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    Home » Recipes » Chicken Recipes » Pan-Fried Chicken Breast

    Pan-Fried Chicken Breast

    Published: Sep 16, 2023 Modified: Sep 18, 2023 by Isabel Laessig

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    For a quick and easy weeknight dinner, Pan-Fried Chicken Breast is the way to go! Follow my method for cooking chicken breast on the stove, and it will turn out tender, juicy, and flavorful every time. It’s the perfect base for building a simple but tasty dinner, all in under 30 minutes!

    Golden brown pan-fried chicken breasts in a pan up close
    Jump to:
    • Pan Fry Chicken Breast
    • Fried Chicken Breast Recipe Ingredients
    • How to Pan Fry Chicken Breast
    • How to Fry Chicken in a Pan with Oil
    • Pan-Fried Chicken Breast Recipes Tips
    • Pan Fried Chicken Breast Recipe Variations
    • Pan Fry Chicken Breast FAQ
    • Leftover Chicken Breast Recipes
    • 📌 Pin it for later!
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    Pan Fry Chicken Breast

    If there’s one classic protein I know I can always rely on, it’s chicken breasts. They pair with just about any meal and are easy to prepare any way you prefer. When I’m not outside grilling chicken breasts or making buttermilk chicken in the oven, you can bet I’m pan-frying them!

    When my kids were growing up, chicken breast was a go-to of mine on busy nights. It’s always been a budget-friendly option, and with so many possibilities for what you can serve it with, you can always get creative.

    Even now that I’m mostly just cooking for myself and my husband, I find myself making pan-fried chicken breast recipes all the time!

    Slice it to add to grilled chicken salad or chicken alfredo pasta, or simply serve with a side of lemon Greek potatoes and green beans. Any way you prepare these pan-fried chicken breasts, I guarantee you’ll love how juicy and tender they are!

    alfredo pouring over chicken alfredo

    Fried Chicken Breast Recipe Ingredients

    • Skinless Chicken breasts, thin-sliced
    • Olive oil
    • Garlic powder
    • Paprika
    • Salt
    • Black Pepper
    • Butter

    Pan-seared chicken breasts cook more quickly and consistently and are easy to work with. If you have thicker chicken breasts on hand, you can use a meat mallet to pound them out to an even thinness of about ½-inch.

    You can also carefully slice thicker chicken breasts in half. Do this by placing them on a cutting board. With one palm resting on the chicken breast, use your free hand to run the knife through the long side of the chicken, slowly and carefully cutting through until sliced in half. This is best done with a very sharp knife and cutting gloves.

    ingredients for pan fried chicken with labels

    How to Pan Fry Chicken Breast

    1. Add garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper to a bowl, and mix until combined. Season chicken breasts on all sides. Use your hands to pat the seasoning down.
      stirring seasoning for pan-fried chicken in a white bowl with a fork
    2. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add ½ your olive oil.
      adding olive oil to a pan
    3. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add 2 chicken pieces. Do not overcrowd the skillet.
      using tongs to add chicken to a pan with olive oil
    4. Cook for 5 minutes or until browned and caramelized. Using tongs, flip each chicken breast and cook for another 5 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer reaches and internal temperature slightly under 165°F when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken.
      flipping chicken in the pan with tongs
    5. Add butter and cook for an additional minute.
      adding butter to the pan with the chicken breasts
    6. Remove chicken from the skillet and let it come to room temperature for 5 minutes before slicing.
      frying chicken in a pan
    7. Serve, and enjoy!

    I have used this method using chicken thighs and it works great!

    How to Fry Chicken in a Pan with Oil

    Chicken breasts take approximately 9-14 minutes total to pan-fry: 5-7 minutes on the first side, and then 4-7 minutes on the opposite side. This depends on the thickness of your chicken breasts, with thinner chicken taking around 10 minutes total to cook and thicker chicken taking up to 14. Use a meat thermometer and my Chicken Temperature Chart for the best results!

    As a tip, I also recommend either purchasing thinly sliced chicken to start with, slicing your chicken thinly, or pounding it out to an even thinness using a meat mallet.

    Pan-Fried Chicken Breast Recipes Tips

    • Use thinly sliced chicken breasts or pound chicken out to an even thinness before pan-frying.
    • Do not overcrowd the skillet! Cook the chicken breasts 2 at a time as your skillet allows. If you have a large burner and a 14-inch skillet you may be able to fit 4 at a time, but it’s very important each chicken breast has the opportunity to cook evenly and brown evenly. If your chicken breasts are squashed together in the pan or your pan doesn’t heat evenly, they don’t have enough room.
    • Allow the chicken to rest after cooking so it does not lose any of its juices when slicing. It should only need about 5 minutes of rest time.
    • Slice against the grain for the most tender chicken breast. You can tell which way the grain runs by looking for the “lines” on the chicken. They’re easy to see on golden-brown pan-fried chicken breasts!
    • I love serving this dish with my Portuguese Rice.
    adding chicken to Alfredo

    Pan Fried Chicken Breast Recipe Variations

    You can add the following spices if you want to kick up the flavor.

