Cheap chicken breast?

wrexham103.4 · 02-09-2011, 23:34

Has anyone noticed any good deals on chicken breasts when out shopping lately?

Also any tips on how to cook so it stay quite moist? ive cooked in the oven a few times and it tends to go a bit dry, i plan to take it to work for my lunch and eat cold daily

whoever,hey · 02-09-2011, 23:53

If you want it cheap then buy a whole chicken. Cooking it whole will keep it moist aswell as long as its not overcooked.

Swarfega · 03-09-2011, 01:27

Unless it's specifically the breast you're after (and why not eh, chaps?) then I would certainly concur with the post above.
Buy a whole chicken, roast it and it'll provide all you need. I live on my own and do this often. After the initial meal there's still a ton of meat that I use for sandwiches, stir fries etc for the next few days.

Failing that and if you're not fussy about the quality of the chicken, try and find your local Asian type shop. The bigger ones have a butcher counter and their chicken is usually pretty darn cheap. Halal and probably not towards the top end of the quality scale, but those places are a decent source of cheap meat.

woodbush · 03-09-2011, 02:22

Lidl whole chickens are good value and tasty. Iceland ones are shite, even my dog doesn't like them

Rossall · 03-09-2011, 02:26

The 1KG bags of frozen Chicken breast at Asda (not the smartprice one) are fairly decent and about £5.50.

I usually roast it in the oven covered in rapeseed oil

c4rv · 03-09-2011, 08:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rossall

The 1KG bags of frozen Chicken breast at Asda (not the smartprice one) are fairly decent and about £5.50.

I usually roast it in the oven covered in rapeseed oil

problem with frozen chicken breast is that almost certainly it will be injected with brine, check chicken levels, could be as low as 85% which means that you are paying for 15% water.

Cheapest fresh chicken breast I have found is makro, £18 for 5kg.

However be aware that all cheap chicken will almost certainly come from either asia or eastern europe from battery farmed chicken.

burton07 · 03-09-2011, 09:41

I always buy a whole chicken these days for OH and me. It is better value that two breasts and, as a previous poster said, the meat is moister.

Jointing it is easy. Take a sharp knife and pull out the leg joints. Cut them off at the 'knee' and pull off the thighs. Slice off the breasts from the breast bone and remove the wings. There you have two breasts, two legs and two thighs - enough for two to three persons

Also you can boil up the carcass and make soup, so that's two meals out of one £3.00 chicken.

stevensdrs · 03-09-2011, 10:23

Farmfoods were doing 3 bags of frozen chicken breasts for £10.00 ( Now 2 for £8.00 ) so I filled the freezer. They are as good as frozen chicken breasts get as long as you have no issues with the origin of the product.

adsk · 03-09-2011, 11:39

A good way to cook a chicken breast is to wrap it loosely in foil and cook for about 15-20 minutes depending on size. Cooking in a foil parcel helps keep it from drying out.

degsyhufc · 03-09-2011, 16:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrexham103.4

Has anyone noticed any good deals on chicken breasts when out shopping lately?

Also any tips on how to cook so it stay quite moist? ive cooked in the oven a few times and it tends to go a bit dry, i plan to take it to work for my lunch and eat cold daily

Depends on what type of meal you are cooking as to how to cook it. There are many methods. Poaching will keep it moist as it is submerged and cooked in liquid.
Or you could steam it. Or you can combine the two methods and wrap it in foil or baking paper.

c4rv · 03-09-2011, 16:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by degsyhufc

Depends on what type of meal you are cooking as to how to cook it. There are many methods. Poaching will keep it moist as it is submerged and cooked in liquid.
Or you could steam it. Or you can combine the two methods and wrap it in foil or baking paper.

poaching won't necessarily keep it moist if its overcooked. The problem is that you need to get the timing right, once past the point of just cooked then fiber will break down and release the liquid they hold. This is also why resting meat is important as it allows the muscle to relax and reabsorb the liquid.

The key is the temperature. For chicken the magic number is around 160 degrees and the best way of testing this unless you have lots of experience is to use a temperature probe/meat thermometer.

There is a very good article on the subject of keeping meat moist while cooking here,
http://www.amazingribs.com/tips_and_...t_science.html

If you poach in liquid it barely penetrates the flesh but it does stop surface evaporation. If you want to try an experiment then poach a chicken breast in liquid with food coloring added such as turmeric for food dye. After cooking slice the breast and see how far the liquid has penetrated. But of course poaching produces a liquid which is a great base for sauces.

stvn758 · 03-09-2011, 18:54

Just ordered a bag from Tesco, half price at £3.99. Dale Farm or something similar, very nice.

MiSSSmith · 05-09-2011, 10:41

I buy mine fresh from a halal shop.

They chop up the chicken right there in front of you, it's not injected with water to make it weigh more and, being halal, I know the animal was only killed the day before

It works out about £1.00 per plump breast but it's fresh and juicy and well worth it.

I use those roasting bags to cook them, and don't over cook them or they'll be as dry as dust.

