If you want to help make your life much easier, learn how to make the PERFECT Cast Iron Chicken Breast. This cooking method will prepare a healthy, lean protein for whatever dish you need and is great for meal prep for the family!
How many mistakes did I make when cooking chicken breast? It dries out easily, could be tough and chewy, and is a guessing game if you’re not using a thermometer.
The cast: You can walk through this tutorial on how to make chicken all year round, and you do not need a grill. Top Tips to Make Juicy Chicken: You might want a cast iron skillet because its versatility will facilitate your cooking.
How to cook cast-iron chicken breast, a simple 30-minute cooking method (marinating is optional) The chicken breasts are juicy, flavorful, and ideal for meal prep. Quick to make, they go with everything from salads to mashed potatoes. Easy and fast, low-fat, healthy, and just delicious cast-iron chicken breast recipe. It’s classic in our household and my favorite way to cook chicken breast. For additional stove top chicken breast recipes: pan-fried Marinated chicken or Dutch oven chicken breast.
👩🍳 Choosing the Good 🐓Chicken Breast
There’s good chicken breast and bad chicken breast. Sometimes a chicken how is just a how. This is chicken you start cooking in the grocery store.
When you’re searching, opt for smooth chicken breasts, pale pink in hue, and shiny. Cooking time will be less for smaller chicken breasts.evenly and often aren’t as chewy. The chin should be big but not bulging.
Steer clear of chicken breast that has lots of striations or stringy pieces sticking off of it. Avoid yellow chicken breasts. Steering clear of those big, bulbous chickens that look like they’ve been injected with water and bollocks.
Why You’ll ❤️ Love This Recipe
Easy—From start to finish this cast iron chicken breast takes only about 15 minutes from start to finish, making this a great recipe for busy weeknights or meal prep.
Juicy—the best way to cook chicken breasts is in a skillet. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside.
No marinating—Not only does this save time, but it also helps the outside of the chicken crisp up much more.
Simply – The seasoning is nothing but salt and pepper. Use whatever seasonings you want (Italian seasoning, onion powder, smoked paprika, etc.)!
Compound butter—Instead of finishing the chicken breast with a pan sauce, this recipe calls for compound butter. It is packed with herbs, garlic, and lemon. For a teaspoon of garlic, you would use one clove of fresh garlic: fresh garlic equals significantly more flavor than garlic powder.
Family-friendly – These juicy Hawaiian chicken breasts are an easy dinner recipe that even the pickiest eater will love.
Diet approved—Internet even gluten-free, keto, low carb, high protein, and can be made dairy-free
🍳 Cast Iron Pan Chicken Recipe What Chicken Should You 🧑🍳Cook in Cast Iron?
Chicken that is perfect every time: A cast-iron pan or skillet is wonderful. for roasting chicken, leaving it juicy on the inside and well browned on the outside. You can also make easily sauteed Chicken in the skillet.
Investment for life: The pan is durable and cost-effective and can last a lifetime if well cared for.
Heat retention: While you won’t find another pan that retains heat quite like a cast-iron skillet, that’s also what makes it such a great choice for methods like searing, stewing, or frying. And you could bake with it even. Or prepare a cast-iron skillet shepherd’s pie.
Easy maintenance: Wash it ONLY with hot water—NO detergents are allowed! Make sure to dry it well and apply a light coat of oil before storage. Thoroughly dry it by warming it on a low stove top or in the oven before oiling. Allow to cool enough that you don’t burn your hands, but oil it while it is still warm.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless chicken breasts
- 3 tablespoons canola oil, or vegetable oil, or avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 tablespoons Butter softened
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Lemon zest
- 1 T Parsley or any fresh herbs you have
- 4 cloves Garlic
TO MAKE BAKED CHICKEN: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts—For even cooking, use chicken breasts that are similar in size and thickness, about 7oz./200 g each.
Skin-on breasts are delicious, too; just sear them skin-side down first.
Lemon: If possible, you’ll want some zest from it, too. Try our herb chicken, too.
Fresh parsley: For the fresh parsley, finely chop or use frozen parsley. The only exception is dried parsley, which I don’t recommend.
Honey: 1 tsp runny honey to counter the tang from the lemon.
Olive oil: You’ll need one tablespoon for the marinade and another for cooking the cast-iron chicken breast. Alternatively, you canola oil, avocado oil or vegetable oil.
Kosher salt or fine sea salt and ground black pepper.
How to make Cast Iron Chicken Breast: a step-by-step guide
- Combine the softened butter with the garlic, lemon juice, thyme, salt, and pepper in a bowl until blended. Set aside. Save in the fridge for 2 weeks!
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, and cayenne.
