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Keep reading to learn everything about cooking time, temperature, doneness, and the best ways to enjoy these tasty chicken breasts.
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How to Make Grilled Chicken at Home Without the Grill
Delicious, juicy, golden-brown grilled chicken breasts in the pan? Yes! With this simple method, you can enjoy flavorful chicken all year round at home without the grill.
Follow this easy recipe to cook tasty pan grilled chicken to add to your favorite chicken salads, serve with pasta, make sandwiches, and the list goes on. Just season the meat, heat the pan, and cook! Quick and easy meals like this one are always a winner!
Depending on the pan you use, the meat will have grilling marks or not, but the taste will still be amazing. The perfect 15-minute recipe that solves any dinner on busy weeknights!
What You Need
Plain chicken breast turns into the most delicious dinner with a pan and a few simple staples.
For these pan-grilled chicken breasts you’ll need:
- Seasonings: season the chicken with a mix of garlic powder, paprika, oregano, and salt; use your favorite seasoning mix or my epic Blackened Seasoning.
- Chicken: boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
- Butter or olive oil: for cooking.
- Pan: a cast iron skillet with grill marks or without is the classic method, but a stainless or non-still pan works too!
You’ll find the measurements in the recipe card below.
How to Pan Grill Chicken
Make this pan grilled chicken in 15 minutes, and you won’t miss any grill flavor! It’s tasty, juicy, and goes great with everything. Here is how step-by-step:
- Prep the seasoning
In a small dish, combine the seasoning ingredients or use your favorite one, like my epic blackened seasoning. - Season the chicken
On a flat surface, pat dry the chicken breasts. Distribute the seasoning on both sides of the chicken breasts. - Cook the chicken
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, melt the butter. Place the chicken breasts on the pan and cook the first side for 7 minutes. Flip the chicken breasts over and cook for another 7 minutes on the other side until the internal temperature reaches 165F. Cooking time on the second side will vary by the thickness of the chicken breasts. - Let it cool down
Remove the chicken breasts from the pan onto a board to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
What Temperature to Pan Grill Chicken Breasts
For grilling chicken breasts in the pan, set the stove top at medium-high temperature (between 375 and 450F). Once you place the chicken in the hot pan, a delicious golden-brown crust forms on the surface.
Using a higher temperature is the best way to get juicy chicken breasts in the pan because the heat sears the meat and traps the juices inside so the chicken breasts won’t dry out.
Can You Use this Method for Butterflied Chicken Breasts?
Yes! You can pan-grill butterflied chicken breasts; just don’t forget the cooking time will be shorter! Since they are half the thickness, they will cook much faster, in about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
How Long Does it Take to Pan Grill Chicken
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts take about 7 minutes per side to be completely cooked and safe to eat. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the chicken breast. However, butterflied chicken breasts are half as thick so they cook in about half the time, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
To be sure the chicken is cooked and safe to eat, check the internal temperature in the thickest part with a meat thermometer. When they reach 165F, they are done.
How to Know when the Pan Grilled Chicken Breasts are Done
The best way to know that chicken is done is by using a meat thermometer. Insert it in the thickest part of the chicken breasts, and you know they are ready to eat when the internal temperature reaches 165F.
Checking doneness with a meat thermometer will also prevent chicken breasts from overcooking, which results in dry chicken breasts.
Is Pan Grilled Chicken Healthy?
Pan grilled chicken is lean, low-carb, and high-protein meat. Grilling chicken in the pan is one of the healthiest ways to cook it since you are using skinless chicken and adding just 1 tablespoon of butter or oil per pound to cook.
How to Serve Pan Grilled Chicken Breasts
There are so many delicious ways to enjoy this epic pan grilled chicken that you won’t know where to start! This is the kind of flavorful meat that is good enough to be eaten on its own and also makes any meal better.
Who doesn’t love adding more nutrition, texture, and goodness? These chicken breasts are great to serve over pasta, and a perfect protein to build a drool-worthy salad.
Shred chicken leftovers and you will have a terrific protein ready for filling sandwiches and wraps, add to tacos, stuff baked sweet potatoes, add to soups, over cheese pizza… possibilities are endless (and all of them super tasty)!
What to Serve with Pan Grilled Chicken
When you have such a flavorful pan grilled chicken, how can it get any better? Side dishes! Serve it with these Spicy Green Beans, this low-carb Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice, simple caramelized Sautéed Cabbage, or this Southwest Quinoa Salad for a more satisfying meal.
Pan Grilled Chicken that’s Juicy Perfection!
Ingredients
Seasoning:
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
Chicken:
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1lb
- 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil, for cooking
Instructions
Season the chicken:
- In a small dish, combine the seasoning ingredients. Alternatively, you can use your favorite seasoning mix or my epic blackened seasoning.
- On a flat surface, pat dry the chicken breasts. Distribute the seasoning on both sides of the chicken breasts.
Cook the chicken:
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, melt the butter. Place the chicken breasts on the pan and cook the first side for 7 minutes. Flip the chicken breasts over and cook for another 7 minutes on the other side until the internal temperature reaches 165F. Cooking time on the second side will vary by the thickness of the chicken breast.
- Remove the chicken breasts from the pan onto a board to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
TAYLER ROSS says
I made this chicken for dinner last night and it was delicious! Perfectly moist and juicy!
Sara Welch says
Enjoyed this for dinner last night and it was a savory success! Turned out tender, juicy and delicious; the perfect meal for a busy weeknight, indeed!
dana says
This was incredibly tasty! Absolutely loved the flavor and how juicy and tender it turned out.
Ned says
This chicken is it! I loved the flavor and cooking it in cast iron put it over the top. Thank you!
kushi says
I’m drooling over this pan-grilled chicken recipe. Thanks for sharing. Pinned to try this soon.