Almost anyone who has cooked a whole or cut-up chicken knows that the skin on the breast acts differently than the skin on dark meat, such as drumsticks and thighs. For one thing, the skin on chicken breasts is less fatty and robust than the skin covering the thighs. For another, the skin on a chicken breast will shrink as it cooks, exposing the meat and any spice rubs you might have stuffed between the skin and the meat.
Our advice? Pin that skin in place with a few toothpicks to prevent it from shrinking and reap the rewards.
Why take this extra step? Because this toothpick trick neatly accomplishes several things. With the skin on, chicken breasts become self-basting thanks to the layer of fat between the meat and skin that renders during the cooking process. Also, any yummy spice rub you’ve stuffed between the breast and skin will not be dried out by exposure. Best of all, the skin is virtually guaranteed to get lovely and crisp — as lovers of will tell you.
Cooking chicken breasts with the skin on adds a layer of protection from the oven’s drying heat, thus retaining moisture during the cooking process. Keeping the breast skin in place with toothpicks not only assures an even coverage of this protective layer but also pokes holes in the meat for the rendering fat to seep into. What does that accomplish? Much, because fat enhances flavor as well as juiciness — good news for your taste buds!
Because the toothpick trick allows hot rendered fat to coat the outside of the skin, it’s essentially frying it to a crisp. Those holes in the skin created by the toothpicks work two ways: They baste the meat while also basting the skin. This is great news for those who like deep-brown, crispy skin — think of it like oven-frying the chicken breast.
So the next time you roast a chicken breast, be sure to pin the skin in place with a few toothpicks. You won’t regret it!
