A professional chef has divulged what he describes as the 'best' cooking technique for ensuring you savour 'perfectly juicy' chicken 'every time'. Frank Proto, a culinary instructor, took to YouTube to showcase his method for creating "succulent" chicken, throwing in a 10-minute rule at the end that's pivotal for peak taste and texture.

With a solid 24 years under his belt as a professional chef, Frank is a familiar face on Epicurious, appearing in shows like 4 Levels, Pro Chef vs Novice, and 101. He also shares his gastronomic know-how on his YouTube channel, offering lessons in cooking techniques, food discussions, and encouraging culinary adventures.

"I'm gonna show you how to make a perfectly juicy chicken breast. We're talking succulent, delicious chicken breast. This is chicken breast 101," he announced in his video, which has garnered over 11 million views. "Chicken breast doesn't need to be dry and stringy. With a little bit of knowledge, a little bit of technique, it could be juicy and delicious every single time."

Frank claims he’s a "minimalist" when it comes to spicing up chicken breasts, opting just for salt and pepper. "When I season, I use kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper," he continued.

For optimal seasoning, he suggests "starting really high" and meticulously "seasoning both sides". He further pointed out: "Spice rubs tend to burn when you saute them", reports the Mirror US.

When you're in the kitchen preparing to sauté a chicken breast, culinary expert Frank has a crucial tip to ensure perfection. Before the chicken even touches the pan, he insists on using a paper towel to pat it dry.

Excess moisture can hinder the achievement of that golden-brown sear. "So get all that excess moisture off before you put it in the pan," he advised his audience.

As for selecting the ideal pan, Frank swears by a stainless steel sauté pan and explains his preference: "I like these because they're a bit of a thicker gauge. They're a heavy-bottom stainless steel sauté pan. If you have a thin sauté pan, what happens is, you'll get burnt spots and undercooked spots."

He also shares his thoughts on cast iron pans: "I like to use cast iron for a lot of things like this, but when I'm doing a pan sauce, I don't like cast iron because, believe it or not, it gets a little of that flavour from the pan. That's why I use stainless steel. There is no flavour transfer from the pan to the sauce."

Regarding the sautéing process, Frank recommends preparing for a high heat for a quick cook. However, he reminds cooks to give the chicken another pat down just before it hits the pan, especially after seasoning with salt, which draws out more moisture.

"As I put salt on this chicken breast, salt draws out moisture. So, before we go in the pan, again, you wanna dab this to make sure they're not wet. This way, we ensure proper browning," he explained.

In discussing his preference for culinary oils, he shuns the notion of using anything too "fancy". He said: "We're just using a vegetable oil here, because once they go in the pan, all the flavor disappears, and you can see right away it looks like waves. It looks kind of shimmery, and that's what I want. If there's a little bit of smoke, that's a good thing.

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"When I drop them in the pan, I'm dropping away from myself. If I drop it towards myself, I'm getting splashed with oil."

As the chicken breast sizzles, Frank advises restraint: "For the most part at this point, you want to just leave it alone. Let the saute pan do its work. Don't mess around, don't move it around too much. You can check occasionally to see how you're doing. Don't mess around with it too much. Leave it alone."

Midway through cooking, Frank resorts to a tactile "poking" technique to gauge the chicken's doneness. By pressing on the meat, he informs his audience: "What I'm doing is I'm poking my chicken breasts. You can always just push down with tongs. I know that it's raw because as I poke into it, it's super soft.

"It will transform from super soft and somewhat squishy to a firmer, springy texture as it perfectly cooks. That is precisely the result I'm after – not soft and squishy, but something that springs back nicely."

Frank advises against cooking multiple chicken breasts simultaneously, as this can lead to "overcrowding" in the pan. He explains: "You'll notice that I only have two breasts in here. I have a third, but I think that if I put too many in the pan, it's gonna overcrowd the pan. What happens is it starts to steam. Steam is moisture, and then your chicken breast does not get brown so don't overcrowd your pan."

When it comes to the ideal cooking temperature, Frank warns that aiming too high can result in dry meat. "Most people say that chicken breast needs to be cooked to about 165 in order for it to be fully cooked," he notes.

However, Frank prefers to cook his chicken to a lower temperature, around 150-155, as it will continue to cook after being removed from the heat due to "I find if chicken breast gets cooked to 165, it's dry. I tend to go about 150, 155 because they will continue to cook when you put them [on the counter].

"It's called carryover cooking. If you're really unsure about when to take it off, you can always use a thermometer. I kinda go by touch and feel. Right now I'm getting some nice good spring back, so I'm gonna take this out and let it rest." He recommends using a thermometer for those unsure about the timing, but personally relies on touch and feel.

Explaining the cooking process further, Frank added: "They will continue to cook when you put them [on the counter]. It's called carryover cooking. If you're really unsure about when to take it off, you can always use a thermometer. I kind of go by touch and feel. Right now I'm getting some nice good spring back, so I'm gonna take this out and let it rest."

To allow the meat to "equalise", Frank places the chicken on a resting rack, enabling the juices to redistribute and resulting in a juicy chicken breast. Displaying his handiwork to the camera, Frank observes: "So you can see my chicken breast is nice and brown. It's got some nice caramelisation, and that equals flavour."

He adheres to one crucial rule after cooking chicken breast: allowing it to rest for ten minutes. This step enables the muscle fibers to relax and the juices to redistribute, ultimately yielding a more tender, juicy, and flavorful chicken.

As he explained: "That juice comes out of the chicken while it rests. I have some of my juices running off. I can always reclaim those if I want. Part of the reason why chicken breast is so easy to mess up is because it's a super lean cut of meat."

He further emphasised that the lack of fat in chicken breast, unless cooked with the skin, can make it prone to dryness. Therefore, proper cooking techniques are essential.

He concluded the video by reassuring viewers: "Chicken breasts can be delicious. It just takes a little technique, a little bit of know-how, and patience. It can be juicy, I promise you."