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Was a whole breast or split breast? Boneless or not? Skinless or not? These things make a difference in determining the best way to cook it... tell us more about what you had and how you did it, and we can help you better. What kind of pan? Any fat or liquid? Etc., etc., etc.

I can promise you, though, that mastering a chicken breast will be one of the easiest things you'll ever do in the kitchen. A few trial/error runs, to be sure, but overall, it's a very short learning curve. And once you've got it, it's a siimple thing that can make you look and feel like a pro!

The best and easiest chicken in the world - season both sides of skinless and boneless breasts with Good Seasons seasoned salt. Heat a little butter and/or oil in a frying pan and put the chicken in - medium heat. When the oil is hot, brown the chicken on both sides (about 2 minutes per side) then pour in a liquid (white wine for me) and cover for about 5-6 minutes or until done. Absolutely perfect! I have some for dinner that night, but always make extra that I cut up and store in refrigerator for a casserole the next day.

You can get fancy and brine ahead of time - helps leftovers stay moist - just be careful with the seasoned salt. Brining really does work - I always brine my turkeys now, and have started brining pork chops too. Doesn't take long - 30 minutes in brine in fridge while everything else is getting set up is plenty of time and makes a world of difference.

I want to second the Cooks Illustrated recipe suggestions, their site has taken me from being afraid of cooking chicken to making some decently complicated recipes in a year. They just came out with a Best Chicken Recipes cookbook you might check out at your local library. I love that they have so many flavor variations for different chicken parts and cooking methods. It really helps with variety in meals.

I also agree with the addition of some liquid to keep things moist, and love making glazes. I'm a fan of starting the browning process on the stove, then transferring to the oven to ensure it's thoroughly cooked.

And a thermometer is an invaluable tool for properly cooking chicken, as is a bit of a rest period to finish the cooking, while keeping the juices in.

I can barely stand to touch raw chicken, so you're way ahead of me so far! :-) I'd rather cook pork any day of the week than chicken. I just have a weird phobia about it...

Try looking up the Good Eats episode "the Pouch Principle" on FN's web site. Perhaps pouch cooking will work for you.

Uh.... I'm with the OP on cluelessness about chicken.

What's "brining"???

Brining is soaking in a salt-water solution. It keeps the meat moist while cooking, and enhances flavor. Done properly, the meat is not salty but just moist, tender and well-seasoned.

The kind of salt you use is very important. Different types of salt have different crystal sizes -- compare table salt to kosher salt. So 1/2 cup of table salts contains ALOT more salt than 1/2 cup of kosher salt. Brand also matters -- Diamond brand kosher salt is coarser than Morton brand.

Use 1/2 cup Diamond brand kosher salt per quart of water (1/4 cup Morton brand.) You need about 1 gallon of brine for a whole chicken. Many recipes add some sugar as well to promote browning and add flavor. Sugar is also hygroscopic -- it attracts moisture -- so it helps keep meat moist.

You can add other flavorings to your brine -- herbs, spices, garlic, citrus, vingegar -- and it will flavor the meat you are soaking.

Times vary according to the size of product -- chicken breasts brine for less time than a 22 lb. turkey. You can google "brining" and find a chart.

The easiest and best way I have found to prepare boneless, skinless breasts:

1. Put each breast in between layers of plastic wrap; pound until the breast is of even thickness (I prefer 1/2 inch or so). Note: this will make the breasts look much bigger than they were before you started and a bit more elegant as well.

2. Heat skillet (large enough for all of the breasts to cook without touching one another; you don't want them to be crowded). Over med-high heat, melt 1-2 tbsp. butter in 1 tbsp. olive oil.

3. Using tongs, lay chicken breasts in the pan. Sprinkle the upside (non-cooking side) with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and preferred herbs (I love Penzey's Bavarian Seasoning). Let first side of chicken cook for at least 4 mins.

4. Using tongs, attempt to flip each breast. If you've used enough fat and let them cook long enough, they should come up fairly easily and have a lovely brown color on the cooked side.

5. After flipping breasts, sprinkle browned side with kosher salt, black pepper, and herbs. Cook for 3 more mins.

6. After 3 mins. have passed, lower heat to med-low and cover pan. Cook for 2-3 more mins.

7. Remove lid, flip chicken one more time and allow to cook for 1 more minute. Remove chicken from pan. It's good to go!

8. If you want a pan sauce to pour over the chicken, quickly deglaze the pan with white wine. Allow to reduce, then add a bit of Dijon mustard, perhaps some butter or cream, and you're all set. Pour over chicken and enjoy. Delish!

Preheat your oven to 350. Heat an oven safe, preferably nonstick type pan that you've spray with Pam (or put about 2 t. of oil) to medium high heat. Season your trimmed, skinless, boneless chicken breast with salt and pepper. Brown the breast in the pan for 3-4 minutes in the pan and then flip it over. Place the pan in the oven for about 5-7 minutes for a 6 oz. breast (finished chicken should be springy to the touch. Not mushy. Not hard.). Take it out and let the breast rest on a plate or cutting board, covered loosely in foil for about 5 minutes. Eat. Serves 1.

Brining, pounding, whole, half, fillet, boneless, skinless, thighs, not touching, buying a cookbook, looking at videos, etc.?

This person just wants to cook a chicken breast, people! Can we keep it simple and, in turn, keep this person interested in cooking instead of bombarding? It's called "coaching."

1. Take one chicken breast. No skin. Just one half -- basically, the way they're sold pre-packaged.

2. Put a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a saute pan. Heat it over medium-high heat until it's hot. When it is, add the chicken breast, smooth-side down. This smooth-side is the "top" of the breast, the side you'll serve facing upward eventually. If you touch the raw meat with your hands, let it cook while you wash up really well with soap and hot water.

4. Done washing up? Sprinkle salt and pepper on top. Cook this for about 3 minutes. Peek to check coloring underneath, if you need to. Then flip it without stabbing it with a fork. If you use a utensil to peek or flip, throw it in the sink where it won't germ up anything else. Brown for 3 minutes more.

5. Turn down your heat to medium low and add about 3 tbl.water, white wine, or some sort of broth. Cover it as best you can. Cook for about another three minutes. Leaving it covered, push the pan off the heat and shut off the burner. Let it sit for 5 minutes, covered, off the heat. Then eat.

6. Once you're comfortable with this, read about brining, pounding, whole, half, fillet, boneless, skinless, thighs, not touching, buying a cookbook, looking at videos, etc.

Some people shared this stuff. Most didn't. Just wanted to contribute my approach here.