Laura Fuentes

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Eat Healthy
  • Quick Meals
  • Pancakes
  • About
  • Pasta Night
  • Best Chicken Recipes
  • Meal Plans
  • Cookbooks
  • Contact
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Eat Healthy
  • Quick Meals
  • Pancakes
  • About
  • Pasta Night
  • Best Chicken Recipes
  • Meal Plans
  • Cookbooks
  • Contact
×
Home » Recipes » Chicken Dinners

Pan Grilled Chicken

By Laura Fuentes Updated Mar 18, 2025

5 from 22 votes

Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.

Follow this easy recipe for the juiciest and most flavorful pan grilled chicken breasts. A simple cooking method that works every time!

Keep reading to learn everything about cooking time, temperature, doneness, and the best ways to enjoy these tasty chicken breasts.

pan grilled chicken breast
Jump to:
  • How to Make Grilled Chicken at Home Without the Grill 
  • What You Need
  • How to Pan Grill Chicken 
  • How to Know when the Pan Grilled Chicken Breasts are Done 
  • How to Serve Pan Grilled Chicken Breasts
  • Pan Grilled Chicken that’s Juicy Perfection!

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!

blackened pan grilled chicken breasts on a plate

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:

  1. Prep the seasoning
    In a small dish, combine the seasoning ingredients or use your favorite one, like my epic blackened seasoning.
  2. Season the chicken
    On a flat surface, pat dry the chicken breasts. Distribute the seasoning on both sides of the chicken breasts.
  3. 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.
  4. 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. 

raw seasoned chicken breasts in a bowl

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)!

chicken salad on a plate

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!

pan grilled chicken
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Cook Time: 15 minutes mins
Total Time: 20 minutes mins
Follow this easy recipe for the juiciest and most flavorful pan grilled chicken breasts. A simple cooking method that works every time!
5 from 22 votes
Print Pin

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.

Notes

If swapping the seasoning above for my blackened seasoning, reduce the amount to 1 ½ teaspoons. This is enough to give your chicken breasts a terrific kick of flavor! 

Equipment

printed papers of weekly family meal plan
Ad Free Weekly Meal Plan $1
Grill Pan
Blackened Seasoning
Cast Iron Skillet
cast iron skillet care kit
Cast Iron Skillet Care Kit

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 98kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 357mg | Potassium: 222mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.05g | Vitamin A: 144IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.4mg

More Chicken Dinners

  • topw view of sliced chipotle chicken breasts
    Chipotle Chicken Marinade
  • a chicken burgers on a white dish
    Ground Chicken Burgers
  • top view of three ground chicken tacos
    Ground Chicken Tacos
  • top view of two grilled chicken breasts and some lemon slices over a wooden table
    Grilled Balsamic Chicken

Comments

    5 from 22 votes (17 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. TAYLER ROSS says

    April 17, 2024 at 9:41 am

    5 stars
    I made this chicken for dinner last night and it was delicious! Perfectly moist and juicy!

    Reply
  2. Sara Welch says

    April 16, 2024 at 3:54 pm

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
  3. dana says

    April 16, 2024 at 2:37 pm

    5 stars
    This was incredibly tasty! Absolutely loved the flavor and how juicy and tender it turned out.

    Reply
  4. Ned says

    April 16, 2024 at 2:17 pm

    5 stars
    This chicken is it! I loved the flavor and cooking it in cast iron put it over the top. Thank you!

    Reply
  5. kushi says

    April 16, 2024 at 2:11 pm

    5 stars
    I’m drooling over this pan-grilled chicken recipe. Thanks for sharing. Pinned to try this soon.

    Reply

Hi! I'm Laura.
Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, mom of three, and the woman behind the world’s best pancakes—here to help you ditch the mealtime drama with recipes your family will actually eat.

More about me →

Let's Be Social!

Facebook Pinterest Instagram YouTube
5 Secrets to Healthy(er) Family Meals

Fresh Favorites

  • large stack of fluffy pancakes with slice of butter on top
    Best Fluffy Pancakes Recipe
  • rotisserie chicken alfredo
    Rotisserie Chicken Alfredo
  • three hard shell tacos
    How to Make Taco Shells
  • 4 fillets of baked cajun salmon served with roasted potatoes and broccoli
    Baked Cajun Salmon

Trending Now

  • large stack of pancakes topped with a slice of butter. a small bottle of maple syrup behind the stack of pancakes.
    How to Make Pancakes Without Eggs
  • copycat canes nuggets and fries with texas toast and two sauces
    Copycat Cane’s Chicken Recipe with Homemade Cane’s Sauce
  • large plate of freshly baked mixed chicken pieces
    Juicy Baked Chicken Pieces
  • creamy garlic sauce in a large pot with pepper on top
    5 Ingredient Creamy Garlic Sauce

Footer

Browse

  • Start Here
  • Eat Healthy in 30 Days
  • Weekly Family Meal Plans
  • Recipe Index

Useful Links

  • Contact
  • Permissions
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

COPYRIGHT © 2025 LAURA FUENTES · DESIGN BY FUENTES MEDIA

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.