Pan Fried Chicken Breasts

Achieve juicy, tender Pan-Fried Chicken Breasts every time following my guide! Learn how long to pan-fry chicken breast, and more!

Course Main

Cuisine American

Keyword how to pan fry chicken breast, pan fried chicken, pan fry chicken breast, pan-fried chicken breast

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Total Time 25

Servings chicken breasts

Calories 403kcal

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!

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!