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Today, I’ll show you how to cook chicken pieces in a pan so they get that perfect sear and stay juicy in the center. You’ll find tips, what equipment to use, and a few marinades and seasoning recipes to make your chicken extra flavorful.

Perfectly Pan-Seared Chicken Pieces
Chicken pieces (or cubes) are the foundation of so many delicious recipes. From pasta to salad to stir fry, everything is better with chicken! When cooking chicken pieces in a pan, you want the exteriors to be crispy, golden brown, and the centers to be juicy- this is what makes incredible chicken dinners.
And it’s much easier to achieve when the chicken is cut into smaller pieces. I also love that you can prep this recipe ahead and keep it in the fridge for a convenient option to add to meals throughout the week. You can also air fry chicken pieces if you prefer that method.
If you need help getting quick and easy meals on the table each night, then check out my weekly meal plan. It’s a done-for-you solution that will save you time and money every single week!
What Do You Need to Cook Chicken Pieces in a Pan
You’ll find the ingredient measurements on the recipe card below, but first, let’s see what you need to make perfectly cooked chicken with golden, crisp exteriors:
- Heavy-bottomed cast-iron or stainless steel skillet
- Cooking oil: just a little olive or neutral cooking oil.
- Spatula: to flip the chicken.
- Boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
- Meat thermometer: to check for doneness.
How to Cut Chicken Breasts
In this recipe, we’re using boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. I find this is less time-consuming than trying to cut a whole chicken, remove the skin, debone, and cook it.
To cut a chicken breast or thigh into 1-inch cubes, place each fillet onto a sturdy cutting board and hold it with your non-knife hand. Using a sharp knife, carefully slice the piece of chicken into ¼-inch slices. Next, cut each of those slices crosswise into cubes.
If you want to cook chicken slices for fajitas or a stir-fry, you can just cut each fillet into ¼-inch thin strips.
Cooking Chicken Pieces in a Pan
Here’s how to make tender chicken pieces with golden brown crusts in less than 10 minutes:
- Prep the chicken
Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes or thin strips, then season with your favorite seasoning blend or add them to a large zip bag with your choice of marinade. *If using a marinade, allow 20 minutes or up to 24 hours for the chicken to marinate. - Get the pan hot
In a large cast-iron or stainless steel skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. - Cook
Add the chicken pieces and cook undisturbed until the bottoms are opaque with golden brown patches. Flip and cook for an additional 3 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F. - Serve
Remove the chicken from the heat and add to your favorite recipe.
More of a visual learner? In this quick video, I show you the whole process and share a lot of tips:
How Long to Cook Cubed Chicken Pieces in a Pan
Cubed chicken will cook in a pan in just 7 minutes. I like to give them a good sear on the first side, then flip and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165F, about 3 additional minutes.
There is also a visual cue to look for when checking for doneness that doesn’t involve burning your fingertips. Using the tip of a knife, poke a few chicken pieces. If the juices run red, they need more time, if it’s clear, the chicken is cooked.

Seasonings & Marinades for Cooked Chicken Pieces
I recommend using a seasoning blend to sprinkle over the cut chicken before cooking. The granules adhere to the surface of the chicken pieces and give them a crust.
Marinades will also add flavor, and you can marinate the uncooked chicken pieces overnight then cook it the next day. I have a collection of delicious marinades, and seasonings blends you can use that will add serious flavor.
- Quick Lemon Chicken Marinade
- Cilantro Lime Marinade
- Sweet & Spicy Chicken Marinade
- Taco Seasoning– 1 ½ teaspoons per pound
- Creole Seasoning– about 1 ½ teaspoons per pound
How to Use Chicken Pieces
Chicken is my family’s #1 protein of choice and having cooked chicken on hand makes it so easy to add to recipes.
You can serve cooked chicken pieces over salads, add them to cooked veggies for a stir-fry, or stir into cheesy pasta. There’s also nothing wrong with keeping it simple and dipping them into your favorite sauce, just like chicken nuggets.
Juicy Garlic Pepper Chicken Pieces in a Pan

Watch how it’s made:
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, for cooking
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes on a large cutting board. Sprinkle the salt, black pepper, and garlic powder over the chicken pieces and toss to coat.
- In a large cast-iron or stainless steel skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken pieces in an even layer and cook undisturbed for 4 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 3 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F.
- Remove from heat and add to your favorite recipe or serve with dipping sauce.
Kris says
Made this for my sister and her friend for dinner last night, they came out fantastic!
Natalie says
Delicious chicken!! Loved this recipe!
Kathryn says
These garlic pepper chicken pieces were great! I used them in a pasta recipe and it was awesome.
Janna says
The garlic pepper seasoning really took this chicken pieces recipe to the next level!
Lucy says
These garlic pepper chicken pieces were so great!
Dayna says
Perfect base for so many recipes.
Taylor says
Loved this garlic pepper combination.
Betty says
These chicken pieces were so flavorful! Great base for lots of my recipes.
Jill says
Easy and tasty!
Jenna says
This is the first time I cook chicken pieces in a pan and they’re seared and golden and crispy and juicy. THANK YOU!!
Beth says
This is an excellent guide! When I first started cooking, my chicken pieces always came out white with no color. I wish I’d had this!
Ned says
These chicken pieces turned out so moist and delicious! Thank you so much!
Cathleen says
Very thorough explanation, thank you so much for sharing this information! Bookmarked to come back to later 🙂
chara says
I love this recipe, I am making this later. Thanks for sharing
Anjali says
Thank you so much for this helpful guide! My chicken turned out perfectly tender and cooked through! It was delicious!
Lexus says
I needed these chicken pieces for pasta! Thanks for walking me through ow to cook chicken pieces in a pan. So easy and they tasted great.
John Hutchins says
Very nice with spaghetti sauce
Jill Diaz says
Quick, easy and good… husbands new favorite way to eat chicken. We added our own sauces and had it our way. Thanks!
TAYLER ROSS says
I used this recipe to make chicken last night and it was so thorough! Thanks so much for sharing!
Jamie says
My chicken came out so juicy and tender! It was delicious over a salad. Thank you!
Gianne says
The chicken pieces turn out juicy and flavorful, and the crispy skin adds the perfect touch. This is definitely going to be a regular dish in my kitchen!
Elisa says
Love this post, always struggle with breast chicken to be juicy. But came out delicious!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Justine says
This is one of my favorite ways to cook chicken! Super easy and tastes great.
Lulwa Shammas says
Hi I am always worried the chicken will be hard and dry… what is the trick please
Laura Fuentes says
as mentioned in the recipe, they are sliced to 1-inch cubes. The most important part is that they’re all evenly cut not so much how thick or thin. This ensures they all cook evenly.
sly says
Awesome!! Easy to prepare in batches and works well in chicken pot pie. Thank you
Helen says
Perfectly seared chicken pieces without being chewy
Jenna says
This was perfect. The chicken pieces were seared great in the pan and didn’t stick. Thanks!
Erica says
This looks so easy, thank you for this. Can’t wait to try this.
Kimm says
You made it so easy to use chicken pieces as a meal builder. Thanks!
Laura Fuentes says
Thank you, Kimm!
V. says
I’m looking for a way to meal prep chicken to add to recipes I make for my family throughout the week.
Can I make this in a big batch and freeze it?
Laura Fuentes says
Yes, you can cook your chicken pieces and freeze them! I still recommend cooking in batches so the chicken pieces retain the best texture. Once cooled, freeze!
Bon says
Great tips,thanks!
Can you freeze this for last minute meals?
Laura Fuentes says
Absolutely! Once cooked, you can freeze chicken pieces in a zip bag for future meals!