I’ve heard a lot of people comment over the years that white-meat chicken is dry. True, it’s not as fatty as dark meat, but it’s not dry when it’s cooked properly. The important thing to remember is that as soon as it’s no longer pink inside, you want to get it off the heat. If you don’t see pink, it’s cooked. You don’t need to cook it another five minutes “just to be sure.” All that will do is dry it out. Additionally, it’s important that you start cooking it at a high heat and don’t overcrowd it in the pan. If the heat isn’t high enough or the pan is too small for the amount of chicken, excess moisture will build up and you won’t get that browning on the outside that is so delicious. These basic tips, along with misting or very lightly rubbing chicken breasts with olive oil to create a protective coating of sorts, will keep you from needing tons of fat to make absolutely scrumptious chicken dishes.

　　

Ingredients

makes 2 servings

　　2 (4-ounce) trimmed boneless, skinless chicken breasts

　　1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

　　1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

　　1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

　　Sea salt and pepper, to taste

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

　　

Step 2

In a medium bowl, toss the chicken breasts with the olive oil, and then season both sides with the garlic powder, rosemary, salt, and pepper.

　　

Step 3

Place a medium ovenproof nonstick skillet over high heat. When it’s hot, add the chicken and sear 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until the chicken is golden brown on the outside. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake the chicken until it is no longer pink inside, 4 to 6 minutes.

　　

nutrition information

Step 4

Each (1 chicken breast) serving has:

　　

Step 5

Calories: 137

　　

Step 6

Protein: 26g

　　

Step 7

Trace Carbohydrates

　　

Step 8

Fat: 3g

　　

Step 9

Saturated Fat: <1g

　　

Step 10

Cholesterol: 66mg

　　

Step 11

Trace Fiber

　　

Step 12

Sodium: 74mg

　　Reprinted with permission from I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening! by Devin Alexander. Copyright © 2010 Devin Alexander. Published by Clarkson Potter Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.Devin Alexander is the author of The Most Decadent Diet Ever, Fast Food Fix, and coauthor of The New York Times bestsellers The Biggest Loser Cookbook and The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook. She was a chef on NBC's The Biggest Loser and the host of Healthy Decadence on Discover Health and FitTV.