02-09-2011, 23:34	#1
wrexham103.4 Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 3,140	Cheap chicken breast? Has anyone noticed any good deals on chicken breasts when out shopping lately? Also any tips on how to cook so it stay quite moist? ive cooked in the oven a few times and it tends to go a bit dry, i plan to take it to work for my lunch and eat cold daily

02-09-2011, 23:53	#2
whoever,hey Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 30,072	If you want it cheap then buy a whole chicken. Cooking it whole will keep it moist aswell as long as its not overcooked.

03-09-2011, 01:27	#3
Swarfega Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Leeds Posts: 1,462	Unless it's specifically the breast you're after (and why not eh, chaps?) then I would certainly concur with the post above. Buy a whole chicken, roast it and it'll provide all you need. I live on my own and do this often. After the initial meal there's still a ton of meat that I use for sandwiches, stir fries etc for the next few days. Failing that and if you're not fussy about the quality of the chicken, try and find your local Asian type shop. The bigger ones have a butcher counter and their chicken is usually pretty darn cheap. Halal and probably not towards the top end of the quality scale, but those places are a decent source of cheap meat.

03-09-2011, 02:22	#4
woodbush Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Scottish Borders Posts: 30,166	Lidl whole chickens are good value and tasty. Iceland ones are shite, even my dog doesn't like them

03-09-2011, 02:26	#5
Rossall Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 9,433	The 1KG bags of frozen Chicken breast at Asda (not the smartprice one) are fairly decent and about £5.50. I usually roast it in the oven covered in rapeseed oil

03-09-2011, 08:37	#6
c4rv Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Essex Posts: 16,218	Quote: Originally Posted by Rossall The 1KG bags of frozen Chicken breast at Asda (not the smartprice one) are fairly decent and about £5.50. I usually roast it in the oven covered in rapeseed oil problem with frozen chicken breast is that almost certainly it will be injected with brine, check chicken levels, could be as low as 85% which means that you are paying for 15% water. Cheapest fresh chicken breast I have found is makro, £18 for 5kg. However be aware that all cheap chicken will almost certainly come from either asia or eastern europe from battery farmed chicken.

03-09-2011, 09:41	#7
burton07 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Sitting at my PC Posts: 9,434	I always buy a whole chicken these days for OH and me. It is better value that two breasts and, as a previous poster said, the meat is moister. Jointing it is easy. Take a sharp knife and pull out the leg joints. Cut them off at the 'knee' and pull off the thighs. Slice off the breasts from the breast bone and remove the wings. There you have two breasts, two legs and two thighs - enough for two to three persons Also you can boil up the carcass and make soup, so that's two meals out of one £3.00 chicken.

03-09-2011, 10:23	#8
stevensdrs Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 1,494	Farmfoods were doing 3 bags of frozen chicken breasts for £10.00 ( Now 2 for £8.00 ) so I filled the freezer. They are as good as frozen chicken breasts get as long as you have no issues with the origin of the product.

03-09-2011, 11:39	#9
adsk Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 21	A good way to cook a chicken breast is to wrap it loosely in foil and cook for about 15-20 minutes depending on size. Cooking in a foil parcel helps keep it from drying out.

03-09-2011, 16:28	#10
degsyhufc Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Up North Posts: 58,791	Quote: Originally Posted by wrexham103.4 Has anyone noticed any good deals on chicken breasts when out shopping lately? Also any tips on how to cook so it stay quite moist? ive cooked in the oven a few times and it tends to go a bit dry, i plan to take it to work for my lunch and eat cold daily Depends on what type of meal you are cooking as to how to cook it. There are many methods. Poaching will keep it moist as it is submerged and cooked in liquid. Or you could steam it. Or you can combine the two methods and wrap it in foil or baking paper.

03-09-2011, 16:48	#11
c4rv Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Essex Posts: 16,218	Quote: Originally Posted by degsyhufc Depends on what type of meal you are cooking as to how to cook it. There are many methods. Poaching will keep it moist as it is submerged and cooked in liquid. Or you could steam it. Or you can combine the two methods and wrap it in foil or baking paper. poaching won't necessarily keep it moist if its overcooked. The problem is that you need to get the timing right, once past the point of just cooked then fiber will break down and release the liquid they hold. This is also why resting meat is important as it allows the muscle to relax and reabsorb the liquid. The key is the temperature. For chicken the magic number is around 160 degrees and the best way of testing this unless you have lots of experience is to use a temperature probe/meat thermometer. There is a very good article on the subject of keeping meat moist while cooking here, http://www.amazingribs.com/tips_and_...t_science.html If you poach in liquid it barely penetrates the flesh but it does stop surface evaporation. If you want to try an experiment then poach a chicken breast in liquid with food coloring added such as turmeric for food dye. After cooking slice the breast and see how far the liquid has penetrated. But of course poaching produces a liquid which is a great base for sauces.

03-09-2011, 18:54	#12
stvn758 Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 17,338	Just ordered a bag from Tesco, half price at £3.99. Dale Farm or something similar, very nice.

05-09-2011, 10:41	#13
MiSSSmith Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 222	I buy mine fresh from a halal shop. They chop up the chicken right there in front of you, it's not injected with water to make it weigh more and, being halal, I know the animal was only killed the day before It works out about £1.00 per plump breast but it's fresh and juicy and well worth it. I use those roasting bags to cook them, and don't over cook them or they'll be as dry as dust.

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Cheap chicken breast?