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Steamed chicken breast is a healthy option, but can be tasteless. It’s best to season, marinate or add sauce. Steaming on the bone with skin intact prevents dryness and adds flavor. Soaking or marinating before steaming also enhances flavor. Herbs and seasonings can be added to the steaming water. A steamer or simple steamer basket can be used, with enough water to prevent boiling. Chicken should be arranged with space between pieces and cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C).
Steamed chicken breast is a quick and easy way to cook this low-fat meat. The only downside is that the chicken is practically tasteless. It must be seasoned, marinated, or drizzled with sauce to be palatable. Unless you need bland meat for the recipe, it’s best to season the chicken for a tasty result.
Sometimes a practically tasteless meat base is desirable. For chefs who want to showcase a special sauce, steamed chicken breast is the perfect way to prepare meat without adding butter or oil flavors, which could interfere with the taste of the sauce. Steaming is usually done in a pot, but you can also wrap the chicken in parchment and foil and cook it, allowing the water from the chicken to steam the chicken.
One downside to steaming chicken breasts is that they can dry out easily, resulting in overly tough meat. To counteract this, chicken is best steamed on the bone with the skin intact. Some of the oil and fat from the skin soaks into the meat, but as long as the skin is removed before eating, the chicken is still low in fat. Steaming chicken breasts on the bone also takes a little longer than steaming boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but the result is far superior in taste and texture.
To increase the flavor and tenderness of the chicken, it is best to soak or marinate the chicken for a considerable amount of time before steaming it. With some brine and marinade recipes, it takes as little as an hour, but others recommend letting the chicken soak overnight. The longer the soaking time, the more intense the flavor will be.
Pickle recipes are based on salt and water, although other seasonings may be added. Marinades vary from recipe to recipe, but most include a fat, acid, and seasonings. For example, vinegar, wine or lemon juice can act as an acid and oil or butter as a fat. There are marinades for virtually every desired taste, and recipes can be found in cookbooks and online.
Herbs and seasonings can also be added to the steaming water to infuse flavor into the chicken. Fresh herbs work especially well as do strong greens like onion, carrot and celery. Root and bulb seasonings, such as ginger and garlic, are also good choices.
Chicken breasts can be steamed in a specialized appliance known as a steamer, but this isn’t necessary. A simple steamer basket that sits in the bottom of a pot or a perforated insert can also be used to steam chicken. A small amount of water is added to the pot and the chicken is placed on the raised rack or insert. The chicken doesn’t touch the water, but it’s important to use enough water so the pot doesn’t boil.
Chicken pieces should be arranged so that there is space between them. The air must circulate freely or the chicken will not cook evenly. The lid should be tight so that no excess steam or heat is lost during the cooking process, and cooks should resist the urge to check on the chicken frequently. A meat thermometer provides the most accurate measure of doneness, and the recommended internal temperature is 160°F (71°C).
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