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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!
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!
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.
How to Pan Fry Chicken Breast
- 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.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add ½ your olive oil.
- Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add 2 chicken pieces. Do not overcrowd the skillet.
- 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.
- Add butter and cook for an additional minute.
- Remove chicken from the skillet and let it come to room temperature for 5 minutes before slicing.
- 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.
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
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.
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!
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
Pan-Fried Chicken Breasts
Equipment
- 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
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
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add ½ your olive oil.3 Tablespoons olive oil
- Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add 2 chicken breasts. Do not overcrowd the skillet.4 chicken breasts
- 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.
- Add butter and cook for an additional minute.2 Tablespoons butter
- Remove chicken from the skillet and set it aside to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts, butter, and oil.
- Serve, and enjoy!
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!
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