Chicken breast a protein that everyone should know how to cook well, and to do that, we'll be doing a fairly deep dive into things like protein strands, temperatures/times, and the best condiment in the world, mayo. We are looking at Sam the Cooking Guy's grilled chicken breast a great recipe as is, but we'll use cooking science and technique to make a version that is more nonstick with better browning and is super moist every time.
Links & Stuff
► Join our Cooking Community: community.ethanchlebowski.com/
► Grilled Chicken Recipe: www.ethanchlebowski.com/cooki...
► Sam the Cooking Guy Grilled Chicken Video: • The Best Grilled Chick...
► SOURCES
- The Food Lab by Kenji Lopez: amzn.to/2COYNc2
- Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecuing and Grilling by Meathead Goldwyn: amzn.to/38n7UfC
- Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat: amzn.to/3dVao5W
- Mayo Article - www.nytimes.com/2019/10/28/di...
- Mayo Article - www.latimes.com/food/dailydis...
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► Useful Kitchen Gear
- Budget Whetstone for sharpening: amzn.to/31MlFDf
- Salt Pig: amzn.to/37Xi5XZ
- Scale: amzn.to/2Cu5HmP
- 8-inch Chef's knife: amzn.to/2QLYvWr
- Nicer 8-inch Chef Knife: amzn.to/2W06SR1
- Magnetic Knife Rack: amzn.to/2YYs5ML
- Cast iron: amzn.to/2tu4Bmo
- Baking Sheet: amzn.to/3aE9dq3
- Wire Rack: amzn.to/2YeC9lM
- Saucepan: amzn.to/2SbVU9X
- Wood cutting board: amzn.to/2Qkw1UQ
- (NOT cheap) Amazing Pan: amzn.to/2rW8wYY
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MISC. DETAILS
Music: Provided by Epidemic Sound
Filmed on: Sony a6600 & Sony A6400 w/ Sigma 16mm F1.4
Voice recorded on Zoom H4n with Behringer Mic
Edited in: Premiere Pro
Affiliate Disclosure:
Cook with E is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Episode 3 Premise: (0:00)
Sam's Recipe Breakdown: (1:19)
WTF does brining do?: (2:23)
Dry Brine vs Wet Brine: (3:33)
What temperature should you cook your chicken?: (4:15)
Why cooking chicken below 165 is still safe: (4:40)
Why mayo instead of oil?: (5:45)
Step by step recipe: (7:17)
Side by side taste test: (9:45)
Discussion of browning: (12:00)
#GrilledChicken
*TO SUMMARIZE WET VS DRY BRINE & SALTING RIGHT BEFORE:* 1. I did NOT notice a significant enough difference in flavor or texture between wet and dry brine for me to say one is clearly better. In these two chicken breasts for the video, *I preferred the wet brine slightly more based on taste and texture* , that could be partly because a dry brine needs more time for diffusion for this one I let them go 90 minutes. That being said, here's what I would choose based on the circumstance: - Want the chicken breast seasoned faster? Do the wet brine. From Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat Samin notes that water promotes diffusion so if you are shorter on time (like an hour or less), wet brine is probably a better bet. - Want to use fewer dishes and less salt? Do the dry brine, you'll just need to let it go a little longer. - Don't have time for either? Just salt it right before like Sam did. Again the biggest mistake would be not using salt or under seasoning it! I kind of rambled on for like 5 minutes about it when I was filming without a real conclusion so I didn't include it, sorry y'all!
Really appreciate you logical approach to the variables of cooking! Do you have any suggestions if using frozen chicken breasts? They usually come frozen in a brining solution; would wet or drine brining these after defrosting be overkill? is it even necessarty Also, could the thaw and brine time be combined to an extent by defrosting in cold salty water (altho i wonder if the salt's different specific heat helps or hinders the thaw time...) or does the chicken need to be pre-thawed for the brine to properly "osmosify"?
One thing that wasn't addressed in the video but people absolutely need to know is the type of salt he's using. It looks like this dude is using Kosher salt which is way less salty (by weight) compared to normal iodized table salt that most noob home cooks have & use. If you do the same weight measurements of salt that this guy is doing but are using table salt, it's gonna be HELLA salty - way more than Kosher. And if you are using Kosher salt, the brand matters as well... diamond is like half as salty as Morton's kosher (by weight). ADJUST ACCORDINGLY.
I concur, there's very little difference between wet and dry brining. They both result in awesome chicken breast.
