Clean everyday sauteed chicken breast

Easy everyday chicken

Small batch of Everyday chicken

As part of our clean eats revolution, we try and stay away from processed and pre-packaged lunch meat. For those of you who know me.. My down fall is the holy Italian trilogy (can be French also) - Wine, cheese and salame (liverwurst/foie gras) - aka nitrates, sulfates. They take me down. I love them I used to eat and drink them all the time. The Atkins diet was my favorite.. I could eat all the cheese and salami that I wished.. Ohh not so clean eats!! So long story short.. I try and stay away from deli meats in general so I am not tempted to buy that stick of Hot Sopressata with sharp provolone or asiago fresco and wolf the whole thing down. Like a salami-aholic.. Yes, so I am outed..

Anyway  back to the quick chicken recipe I used to save chicken breasts for dinner, but then I attended a clean eating group where one of the guys had a vacuum sealer and would cook up the chicken for the week in per-portioned packages and have them through out the week for lunch, snack etc. BRILLIANT!! I too have a vacuum sealer..  No more lunch meat, no more precooked dead salt laden chicken strips. Make my own!! So here you have it. Not rocket science, just an Ahhh Haaa moment!! You don't need a vacuum sealer you can store the chicken in ziplock bags, but the vacuum sealer helps lock the juices in and keeps freezer burn out.

Once you taste one of your perfectly seasoned prepackaged chicken you will never buy prepackaged chicken strips again.

Easy everyday pan seared chicken

2 – 3 lbs hormone, antibiotic free and or organic boneless skinless chicken breast

Live Salt

Fresh ground pepper

Mr’s Dash chicken, spicy or any non salt season mix

Olive oil spray

Organic no or low salt Chicken stock (optional for packaging)

Place a non stick sauté pan over med high heat and spray lightly with olive oil.

While pan is heating up, clean/cut off any excess chicken fat and grizzle.  Place the breasts on a plate (I can only fit 3 breasts in my pan at a time). Lightly salt and pepper one side, then overly season the breast with your non salt season mix (trust me you want to over season these but not with salt). Patting the breast to make the seasoning stick. Flip the breasts and repeat.   

Once the pan is heated up place the breasts, breasts side down in the pan and cook for 6 – 7 minutes.  Do not touch or move the chicken let it form a crust.

If cooking multiple batches now is the time to season the next batch per the previous steps.

Turn the chicken making sure that if the tenderloin is attached that it is flipped out so the center of the breast will hit the pan. Let cooked for 6 – 7 more minutes.

Chicken is ready when a meat thermometer stuck into the thick portion reads 160 – 165oF. (Note - I pull the chicken at 160 as it will continue to cook as it rests) If you don’t have a thermometer, insert a knife into the thickest part and see if the juices run clear. Thick breasts may take up to 8 minutes per side.

When chicken is done place in baking dish and tent with foil.

Repeat with remaining chicken until it is all cooked. TIP – You may need to take a damp paper towel and clean out the bottom of the pan and respray with oil.  Be careful the pan is hot and using a damp paper towel can create steam. Use a set of tongs to clean the hot pan if steam is created.

Once all the chicken is cooked, let sit until cool. This is where the juices set and you will begin to see the chicken release its wonderful juices into the baking dish. You will use this juice to keep your chicken moist.  At this point you can cover and refrigerate for packaging later. 

Cooking up a batch for the freezer

Chicken cooling

 To package – you will need a kitchen scale, ziplock bags or a vacuum sealer with bags, permanent marker

Place a chicken breast on a cutting board and slice the breasts into strips, rounds or chunks depending on your preference. Placing the sliced chicken back into the juice to absorb the juicy goodness, until ready to weigh out.

Continue until all chicken has been sliced.

Place a plate on the scale and begin weighing out 2, 4 or 6 oz portions. I do both. I usually take the 4 oz and Chet has the 6 oz. Place the weighed out portions into a ziplock or vacuum bag adding some of the juice from the pan and additional 1 – 2 tsp of chicken stock if needed.  Squeeze out the air and seal.

Continue until all the chicken is portioned out. Label each bag and place in the fridge or freezer for later use.

Enjoy your chicken warmed up plain, over quinoa, on your favorite salad or right out of the bag possibilities are endless!

All sealed up ready for the freezer

Nutrition 2 oz: Calories 60, Fat 1g, Carbs 0g, Protein 13g

Nutrition 4 oz: Calories 120, Fat 2g, Carbs 0g, Protein 26g
Nutrition 6 oz: Calories 180, Fat 2g, Carbs 0g, Protein 39g