise, people.

How to avoid the problem in the first place:

Buy bone-in cuts.

Bone-in chicken thighs take a bit longer to cook than boneless, skinless chicken breasts—but they have a lot more flavor and stay moist. Same goes for pork chops.

Cook with the skin on.

Even if you don’t eat it, keeping the skin on during roasting, grilling, or searing helps naturally keep the meat moist…without any added fat.

Cook with fat.

Basting with butter and roasting with plenty of olive oil helps to ensure that the meat will stay moist. This is why chefs like to confit meat; the process of cooking animal protein in plenty of fat has an incredibly succulent result. Want to taste the magic of leveraging fat to your advatage? Just try this Pan-Seared New York Strip—it exemplifies the beauty of butter basting in a most delicious way.

How do you make dry chicken juicy again?

Shred it and warm with stock Chicken stock or broth is the best liquid to impart flavor and moisture back into dry chicken. Warm your broth over a medium heat until it is hot but not boiling. Place your shredded chicken in the pan until it is barely covered with enough broth to coat the chicken.