Perfect Pan Fried Chicken, made with just a handful of ingredients and ready in 20 minutes! Enjoy it on its own or add it to your favorite salads, sandwiches, pastas and more!
Perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned chicken. It’s delicious as a main dish or as an addition to so many other recipes. From salads to pastas to flatbreads… chicken always makes it better!
And knowing how to cook it well is EVERYTHING. This Pan Fried Chicken Breast is our favorite way to make chicken, not only because it’s so easy, but because it’s the moistest, most flavorful chicken EVER.
The key? Keeping a bit of liquid in the pan. This keeps the chicken from over-browning and also infuses it with moisture while it cooks. I personally love adding butter at the end for even more flavor, especially when I’m serving it as a main dish. I tend to omit that step when I’m making chicken for salads or bowls.
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
Easy: Easy, step by step instructions that take 30 minutes or less!
Moist & flavorful: This recipe is simple yet flavorful and makes the MOISTEST chicken breast ever!
Versatile: Enjoy it as a main dish or slice it and add it to your favorite salads, pastas, or bowls!
what you’ll need for this recipe
Chicken – I used one pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast for this recipe (about 2 medium). If possible, choose chicken breasts that are similar in size, since they’ll have similar cooking times.
Olive oil – I used 2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to pan fry the chicken. Feel free to substitute another type of oil, such as avocado, grapeseed, coconut, or canola.
Salt & pepper – I seasoned the chicken simply with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Feel free to add additional seasonings, such as Italian seasoning, Greek seasoning, lemon pepper, Cajun seasoning, blackened seasoning, or any of your favorites.
Chicken broth – I used chicken broth as needed to prevent the chicken from over-browning and drying out. You can also use water if you prefer – both work the same way!
Butter (optional) – Adding 1-2 Tablespoons of butter to the pan at the end of cooking is a delicious way to take pan fried chicken to the next level. Simply let it melt along with any other drippings in the pan, then spoon it over the chicken breasts for extra flavor. NOTE: this is completely optional!
how to make Pan Fried Chicken
Pound the chicken. Place chicken breasts between layers of wax paper (you can also use saran wrap or a large ziploc bag.) Use a meat mallet, heavy skillet, or other heavy, flat object to pound it to about 1 inch thickness. This helps to tenderize the meat and also helps it cook evenly.
Heat the oil. Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the chicken & season. Add the chicken breasts, season with half the salt & pepper, and pan fry for about 5 minutes, until the first side begins to brown and chicken is cooked about halfway through.
Flip & cook to 160°. Use tongs or a fork to flip each breast. Season with remaining salt & pepper and cook for an additional 7-10 minutes, OR until meat thermometer inserted at the thickest part of the breast reads 160°F. Add chicken broth or water to the pan occasionally to prevent over-browning. This also helps keep the chicken moist.
Add butter (optional). Once chicken reaches 160°, turn off the heat and add 1 Tablespoon butter, olive oil or both to the pan along with any drippings in the pan. Spoon the “sauce” over the chicken and garnish with parsley or other herbs as desired. (The chicken will continue cooking for a bit even after being removed from the heat.)
Let rest. Let the chicken rest in the pan or on a plate for 10 minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to redistribute themselves back throughout the meat, ensuring a moist chicken breast.
how to serve pan fried chicken
Sliced chicken breast makes a delicious addition to any of your favorite salads or pastas and is equally delicious served as a main dish with your choice of sides. Looking for specific suggestions? These are some of our favorites:
Bowls – Add pan fried chicken to Buddha Bowls, Sushi Bowls, or Asian Chicken Quinoa Bowls
Salads – Slice and serve chicken breast over Greek Salad, Pineapple Crunch Salad, Blueberry Feta Salad, or 3-Cheese Loaded Italian Salad
Pasta – Add sliced chicken to Lemon Ricotta Pasta, Alfredo Pasta Primavera, or my delicious Penne with Mushrooms & Bacon
Veggies – Serve pan fried chicken breast as the main dish with Parmesan Roasted Green Beans, Sauteed Brussel Sprouts, or Air Fryer Cauliflower
get saucy with it
If you’re a sauce lover like me, you’ll definitely want some delicious sauce to dip your chicken in! Be sure to try our horseradish sauce, bbq sauce, honey mustard sauce, or copycat Chick-fil-A sauce!
More Chicken Recipe
Looking for more ways to enjoy chicken? Check out these delicious recipes:
Pan Fried Chicken
Perfect Pan Fried Chicken, made with just a handful of ingredients and ready in 20 minutes! Enjoy it on its own or add it to your favorite salads, sandwiches, pastas and more!
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- chicken broth or water, as needed to prevent over-browning
- 1-2 Tablespoons butter (optional)
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts between layers of wax paper (you can also use saran wrap or a large ziploc bag.) Use a meat mallet, heavy skillet, or other heavy, flat object to pound it to about 1 inch thickness.
- Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts, season with half the salt & pepper, and pan fry for about 5 minutes, until the first side begins to brown and chicken is cooked about halfway through.
- Use tongs or a fork to flip each breast. Season with remaining salt & pepper and cook for an additional 7-10 minutes, OR until meat thermometer inserted at the thickest part of the breast reads 160°F. Add chicken broth or water to the pan when it's dry to prevent over-browning.
- Once chicken reaches 160°, turn off the heat and (optionally) add 1 Tablespoon butter to the pan along with any drippings in the pan. Spoon the melted butter over the chicken and garnish with parsley or other herbs as desired. (The chicken will continue cooking for a bit even after being removed from the heat.)
- Let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 302Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 113mgSodium: 627mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 36g
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