    • Onion Powder
    • Italian Seasoning
    • Cayenne Pepper

    Pan Fry Chicken Breast FAQ

    How long should you pan-fry chicken for?

    Pan-fry chicken according to thickness, cooking for approximately 5 minutes on each side for thin chicken breasts, and 7 minutes on each side for thick chicken breasts. Use a meat thermometer and Chicken Temperature Chart for best results.

    Is it better to pan-fry chicken in butter or oil?

    Start by pan-frying chicken breasts in oil, and just before removing the chicken from the pan, add butter and allow the chicken to cook in it for about 1 minute. Oil will give the chicken breasts the perfect brown sear without burning over time while adding butter at the last minute gives the chicken that juicy, buttery flavor without burning. It’s the best of both options!

    Does covering chicken make it cook faster?

    If, for whatever reason, your chicken breasts are not cooking quickly enough, you can cover them with a lid while they’re in the pan to help them cook through more quickly. The steam will help trap heat and cook the chicken through quickly. However, you shouldn’t need to do this if your pan is heated properly.

    Leftover Chicken Breast Recipes

    • Greek Chicken and Potatoes
    • Bruschetta Chicken
    • Kale Caesar Salad
    • Strawberry Chicken Salad
    • Chicken Alfredo

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    📋 Recipe

    Overhead shot of pan-fried chicken in a pan

    Pan-Fried Chicken Breasts

    Isabel Laessig
    Achieve juicy, tender Pan-Fried Chicken Breasts every time following my guide! Learn how long to pan-fry chicken breast, and more!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 25 minutes mins
    Course Main
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4 chicken breasts
    Calories 403 kcal

    Equipment

    • Skillet
    • Bowl for mixing seasoning
    • Tongs

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 chicken breasts thin-sliced
    • 3 Tablespoons olive oil divided
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon paprika
    • ¾ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper
    • 2 Tablespoons butter divided
    Cooking Conversions

    See our Cooking Conversions Chart for help converting measurements!

    Instructions
     

    • Add garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper to a bowl, and mix until combined. Sprinkle seasoning mixture evenly over chicken breasts on all sides. Use your hands to pat the seasoning down.
      ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon paprika, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper
      stirring seasoning for pan-fried chicken in a white bowl with a fork
    • Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add ½ your olive oil.
      3 Tablespoons olive oil
      adding olive oil to a pan
    • Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add 2 chicken breasts. Do not overcrowd the skillet.
      4 chicken breasts
      using tongs to add chicken to a pan with olive oil
    • Cook for 5 minutes or until browned and caramelized. Using tongs, flip each chicken breast and cook for another 5 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads slightly under 165°F when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken.
      flipping chicken in the pan with tongs
    • Add butter and cook for an additional minute.
      2 Tablespoons butter
      adding butter to the pan with the chicken breasts
    • Remove chicken from the skillet and set it aside to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts, butter, and oil.
      frying chicken in a pan
    • Serve, and enjoy!
      adding chicken to Alfredo

    Video

    Notes

    • Use thinly-sliced chicken breasts or pound chicken out to an even thinness before pan-frying.
    • Do not overcrowd the skillet! Cook the chicken breasts 2 at a time as your skillet allows. If you have a large burner and a 14-inch skillet you may be able to fit 4 at a time, but it’s very important each chicken breast has the opportunity to cook evenly and brown evenly. If your chicken breasts are squashed together in the pan or your pan doesn’t heat evenly, they don’t have enough room.
    • Allow the chicken to rest after cooking so it does not lose any of its juices when slicing. It should only need about 5 minutes of rest time.
    • Slice against the grain for the most tender chicken breast. You can tell which way the grain runs by looking for the “lines” on the chicken. They’re easy to see on golden-brown pan-fried chicken breasts!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1chicken breastCalories: 403kcalCarbohydrates: 0.5gProtein: 48gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 160mgSodium: 744mgPotassium: 850mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 0.04gVitamin A: 367IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword fried chicken breast recipe, how to pan fry chicken breast, pan fry chicken breast, pan-fried chicken breast
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    Isabel, AKA Family Foodie

    About Isabel Laessig

    Hi! I’m Isabel Laessig, also known as Family Foodie, creator of Sunday Supper Movement and author of the Boujee Steak Cookbook. Sunday Supper is my mission to bring family back around the dinner table. Join me in making family meal-time a tradition to celebrate!

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    Isabel, AKA Family Foodie

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