- Blot the chicken breasts with paper towels and season generously on both sides with the spice mixture.
- Preheat a large cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Pour in just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan (about 1 tablespoon).
- Sear the chicken breasts, seasoned side down, for 5 minutes. Then flip and quickly move the cast iron skillet to the preheated oven. Roast at 425°F for 10-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. [Smaller, thinner breasts will just need to bake for 5 to 10 minutes, while thicker breasts will need 15 to 20 minutes.]
- Use an instant thermometer to know when the chicken is ready so it doesn’t go tough! Chicken breasts need to be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F, but I like to pull them at about 160-162°F because they’ll continue to cook as they sit.
- Take the pan out of the oven and smear about a tablespoon of garlic herb butter over each breast.
- Allow the chicken to rest for a minimum of 5-10 minutes before slicing.
How long to cook chicken in a skillet
Cook the cast-iron chicken breast, skin side down, over medium heat in the hot skillet for 13 to 15 minutes, flipping now and then, until golden brown and cooked through. The time will vary based on how thick the breast pieces are.
After about 12 minutes, check for Doneness by piercing the thickest part of the breast; the juices should run clear.
For accuracy, use an instant-read thermometer (WRAPPED THE AMAZON LINK IN A NEW TAB); the internal temperature must be at least 165°F/74°C.
How do you prevent the meat from sticking to the skillet?
- Skillet seasoning: Make sure your cast-iron pan is well seasoned before cooking. Use a thin film of oil in the skillet.
- Room temperature: Allow breasts to come to room temperature so that the pan stays hot.
- Heat for 5-10 minutes on a two-burner (or four, if you want) griddle is used for cooking. medium-high heat, adding oil and meat to the searingly hot pan. Before adding it to the skillet, test the heat by hovering an open palm over the surface.
- Cooking process: After adding the chicken to the skillet, lower heat to medium. Let it cook, undisturbed, for 4-5 minutes on the first side. If the breasts are browning too quickly, lower the heat and rotate positions in the skillet for more even cooking.
- Avoid flipping cast-iron chicken breast too early to prevent sticking. If the pieces are browning too quickly, lower the heat and rearrange them in the skillet. This helps to cook a dish evenly, preventing hot spots that occur when certain areas of a stove burner are hotter than others.
What is the best to use for pan-seared chicken—🧈butter or oil?
We like the taste and flavor of butter, and it also helps it to be golden brown. But we’ve also prepared this chicken with olive oil and avocado oil. Between the two oils oils we advise avocado oil due to its smoke factor.
How to Perfectly Sear a Chicken Breast
Sear your chicken breast on high for three minutes, then turn to medium to finish. It will give you a beautiful golden-brown crust and fish that is very juicy on the inside.
Expert Tips & Variations
- Pat dry the chicken breast. Pulling out excess moisture allows the outside to caramelize and not steam.
- Season generously. Salt and pepper go a long way. These chicken breasts have tons of flavor! I suggest seasoning only one side and placing the chicken in the skillet in that direction, as less will fall off the plate before searing.
- Make sure the pan is hot. A hot pan keeps the chicken from sticking and helps it develop a crust. Before adding the breasts to the pan, wet your hand and flick some water into the oil. If it sputters and crackles, the pan is hot.”
- Do not move the chicken around. Letting it sit against the hot cast iron encourages golden browning. Give the chicken 5 minutes before checking on it.
- Use a meat thermometer. Thermometers prevent you from cooking the chicken past doneness and drying it out. The internal temperature should be 165 degrees.
- For best results, allow the chicken to rest. Giving it a rest for about 5 minutes helps retain all of the juices.
- Don’t skip the compound 🧈 butter. I strongly suggest that you make lemon herb butter. It is addicting. And if you have plain butter, you can still dot a thin pat atop each as it rests. This adds a ton of moisture.
- You can let the chicken finish in the oven. If the breasts are extremely thick or bone-in, you may want to finish in the oven. Sear for 6-7 minutes per side, then place the skillet in a 425-degree oven. Roast for 15-20 minutes until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees.
- When reheating, add a splash of water to the pan or the plate to make steam. This will prevent your leftovers from drying out.
Serving Tips Cast Iron Chicken Breast
- Side dishes: you can serve this chicken with air fryer garlic bread, butter garlic rolls, roasted vegetables, focaccia bread, or bruschetta with mozzarella.
- Chicken Tacos—Use sliced chicken to create delicious tacos in warm tortillas with salsa and avocado sauce.
- Chicken Caesar Salad—Make any Caesar salad even better by adding sliced chicken, parmesan cheese, croutons, and a creamy Caesar dressing to crisp romaine lettuce.