I feel like a bonus with dry brining is that its a lot easier than the wet brine. With a dry brine, I can look at a piece of meat and tell how much salt it needs. I don't need to do any weight calculations because I have enough experience to be able to eyeball the salt. With a wet brine, you can't eyeball it. You need to do the weight calculation thing since you have no clue how much salt to put in a pool of water
have you tried adding a bit of sugar to the brine ? I frequently thaw frozen chicken and turkey in a wet brine of slat and sugar and find I get a bit better browning and flavor , although it has never tasted noticeably sweet
Adam Ragusea: white whine Chef John: cayenne Ethan Chlebowski: mayonnaise
Joshua Weissman: Flaky Salt Sam the Cooking Guy: Kewpie Mayo
Binging with Babish: Kosher salt Gordon Ramsay: A little (truck-full) olive oil
Alex: Butter
Brad (BA): wouder
Alton Brown: Kosher Salt
Right. So I just tried this method today. Here's the feedback. 1. I'm using Mayo when I make my chicken breast from now on. Don't even have to think twice about it now. 2. I've never brined before today. Surprisingly simple. I've wet brined for an hour. Will try overnight next time. 3. I have an electric stove, cooking times were a bit longer on medium heat. Had to crank it up abit. BUT the digital thermometer I had was a life saver as I was able to temp check the whole time. Chicken still came out bangin'! 4. Chicken was mouthwatering good. It really was. Days of struggle chicken are now over. Thanks Ethan! Great tips and I learned a lot after putting this method into practice.
this right here a man who takes action, may you have a succsessful life
Jesus mate cheers for your life’s story
@@matthewcooke3749 You're welcome. I have more stories that you may fancy. When are you free?
@@adrianthomas4163 anytime mate.. but only if they involve you hurting yourself badly..
I tried this method last night and it worked incredibly! I dry brined by just eyeballing roughly the amount of salt you used, the chicken came out fully cooked and moist through the middle-- no rock hard outside and wet chicken juice all over the place! Then I used the mayo to spread a bit of pepper over it. To be honest, I was nervous about using mayo as I hate the taste of it, but I didn't taste any of it in the final product. If anyone reading these comments is a mayo hater like me, do not fear. You will not taste the mayo once it's grilled. I gotta say though, the dry brining was really the GOAT here, kept the chicken incredibly moist and salted all the way through. A+
This is exactly what we need: a serious academic video about Chicken Breast 101. The fact Ethan keeps the temperature at exact 155 is so badass.
I don't even own a thermometer ✌😎 **sick guitar riff**
The KZhead algorithm is pushing you lets gooooo..
It’s not KZhead’s algorithm tho , it’s that he’s different explaining his method by using science 🧪 which is different
@@THEREAL_GZUS I think he means that it's showing up in everyone's recommendations
no metric=no sub from my side.....
@@rottenpoet6675 ok cool
Its because I keep thinking his videos are Babish tho.
I’ve just discovered this channel, and it’s insane how much effort is put into these videos. You’re definitely gonna blow up
I love this guys vids. What Ethan gets right: Includes abridged versions of usually kenji's food science, but also from many other sources - doesnt rattle on for any longer than is absolutely needed, and keeps all the education clear, concise, and brief. Helps it stick. Includes (vast majority of the time) nutritional facts on all his meals. As an aspiring bodybuilder of sorts, this is extremely refreshing to see, and is in large part the determining factor in whether or not I'm going to make anything I see in any cooking show or recipe, what have you. Its clear he's very knowledgeable on food, and from what I've read on his website, actually decided to stick his course with KZhead at a certain point, a big motivating factor for that being that he wasnt able to eat how he preferred (healthily) and cook at home as he didnt have time inbetween shifts. I dig this kindof dedication - and courage. He puts quotes on "the real world" - I get exactly where he's coming from, lol. As a person myself thats been lucky enough to skirt the aforementioned "real world" aswell & be entrepreneurial, I relate exactly to what he means by his quotations and am tickled shitless that I see to eye to eye with him on his love for food and drive for optimal health - and possibly some of his world view. Theres no ego attached. I feel this is unique to him - maybe Babish aswell but I can't be sure. Its down to earth, grounded, humble, and he never rattles on about himself or ventures outside of most peoples depths of interests or attention span, he respects our time & keeps the content accessible. What Ethan gets wrong: ??? Lol keep it up man! Subbed a few days ago, I'm glad your channel is thriving.
man. the quality of your videos just keep getting better and better and they were already insanely well done to begin with! look forward to watching the community grow on this channel. thanks for the amazing content!
