Pan-Seared Chicken Breast
If you've got boneless skinless chicken breasts, salt and freshly ground black pepper, you're most of the way to this chicken: about 65 minutes of cooking across 7 steps. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and pan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (1)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
π Unit converter
How to make it
- Pat the chicken breasts thoroughly dry, then cover with cling film and gently pound the thicker end so each breast is an even thickness for uniform cooking.
- Season both sides generously with salt and pepper and let the chicken sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
- Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then lay the breasts in away from you and sear undisturbed for 5 to 6 minutes until a deep golden crust forms.
- Flip the breasts, add the butter, lightly crushed garlic cloves and thyme sprigs, and tilt the pan to spoon the foaming butter over the chicken.
- Continue cooking for a further 5 to 7 minutes, basting often, until the thickest part registers 74 C on an instant-read thermometer and the juices run clear.
- Transfer the chicken to a board, squeeze over the lemon, and rest loosely tented with foil for 5 minutes before slicing so the juices redistribute.
- Spoon the garlic-thyme pan butter over the sliced chicken to serve.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet Β· Pan
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (ΒΎ the amount) Β· coconut oil Β· margarine
- Lemon
- lime Β· 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
Tips & common questions
How long does Pan-Seared Chicken Breast take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish β an estimate based on the 7 steps and 8 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (ΒΎ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes β use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Pan-Seared Chicken Breast is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Risottochick.JPG (CC0) via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top β how we source recipes.