- Dip your chicken in your favorite sauce, like boom boom sauce or tzatziki sauce. yogurt dill sauce, ranch dressing, honey mustard, and so on.
- Low carb—Pair this chicken with a low-carb side dish like roasted vegetables, cauliflower rice, green beans, creamed spinach, etc.
Chicken Breast Pairing Guide
The thing I love about this style of chicken breast is that it’s so versatile. Here are some serving suggestions to truly elevate your meal!
- Add it to the soup: use two forks to pull the chicken apart. Breast and throw into soup. You might try our Minestrone, Black Bean Soup, Simple Green Chili, and Chicken Quinoa Soup.
- Tacos: Taco night is my favorite night of the week. Make a walking taco or try our recipe for salsa chicken tacos and use your stove-top chicken as the shredded chicken!
- Serve it alongside veggies: Keep it super simple and serve this pan-seared chicken with your favorite vegetables. We recommend our roasted red potatoes and crispy sweet potato fries roasted red potatoes, crispy sweet potato fries, or roasted asparagus.
- Salad, Salads, Salads: Chicken salad, quinoa salad, Mexican street corn salad—shred it or cube it and add it to any salad!
- Slice it and toss it into a bowl: Leftovers? Drizzle pan-fried chicken on top of any rice bowl! Test it out in our Mediterranean Buddha bowls, harvest grain bowls, and taco bowls.
✅Quick Tips: Read the recipe in its entirety before you start cooking. This will help you understand the ingredients, steps, and timing involved, and allow you to prepare any necessary equipment or ingredients beforehand.
Cast Iron Chicken Breast: Perfectly Cooked Every Time
Cast Iron Chicken Breast
Learn how to cook cast iron chicken breasts for a simple and flavorful protein in less than 15 minutes! It’s a guaranteed cooking method that never fails to produce crispy-on-the-outside and juicy-on-the-inside chicken.
INGREDIENTS
Equipment
INGREDIENTS
Chicken
INSTRUCTIONS
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To make the garlic herb butter, to a small bowl, add the softened butter, chopped herbs, minced garlic, kosher salt, and lemon zest, and mix until well combined. Set aside while you prepare the chicken.
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Mix the paprika, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, and dried thyme. In a small mixing bowl
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Wipe the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. You can even slice each chicken breast in half so they cook faster. I kept them whole. Lightly season the cutlets on both sides with kosher salt and black pepper.
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Using the spice mixture we made, season both sides of the chicken breasts.
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Using a cast iron skillet, add 3 tablespoons of oil and heat it to medium-high heat. Skim off the fat, rising to pour off into the hot oiled pan; combine the chicken and cook for 10-12 minutes.
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Check your chicken after 7-8 minutes to see whether it’s burning. If it’s browning too much, turn the heat down.
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Gently flip the chicken and continue to cook for another 10-12 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 165°F.
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Divide about 1 tablespoon of garlic herb butter over each chicken breast. Serve and enjoy!
Servings 4
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 385kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 19g30%
- Saturated Fat 6g30%
- Trans Fat 0.3g
- Cholesterol 160mg54%
- Sodium 1762mg74%
- Potassium 906mg26%
- Total Carbohydrate 4g2%
- Dietary Fiber 1g4%
- Sugars 1g
- Protein 49g98%
- Vitamin A 266 IU
- Vitamin C 17 mg
- Calcium 38 mg
- Iron 1 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
- Use a very large cast iron skillet (at least 12-14 inches) so that you don’t overcrowd the pan. This is the 14-inch one that I use the most, but I also use this 11-inch skillet for 2-3 chicken breasts at a time. Otherwise, you’ll have to cook the chicken in batches. Overcrowding the
- I suggest preheating your skillet for 4-5 min so that you get an exact, even heat, and then place your chicken.
- That way, you know your oil is hot when you add your chicken. The oil, which is hot enough to fry, will shimmer. Add the meat before the oil is hot, and the chicken won’t sauté or sear; it will soak it up.
- Add enough oil to the bottom of the skillet to coat it. I’ve used 2 tablespoons in the recipe here, but you can change that measure depending on the size of your pan. Never too little oil; always too much oil.
- A meat thermometer changes the game for chicken doneness. Total cooking time will, of course, depend on several factors as well, including how hot your skillet is and the size, thickness, and temperature of your chicken breast when it hits the pan. The chicken is ready to emerge from the skillet when the internal temperature hits 160-165°F and the juices run clear. The temp will keep rising as the meat rests.
- If your chicken breast is extra large/thick, cover it in plastic wrap and pound it to an even thickness (about ½ inch–¾ inch thick) with a meat mallet. This helps the chicken cook all the way through before it burns on the outside.
