Pan Fried Chicken Breast
Everyone needs a go-to chicken recipe they can whip up in a few minutes and this is it. This pan fried chicken breast recipe delivers juicy, tender chicken every time.
Say goodbye to dry, bland and overcooked chicken. This recipe is going to be your new go-to when you need to cook chicken for a simple meal. What we love most about this pan-fried chicken breast is that it can be seasoned with any of your favorite spices making it super versatile. That also means you can change the recipe depending on what you’re serving the chicken with. Chicken tacos? Add some homemade taco seasoning. Making Greek chicken salad? Oregano, garlic and lemon is a no-brainer. The technique stays the same and once you have that down, you’ll never cook another boring chicken breast ever again.
Ingredients Needed
- Chicken. Use boneless skinless chicken breasts. This recipe will work with boneless chicken thighs too, the cooking time will just need to be adjusted as thighs need longer cooking times.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil.
- Lemon Juice and zest.
- Herbs: I used fresh thyme, dried oregano and dried rosemary. Parsley, chives, sage, basil, cilantro/coriander, etc. are all delicious with chicken.
- Fresh garlic cloves.
- Red pepper flakes/chilli flakes.
- Smoked paprika. Other seasoning like garlic powder and onion powder can also be added.
- Salt and black pepper.
How to pan fry chicken breasts
- Marinate: Combine all the ingredients for the marinade then add the chicken breasts. I like to flatten the chicken out between two sheets of parchment paper with a meat mallet or a rolling pin before adding to the marinade. This ensures even, faster cooking. You can also butterfly the chicken breasts – this will cut cooking time in half. The chicken breasts can be marinated in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
- Cook: This recipe is suitable for stove top cooking as well as grilling. Heat a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the chicken, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through.
- Rest: Remove the chicken from the pan and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. This allows the juice to redistribute back into the meat resulting in the juiciest chicken, ever!
How do I know if chicken is cooked?
Chicken is done when the meat is opaque white, but still juicy, throughout. The internal temperature will read 165 °F / 73.9 °C on a meat thermometer.
Can I make this ahead?
The chicken can marinated for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator before cooking. Any leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
Serving Suggestions
Pan fried chicken breast is a great, versatile protein and goes with a variety of side dishes. For a simple weeknight dinner, serve it with garlic butter rice or cheesy mashed potatoes, vegetables like sautéed broccolini or air fryer asparagus and creamy mushrooms sauce. For a healthier option, serve the chicken with Easy Green Salad with Lemon Parmesan dressing or Green Olive Feta Grain Salad. We also love using this recipe to make chicken tacos, Chicken Sandwiches with peri-peri mayo or Easy Chicken Alfredo Pasta.
Chicken Breast Recipes
Ingredients
- 1 lb (500g) skinless boneless chicken breasts
For the marinade
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- zest of 1 lemon
- 3 garlic cloves crushed / 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp chilli/red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts between two layers of parchment/baking paper and flatten out slightly with a meat mallet/rolling pin.
- Stir together the marinade ingredients.
- Place the chicken in a glass container and pour over the marinade. Mix to make sure the chicken is well-coated then cover and allow to marinade for at least 20 minutes but up to 24 hours, refrigerated.
- To cook the chicken breasts, heat a skillet, pan or grill then add the chicken and cook for 3-5 minutes per side (depending on thickness) until cooked through but still juicy.
- Remove from the heat and cover with foil, allowing the chicken to rest for at least 5-10 minutes before serving.