Best Way to Tenderize Chicken Breast
This sounds weird, but stay with me. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of baking soda over your sliced or pounded chicken, toss to coat, and let it sit for 15 minutes. Rinse it off well, then cook as usual. The baking soda raises the pH, which makes the proteins less likely to tighten up—like giving your chicken a tiny massage with a chemistry degree.
I discovered this trick during a frantic dinner party. The chicken was cheap, the guests were hungry, and I had nothing to lose. The result? Tender enough that my skeptical brother-in-law asked for seconds. He still doesn’t know my secret.