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The key to really juicy, tender chicken breast lies in one specific and surprising ingredient. Mayonnaise. Yes, trust me! To the mayo, you’ll add some scallion whites, good quality curry powder, and kosher salt to create the curry marinade. That’s it, just four ingredients! The other key step is to cut the chicken breasts into cutlets. I’ll walk you through the process, but this tried-and-true method is how I always cook chicken breast on the stove top.
This recipe has been tested, and tested, and then tested some more. I’ve worked on this recipe for a year, ensuring that I’ve tested every variable so you can replicate this in your own kitchen no matter the situation.
Below I’ll outline what ingredients you’ll need, and more importantly, a handful of tips on how to achieve the best results.
Curry Marinade Ingredients
All you need for a good curry marinade is mayonnaise, curry powder, scallions, and salt. Surprised not to see yogurt in the marinade? Same. Through my testing, I found that chicken breast marinated in mayonnaise comes out much juicier and far more flavorful than chicken marinated in yogurt.
Any type of mayo works here. And as for the curry powder, use a quality curry powder that’s relatively fresh. My favorite curry powder is from Frontier Co-op.
Key Steps in Making Curry Marinated Chicken
Instead of walking you through the simple process, I’m going to highlight some of the most important steps to getting this chicken recipe just right.
Cut and Pound the Chicken Breasts Into Cutlets
It’s a simple step that pays off tenfold. I use this method to make my pan-seared chicken breasts.
You’ll start by cutting the chicken breasts in half crosswise (creating a naturally thicker half and a naturally thinner half).
You’ll then cut the thicker halves in half horizontally, into two thinner halves.
Lastly, you’ll pound out all of the chicken pieces to an even ½-inch thickness. To do this, arrange the chicken pieces in an even layer on a cutting board and place a piece of plastic wrap over top. Using a rolling pin or bottom of a saucepan, lightly pound out chicken.
Marinate the Chicken
It’s best to marinate the chicken overnight. But if you don’t have the time, try to marinate it for at least 4 hours.
Bring to Room Temp Before Cooking
Remove the chicken from the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking.
It’s like the old saying to not stick your tongue to a metal pole in winter because it’ll stick. The same is true of cooking protein in a stainless steel skillet. If you put a piece of cold meat in a hot skillet, it will stick. So bring that marinated chicken to room temp before dropping it in the preheated skillet.
Cook in Butter, Not Oil
Another rule to commit to memory—when cooking lean proteins in stainless steel, use an emulsified fat such as butter or nonstick spray. Emulsified fats create a thin coating on the pan, making it more nonstick than oil would.
Vegetables and fatty proteins can successfully be cooked in oil, but to avoid sticking, use butter when cooking things like chicken breast and eggs.
Be sure to drizzle any drippings from the skillet over the chicken!
How I Serve Curry Marinated Chicken
This chicken is so versatile. I like to serve it over rice with my Yogurt Cucumber Salad or tossed with some noodles (rice, soba or ramen). I also like to serve the cutlets on a brioche bun with some Romaine lettuce and a slather of mayo—easiest chicken sandwich!
To turn it into a chicken salad, slice the cooked chicken then toss with cilantro, golden raisins, sliced green onions and a splash of vinegar.
I serve the chicken salad a variety of different ways, but stuffed into a pita with Greek yogurt and spinach is my favorite.
Slightly warm the pita over an open flame on the stovetop (or in a toaster). Cut in half and gently pry open the pita. Swipe a hearty scoop of yogurt into the pita then stuff with either spinach, chopped romaine, or sliced cucumber. Then pile in the chicken salad and enjoy.
Juicy Curry Chicken Breasts (Marinated in Mayo, Not Yogurt!)
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Ingredients
Marinated Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast (4 total breasts)
- 3 scallions, white and light green parts minced, dark green parts sliced
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon + ½ teaspoon curry powder, divided
- Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon butter
Chicken Salad
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- ⅓ cup golden raisins
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- For serving: large wraps or pitas, Greek yogurt, spinach
Instructions
Marinated Chicken
- Cut 4 chicken breasts in half crosswise to create two halves, one that’s naturally thicker and one that’s naturally thinner.
- Slice thicker halves in half horizontally to create two thinner halves. Place chicken pieces in an even layer on cutting board, cover with plastic wrap, and, using a rolling pin, pound out into an even ½-inch thickness.
- On a separate cutting board, mince white and light green parts of 3 scallions and add to a large bowl. Thinly slice dark green parts and set aside.
- To bowl with scallion whites, add ½ cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon curry powder and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Add chicken pieces, toss to coat evenly, then cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge to marinate for 4–24 hours.
- Preheat a large stainless steel skillet over medium-low for 2 minutes. Add ½ tablespoon butter to skillet; swirl to coat then add 3–5 chicken pieces in a single layer (avoid crowding the pan—you’ll need to cook the chicken in batches). Cook chicken, without moving, for about 3½ minutes, flip and cook another 3½ minutes. Continue cooking, and flipping every 1½ minutes, until internal temperature reaches 165ºF (73ºC), about 3 more minutes total.
- Transfer chicken to a plate or bowl and repeat cooking process, in batches, with remaining chicken and butter.
Chicken Salad
- Once cool enough to handle, slice chicken into ¼-inch thick pieces and add to a large bowl with reserved scallion greens, ½ cup cilantro, ⅓ cup raisins, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar and remaining ½ teaspoon curry powder; drizzle any drippings from skillet over chicken. Toss to combine then season to taste with salt. Serve as desired.
This looks so yummy! Love the instruction on how to cut and pound the chicken – I’ve been cutting them a different way and this makes way more sense! I’m curious, what’s your opinion on swapping greek yogurt for the mayo?
Hi Maureen! This cutting and pounding method has become a go-to for me! Easy to do, each pieces cooks at the same rate, and they cook quickly. I tested this with Greek yogurt and while it works, it isn’t as good as the mayo. When marinated in Greek yogurt, it tended to stick to the pan and it wasn’t as juicy (which surprised me). So, it *works* but it isn’t as good. If you do use Greek yogurt, I would make sure to use 2% or 5% fat Greek yogurt, or add a couple tablespoons of evoo if using 0%.
Let me know how it goes!
Great recipe and technique. I’ve made this as written, and it was great, and I’ve subbed in other spices mixes, and the chicken still turned out juicy and flavorful. Thanks for a very versatile and easy dinner night!