Man, subscribed a week ago at 21k, now you're already at 45k. You'll reach a million in no time, keep up the great work!
He earned 5k in 15 hours
yep he's at 51k now
Turkey Feelings 52.4 already :)
@@UrMom-qh5re that is what quality content does for you
Woah he's at 53k now. He totally deserves the rapid growth. Absolutely amazing content
You're my new favorite cooking channel. I'm a quarter Polish on my moms side, and Polish cooking was a big part of my growing up, but my family unfortunately isn't big on tradition, so I find your content as kind of a life saver. Thanks man, keep it up. :)
Found you just this weekend and I love the combination of food science and gorgeous visuals. Appreciate the use of metic units for most things!
hey Ethan your channel is like a combination of Binging with Babish & Joshua Weissman and great video dude!
Thanks dude!
I'd say he's taken the best from a lot of places but is also doing his own thing. A lot of channels cover the same stuff and visually present it similarly. The cutting board presentation isnt limited to one channel and it should'nt be as it is so much cooler than plates. White letters are a must in thumbnails as well.
And has a little bit of healthy eating too
And kenji and ragusea
i think hes more of a mix between adam ragussea and binging with babish and a mix of his own flair
Just tried the temperature part of this recipe on some bbq chicken. Fed it to a few friends and they kept saying how juicy the chicken was! I myself, have never experienced such juicy flavorful chicken in my life. I think to myself, is this what chicken is supposed to taste like!?! Thank you Ethan, been here since before your 100k
Great tips for home cooks, we never thought about using mayo instead of oil on chicken! Look forward to more great videos like this!
Getting into the orientation to take a bit to ensure the seasoning hitting the tongue got me to sub. As someone who will even eat something as simple as a Ritz cracker upside down just so the salt hits the tongue, I really appreciated it.
This man is killing the kitchen with facts and logic. Best cooking channel on yt.
That logic is called “science”
Just got here. This guy is dope and so is his approach.
Absolutely. Seems like a lot of the new cooking guys I see are really annoying.
In the past 6 months or so i've made more progress in cooking than I had in the several years prior, and a huge part of that is thanks to these videos. I just followed the advice from this video and made the best chicken I've ever had, better than restaurant food. THANK YOU ETHAN!!!
glad to see you growing Ethan! My roommates and I have been using your recipes for over a year now and were pleasantly suprised to see the sudden boost in channel growth.
2:08 “This sauce slaps though” always give credit where credit is due💯
This is such a fresh take on food videos and I'm really glad it's doing really well. All the best, Ethan!
Thank you, I'm glad people are enjoying it!
What a gem of a channel. So entertaining, calming and insightful!
How did I miss this as Subscriber? This video directly addresses all my family's gripes about how I "used" to cook chicken. Thank you so much Ethan!
You're about to blow upppppp. You're a perfect combo of food science and simplicity. It's rare to find both these days! And your video edits are spot-on professional.
Bruh what is that pf pic
he ain't gon blow up til he abandons one upping youtubers for clout lol
gleekie that’s literally what’s making him blow up lmao you just sound bitter
If this guy was in my kitchen i'd slap him for sounding like a god damn smart ass. Just cook the god damn chicken breast
And he has an amazing mustache
Amazing. Down to earth, simple, awesome video. You’ve earned a new subscriber.
Love you so much! Shared with all of my friends. I cant wait to listen and watch more!
My family LOVED this recipe. My husband said it was the best chicken I’ve cooked- and I’m a pretty good cook already!!! I love your show
I am fully on board with "In Mayo We Trust". Made your smash burgers yesterday and mayo-toasting the buns should be considered mandatory. If its stickin' it ain't done cookin! :)
New fan here. I love that you quote Meathead and Kenji. Along with ATK, I think they are the most trustworthy sources out there. I also have a nostalgic appreciation to Chef John. Twenty thumbs up. Greetings from Sonora, México.
Much appreciated!
Best instructional video on cooking grilled chicken I’ve ever seen. Hats off @Ethan Chelbowski
This channel is absolute perfection. Please never change
I just discovered your channel. Subscribed immediately. Especually being an OCD food nerd. I hope you get the recognition you deserve just for the research work done for these videos
Calling it now, you sir are the next big 1 million + subs cooking channel. There is no way that with your knowledge and video quality you'll stay under the radar. Really good job on the recent videos man!
as long as he keeps piggybacking off other content creators he'll get there in no time
@@brownie3454 stay mad i guess
Ethan, you've really impacted my cooking. This is my #1 go-to video every time I forget how to make chicken breast! "Is it THREE MINUTES, or FOUR MINUTES? Better go watch it again."
