Step 1

Identify the grain or muscle fibers in the chicken breast. If you're not sure, line the blade of your knife parallel with the little white "lines" in the breast. These are the muscle fibers or the grain.

Step 2

Choose a sharp knife like this Wusthof boning knife.

Step 3

Start at one end and slice the chicken against the grain or perpendicular to the muscle fiber "lines". For dicing for chicken salad: Cut the slices into smaller pieces from one short edge of a slice of chicken to the other.

Step 4

If preparing for my foolproof chicken breasts, place chicken between a folded piece of parchment paper. Use a meat pounder or tenderizer to even and thin chicken breasts out to the same thickness. Seasons with salt and black pepper before sauteeing.