I didn't grow up in one of those houses that tends to eat chicken every night. In fact, I only remember eating chicken at home if it was fried, if mom made a whole Greek chicken, or in chicken divan. But post Presbyterian, I found myself eating chicken. A lot.
While there are many things you can do with chicken, I think it's imperative to have juicy, not-too-dry chicken. My method is pretty fool-proof: marinate or season the boneless, skinless chicken breast to your liking. Pre-heat the oven to 350 and get an oven-proof skillet HOT on the stove. Put a drop or so of olive oil in the pan sear the chicken on both sides (so just a smidge on each side), then pop it in the oven for 10-20 minutes depending on the size of the chicken.
BUT once again The Barefoot Contessa has put me to shame. I love Ina: her food, her house, her table settings, and I find her husband Jeffrey fabulous as well. Her way to make chicken is by far the juiciest way to eat a chicken breast. And its cheaper! Buy bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (alwasy cheaper than boneless, skinless). Pre-heat the oven to 350, drizzle a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper on the skin. 45 minutes later you can remove the skin* and remove from the bone. This chicken is perfect in recipes, shreds really well, and can be eaten as is. If you want more flavor, just add seasoning under the skin. It's so simple and so delicious.
* I can never bear to throw away all the skin and find myself eating at least 1/2 of it. It just tastes SO good!Don't judge.
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