Uneven thickness is the number one reason chicken cooks poorly. One end is thin and overcooked, while the other end is thick and underdone. The fix is ridiculously simple: pound it flat.
Place your chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap (or inside a zip-top bag). Use a rolling pin, a heavy skillet, or even a wine bottle—yes, a wine bottle—to gently flatten it to an even half-inch thickness. It’s oddly therapeutic, like kneading dough but with more aggression. This ensures the entire piece cooks at the same speed.