Chicken goes from dull to delicious with five-spice blend
Eating healthy on a budget and tight schedule means the boneless skinless chicken breast makes frequent appearances on our table.
It’s a smart choice as a lean protein — one cup (250 mL) of cubed chicken breast has a whopping 43 grams of protein yet only 5 grams of fat (fewer than 2 of those are saturated).
But the chicken breast story goes beyond protein. White meat chicken provides a sizable chunk of our daily requirements for several vitamins and minerals, most notably B6, niacin, phosphorus and selenium, and smaller quantities of a slew of others. Impressive stats from the cut of meat that goes on mega-sale about every four weeks, and freezes so well that you can stock up when it does.
The problem with this nutrient wonder is that it’s so mild and low-fat (read: low-flavour) it can become “blah” and uninspired on the weekly family menu, elegantly referred to as being in a rut.
The lower fat also puts this protein at high risk for drying out. Today’s recipe solves both those problems while also staying weeknight-speedy.
This five-spice chicken in orange broth is a skillet chicken that starts on the stovetop with a quick sear and then finishes in the oven, bathed in an aromatic orange juice broth, simmering to juicy perfection.
If you don’t have five-spice blend on hand, I suggest it as a worthy purchase, because its warm spicy flavours (think ginger, anise and cinnamon) add a perfect depth to a ton of dishes, both savoury and sweet.
However, feel free to experiment with similar spices or blends (such as pumpkin pie spice).
Another recommended purchase: an instant-read thermometer, which will improve your meat-cookery overall, so you can stop cooking the chicken as soon as it reaches 160 F (70 C).
A final tip: most chicken breasts are larger than one serving. Consider serving the meat already sliced on a platter, and you’ll find that two or three breasts will easily feed a family of four.