Yikes! Yes, you should definitely be able to cook without setting off the smoke alarm. But here's a few things that can make your cooking experience better. So, here is a long-winded reply to a simple request. (My speciality!)
It's the PAM - that's what's burning at 400 degrees. Don't do that. It wasn't designed for that much heat.
No, you can't just cook frozen chicken breasts. I don't care what they say on the package, they will be crispy on the outside and raw on the inside. Put them in the fridge before you go to bed the night before to let them defrost slowly and safely. (I set a reminder on my smart phone for the days I am planning to use something from the freezer.)
Don't bake chicken breasts in a pan in the oven. (I assume you are talking about a half or split breast.) There is no way to get it to cook evenly because of it's shape and all that dry heat.
You can make delicious chicken - you might just want to take a different approach. Remember:
Alternative 1 - Chicken Breasts Cooked in Foil
Do this instead of baking breasts. It's just as easy, cooks faster, tastes better, and won't set off the alarm.
- Rub the chicken breasts with oilve oil and put in aluminum foil with some salt, pepper, and onion slices. Completely cover them so they are in a foil pouch and put them in the oven like that.
- They will steam in the foil for about 35 minutes. Be careful opening because of the steam. Options: add herbs like thyme or rosemary, or get a blend like poultry or Italian seasoning. To make the meat even more tasty and appealing, brown in a skillet on the stove before steaming in the pouch.
Alternative 2 - Easy Chicken Fricassee
A fricassee is just meat cooked in liquid. If you can master this you can make dozens of dishes just by varying the flavors and ingredients.
- Cook in a pan (non-stick preferred) on the stove. Add a little olive oil and let it heat (but not burn).
- Brown the chicken breast about 2 or 3 minutes per side.
- Add some onions, garlic (or garlic powder) and add about a half an inch of canned chicken broth. Cover and turn down heat to simmer for about ten minutes. The steam will cook the chicken.
- Remove cover and remove chicken, set aside to rest and turn up heat to boil down the broth for a few minutes until half of it is gone. Serve the broth and onions over the chicken. This is great with some rice or mashed potatoes.
This is your basic chicken fricassee. You can add extras like celery, carrots, mushrooms, herbs, and a little white wine to get fancy.
Alternate 3 - Fast Roast Chicken
If you are going to roast something in the oven, man up and do a whole chicken. It looks fancy, but it's the easiest thing in the world to make. Get a whole small young chicken - say 3 pounds or under. They are usually very cheap. This recipe uses the heat of a skillet to cook the dark meat (legs & thighs) faster than the white meat (breast & wings). This gets the dark meet done, without overcooking and drying out the white meat.
- To do this fast, you need a heavy 12 inch oven-safe skillet or dutch oven. (If you don't know what a dutch oven is, Google it. It's a heavy pan with high sides and a lid.) Preheat oven to 450 and put the skillet in the oven.
- Rinse the chicken under slow cold water. Remove neck and giblets from the inside. Throw away. Pat the bird dry with a towel. (Throw the towel in the wash.)
- Rub the skin with softened butter or olive oil. Salt and pepper the skin. Peel and cut up an onion into four pieces and stuff in the cavity.
- Carefully remove the hot skillet, and set it on the stove. Put the chicken in the skillet, breast up. Put the skillet back in the oven uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Turn off the oven, but leave the chicken in for another 35 minutes.
- Remove the chicken and set it on a cutting board (with some paper towels to soak any leaking juices) for 15 minutes, while you whip up anything else you are having with the chicken. (A pouch of instant mashed potatoes is fast and yummy. Or fix a salad if you are feeling healthy.) Note: Resting the chicken is important. Don't skip this step - it is still cooking.
- Carve and eat. (If you've never carved a chicken, Google it. If you are old enough to be on this site, you should learn how to carve a chicken.)) A roast chicken can give you meals for a week. It's the modern equivalent of our cave man ancestors killing a buffalo.
Misc tips
Assume that raw chicken is contaminated with bacteria. Wash your hands immediately after handling and before you pick up anything else. I fill the sink or a bowl with warm soapy water and a few drops of bleach. That makes it easy to swish my hands around in the water every time I handle raw meat.
Get an instant read thermometer. To be safe, chicken breast or white meat is cooked to 160 degrees and legs/thighs or dark meat is cooked to 175 degrees. I have given you approximate times for cooking, but a thermometer is the best way to tell.
Here are three things that you want to spend money on: A chef's knife, a good skillet, and a dutch oven. In these items you need quality, but you don't want to spend a fortune either.
- A good Chef's knife - this can carve a chicken or cut vegetables. It's the most versatile knife you can own. The Victorinox is as good as knives costing four times as much.
- A 12 inch skillet - This is a kitchen workhorse, and a well-made one should last a lifetime. Cheap skillets don't heat evenly and can't go in the oven.
- A dutch oven - A Dutch oven just might be the most important—and versatile—cooking vessel you can own. Dutch ovens can go on the stove and in the oven, making them ideal for braising meat; cooking soups, stews, and sauces; boiling water; and frying. The really good one's are about $400. But this Cuisinart gets close for a lot less money.
