How to Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts on the Stove

I’ve been where you are: another night trying to figure out what to make for dinner only to find a ton of frozen chicken breasts staring back at me. No problem! Read this post and watch the video to learn how to cook frozen chicken breasts in a pan so they turn out juicy and tasty.

Is it Safe to Cook Frozen Chicken?

Let’s face it: we don’t always remember to defrost chicken in the fridge overnight. According to the USDA and quote, “chicken can be cooked or reheated from the frozen,” so yes, when you’re stuck with a frozen pound of chicken before dinner, you can still feed yourself and your family a healthy dinner.

Unfortunately, the slow cooker and microwave are not safe options for cooking frozen chicken, so stick to the stove, the oven, or the air fryer to keep your food safe to eat.

Rather thaw the chicken quickly instead of cooking it? Learn how to thaw chicken in the microwave here.

How Long Does it Take to Cook From Frozen

Cooking frozen chicken takes a little longer, about 1.5 times longer than when it’s not frozen. This means that if it normally takes about 15 minutes to cook a chicken breast in a pan, cooking it frozen using this method will take approximately 22 minutes, giving me enough time to prepare a simple side salad, for example.

Can You Season Frozen Chicken

Yes! I always add a little extra seasoning to the chicken when cooking frozen chicken because it will lose some flavor as it thaws in the pan. You can season it right when you place it in the pan or after you’ve seared the first side so you don’t burn the seasoning. It’s completely up to you and it will depend on the seasoning you select.

How to Cook Frozen Chicken on the Stove

The recipe card includes step-by-step directions and here you’ll find the things I’ve learned from doing this process often. They include:

1. Prep
   Pour any chicken juices from the bag. If multiple chicken breasts are frozen together, run cold water over the zip bag to help you separate them. Then, place them on the pan as individual pieces.
2. Cook
   Select a pan large enough for the chicken breasts to have room. Then, heat the pan, add a little oil, and cook the first side for 10 to 15 minutes. Then flip the chicken and cook the second side.
3. Season
   When cooking frozen chicken breasts, I like to season them after I flip them. Otherwise, you can run into burning the seasoning or eating bland chicken without it.
4. Remove it from the pan
   When the internal temperature of the chicken breasts reaches 165F, they are fully cooked and safe to eat. Let the chicken rest on a plate for 5 minutes; this helps the chicken retain its internal juices.

Last Minute Frozen Chicken Recipe Ideas

While you can cook the frozen chicken breasts directly in the pan with the recipe below and call it a meal, you can also try one of these last-minute quick dinner ideas:

• Blackened Chicken Pasta: my top recipe to make with frozen chicken! It turns out spectacular.
• Easy Chicken Stew: since this recipe cooks the chicken first, starting out with frozen chicken will only add 10 extra minutes total time.
• Chicken Fajitas: this is great if you have frozen chicken pieces or tenderloins.
• Easy Jambalaya: have a box of this rice in the pantry? Cook the frozen chicken in the pan and turn it into a meal.  
• Chicken & Vegetable Teriyaki Bowls: pair frozen veggie mix and frozen chicken into a meal. Follow the recipe, start by cooking the chicken first, add the veggies, then the sauce -all while the rice cooks!