This Stovetop Chicken Breast is so incredibly tender and juicy and takes only 25 minutes from start to finish. It’s perfect for when you want a fresh, home cooked meal on a busy weeknight!
Chicken breasts are a staple in most households because they are quick and easy to cook and they can take on a variety of flavors. Our household is no different! This flavors of this chicken are identical to my Baked Chicken Breasts recipe, but you don’t have to turn on the oven, which frees it up for fresh baked bread, veggies, or even dessert!
I use my favorite seasoning blend of spices that really give this stovetop chicken it’s incredible flavor. And the best part is you probably already have them in your pantry!
One of the keys to cooking boneless chicken breasts is to get them to a more even thickness. If you look at the breast you can see that it’s really thick at one end, and of course that takes longer to cook. The other end is very thin which cooks much faster. The problem with this is that you end up with one end that’s dry and the opposite end that could even be a little underdone. So to rectify that, pound that chicken! Use a mallet or even a small skillet to pound out the thicker end of the chicken and make it more uniform.
This cooking process is simple but does require a little patience. After you put the chicken in a hot pan (listen to that sizzle!), whatever you do, don’t touch it! Let it sit for 4 minutes to get a nice sear, then flip it over. After about 2 minutes, turn the heat to low, add a pat of butter (totally optional, but adds additional flavor) and cover the skillet. This gives the chicken time to cook fully without burning.
Finally after about 10 minutes remove the skillet from the heat and let it sit, still covered (again, don’t touch it!) for another 10 minutes. This time allows the juices to redistribute (“rest”) so they don’t run all over the cutting board leaving you with a dry, lifeless chicken breast.
There you have it – perfectly tender and juicy chicken breasts on the stovetop in just about 25 minutes!
The BEST Stovetop Chicken Breast
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 4 -6 servings
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and chili powder. Place the chicken in a baking dish and sprinkle the seasoning mixture over both sides of the chicken and rub it in with your hands.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet (with a tight fitting lid) over medium-high heat. Add chicken and leave it alone to sear and cook for 4 minutes on the first side. Flip the chicken and add the butter to the skillet, swirling it around the pan as it melts. Cook for 2 minutes, then cover the skillet with a tight fitting lid. Turn heat down to low for 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from heat and rest, covered, for another 10 minutes.
- Serve immediately with parsley garnish, if desired.
For more easy chicken recipes, try these:
Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
Chicken, Bacon and Blue Mac & Cheese
For all chicken recipes go HERE, for all dinners go HERE and for the recipe index go HERE.
The medium-high directions are misleading, my poor chicken breasts are burnt 😓
Unfortunately each stove is different. Medium-high works perfectly on mine, however you have to use your discretion in your own kitchen.
OMG! I tried your stovetop chicken method. I can’t believe I have been cooking it wrong all these years! Your method is by far the best stovetop chicken I have ever cooked. I didn’t use your seasoning though, as I am currently in love with Adobo and black pepper as a seasoning for chicken. Thanks so much for the technique. I am going to try this with turkey breast cutlets too. Yum.
That’s the best part about this method – you can use any seasoning you like! We had this for dinner just last night. Still a favorite!
Try it with Herbes de Province and salt and pepper. It’s delicious.
I was nervous about this method (let the chicken rest for 10 minutes – will it even be cooked?!) but I am SO HAPPY with the result. It tastes amazing and it was so easy! Plus, it freed up my oven for roasted veggies. Great post, thank you!
So glad you gave it a try. I love this method because the chicken gets a nice sear, then continues to cook after you turn off the heat and cover it so it almost “steams” it and it stays super juicy!
what if I add Golden Mushroom soup and when should I do it?
This recipe is amazing. I also tweaked it for chicken legs and they were just as good!
I used a different marinade so I will only comment on the stove top directions. A little disappointed that my chicken was burned when I flipped it after the first 4 minutes. I don’t know why, as I had it on medium-high and dropped it to medium after only 2 minutes when I saw that it was browning faster than it should. I love your sausage/peppers/rice skillet dish though, and showed it to my sisters and mom, who both make that recipe now as well!
It’s tough to say what happened because every kitchen is different. I have some burners that just get hotter than others. You’ll have to use your best judgement and just keep an eye on it.
Incredibly moist. Both my teenage boys loved it. Thanks for sharing the tip of searing and not moving it. Then letting it rest. So juicy!
Yay! Thanks for your comment!