Underrated channel! Great production and delivery of complex subject made simple
I’m so glad your channel is getting pushed on youtube its amazing
Thank you
Ethan Chlebowski legit i just found your channel yesterday and I’m binge watching your stuff! Top quality videos!
Dude I was thinking about jalapeno cream sauce all day yesterday and was going to look for which video it was under. This makes it easier lol.
This video is incredible, I love how u explain the science side of cooking and make it interesting
The content and production quality is incredible, especially for a smaller channel. Great job man!
You don't understand how happy I am seeing your channel getting it's recognition. Keep it up!
Damn those subs really go fast right now 💪
by copying Joshua Weissmans style
Recognition? I thought it was Binging w Babish lmao
Great demo, Ethan, and well done on finally getting the traction with subs! Whilst philosophically partial to dry brining, I find the exterior dries out a bit too much if I let it go overnight and 4 hours is about right. The only issue I have is regarding using a griddle instead of a flat surface which allows you to get browning all over the surface of the meat rather than just the tangent points. A charcoal or wood grill would impart smoky flavor to compensate for the lack of even browning, but it is the complexity of the chemical transformation that the Maillard reaction imparts that is the key to flavor development. On a side note, have you read Dirt by Bill Buford yet? I just finished it and the part regarding the wheat flour really struck me the most. Oh, and Kenji says thanks for getting his name right. :-)
the side-by-side cooking experiments are awesome. recipes simply don't teach you how to cook, it's stuff like this that teaches you to use your intuition when cooking.
Fantastic video! I learned the mayo trick from my dad quite a while ago and it helps so much. It's not really lower calorie, its just that you use less of it overall than oil as it's way more sticky. Earned a loyal viewer. Keep up the incredible work!
you deserve every single sub you’ve been getting recently, you’ve been underrated for too long, especially after all of these high quality, high sub-worthy videos of yours have been put out there with not enough love, so keep on going man, you’re doing great
yeah but mayonnaise for grilling 🙅🤦🏽♂️🔪🙁
Sam the cooking guy is such a nice dude 😂😂
Your success is the perfect example of humble but hard working. Thanks for teaching us along the way too.
I have been looking for this guide my whole LIFE! Thank you man.
Ethan: Let's talk about that Good Mythical Morning: Excuse me?!
exactly what came to my mind
"I will bathe you in the whipped innards of your children and set you on fire!" - Chef's that oil their chicken with mayo.
WOW dude. I just discovered your channel today and I've been binging your videos and I have to say, you're a nerds nerd and I love it!. Keep up the great work! Also, I love how your videos have the "chapters" or whatever you call it deliminated so, if I want to, I can skip to the part I want to rewatch or show someone else or whatever. Just, really, really good job on the videos, their content, and the production!
This is such an underrated channel. I hope you grow more! Love the videos and the editing style. Keep it up :)
Where’s “Why I season my steak, NOT my cutting board”?
"Why I season my mayo, NOT my chicken."
I season my small intestines, not my food.
Why I season my tongue not my steak.
why i season my cow and not my cutting board
That sub count is exploding. Not to brag but I called it from the beginning. It’s so satisfying to see success come to those who deserve it. The wave is here
This is a fantastic video - very informative and high quality stuff. Appreciate the additional research and thanks for the mayo tip - it's pure gold. Thanks!
Just made my first chicken breast, and thanks to you it came out amazingly
10:10 - "Cleanse palette a little bit" In other words, save yourself from choking from the dryness!
Not sure if this is a joke but it's literally to make it.easier to judge between the pieces so you're not carrying over flavors from one to the other, which wouldn't be fair.
How can U disrespect my guy Sam? He the goat
Love your videos. Your growth is amazing and well deserved!
Thanks! Love having the science aspect to help understand the cooking/baking process better.
3:05 huh? Osmosis doesn't work like that. The water moves, not the salt. Atleast that is what I learnt in school.
you learned right
Yeah, he even has it written on the screen, probably an oversight lol
Hafensänger he just spoke wrong
Yeah the solutes would become isotonic during diffusion by balancing out but in osmosis the water moves
Do “why I season my steak not my cutting board” Also, fantastic videos
I remember finding your channel a while ago, and wondered how come you didn't have more subs at the time. Glad your content is getting the attention it deserves, especially considering the quality has only been getting better with time.
Bless you for timestamps. This is a quality reference video, and it's useful to be able to jump to just the recipe.
when I moved into my new Apartment, I forgot to buy salt, it was late and the stores were closed and had to cook my chicken breast without it, only with pepper. you only make that mistake once in your life.
I laughed hard at this...
Also Sam didn't use olive oil, he uses Chosen Foods Avocado oil
Also Japanese mayo.
I really like your way of showing the knowledge and science for preparing food. You deserve all of my respect and support for giving us your time and efforts brother.
LOVE Sam The Cooking Guy. His show is so fun and the food is amazing!
Asians don’t even do this much math when cooking. We just eyeball 😂
Cringe
He's like Andrew rea, Adam ragusa and J kenji lopez alt combined. The dude is a wonder😩
Excellent tips. I struggle on this preparation for years!
Just discovered your channel. I’m loving it already! Awesome videos, keep up the great work! ☺️
I was watching this and I’m like “that’s the guy from TikTok”
Using Mayo when cooking meat has a weird taste that I don’t really like
It's cool for fish.
I used it on bread instead of butter. Didn't like it.
@@straightshootah7550 mayo , relish, and dill makes the bomb tartar sauce
We grew up kinda poor and mayo on toast held us down during the times when school was out
I didn't like it with much either except for fish. My fried salmon instantly leveled up when I fried it with mayo
Yesssss another sciencey cooking channel. I love J Kenji so this is a treat!
Seriously, you're good. Informative, easy to follow and a visually pleasing video, dude keep at it!
you should get rid of that ron burgundy moustache or else become an anchorman.
I think it's hilarious that this guy intentionally browned "his" more than the other to make it look better for the thumbnail. Dude playing the game I guess. Lol
Love this channel, so informative!
Excellent video. Clearly and concisely explained. Well done!
Sorry. From the get go, if you watch Sam, he never uses olive oil.
He doesn’t use olive oil. It’s avocado oil. Newb
Thank you so much!! I did a dry brine and it was sooo good with the Mayo and some additional seasonings.
The amount of knowledge and effort you put into your videos is awesome. You got my sub.
I love how informative your videos are. Glad I subbed.
I'm loving these videos and I'm watching all of your old videos 😍
Really awesome video man. I'm entering the final year of my education as a dietitian and videos like this make it so much easier to create simple, delicious, and healthy meal ideas. I also love the food science component to your vids, keep them coming boss!
One of the only times I see a video that has the same number of views as subscribers. Hope your channel grows significantly, you're an amazing teacher.
Wow. I must admit, I have been making the chicken breast with that super dark burnt center part and cooked unevenly and I thought it was good enough for me. This just changed my whole perspective on how to cook chicken breast! Will definitely try this out soon.
I tried this out and it worked so well! Thanks for sharing!
Dear Ethan! THANK YOU SO MUCH for this technique video! I am on my weight loss journey and I absolutely HATED chicken breast before. I decided to give it a go and both my mother and father (who never liked chicken breast) were absolutely SHOCKED how good it was! My family likes to eat and cook and we have been to some really good restaurants and have eaten some fancy dishes in our lives but this was truly amazing! With this recipe/technique we can add a TASTY healthy option to our diets. I did the wet brine for about 90 minutes and 7 grams of mayonnaise was just enough to fully coat one chicken breast of 225 grams. This is really good news for me because 7 grams of mayonnaise is about 5 grams of fat for a BIG piece of chicken. Once again - thank you so much! You have a new subscriber from Bulgaria :) WIsh you all the best! *(FYI in 8:19 you say 5% salt but on the screen, it is written 6%)
Love your channel man, keep up the great work!
I found this channel today. Subbed right after this video. Great content, it answered lot of my questions and will sure help me improve! Thanks
Honestly this is the best cooking channel I've ever watched.
Hell yeah, this is informative stuff. Making the science easy to follow and understand. If home cooks started with your channel, they’re about to take their cooking game to another level. Keep this content going.
Thank you Ethan! Eating the dry brine right now and it is DELICIOUS
Your videos are so well made. Thank you
30k subs in a few days... You truly deserve it Ethan!
You got my subscription man. I think your channel is what I need at the time
Your videos are critical to my realizing why my food never tastes amazing. I always cut back on the fat. I always knew that fattening food tasted good but the science in your videos is what got it to click and apply to my cooking. Thank you, Alton brown 2.0!!