I’m not a huge fan of chicken breast. It’s often bland, dry, and super boring. I avoid ordering it in restaurants at all costs. But chicken is often an easy choice for my family. It’s usually prepared quickly, it’s easy to find and affordable, and we almost ALWAYS have some in the freezer.
Thankfully I’ve found a failsafe way of cooking it at home. This is the only way I cook a whole chicken breast now and it always turns out perfect. Juicy, flavorful and with a delicious browned crust.
Want to know the secret? Read on!
Tasty & Juicy Chicken Breast - Easy recipe!
This is the only way I prepare chicken breast. Chicken is pan-seared and then finished in the oven. This two step process ensures a delicious, well-browned outside, and a juicy, flavorful inside. Try it today!
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- 2 tsp oil (Avocado, Coconut, Butter, or Ghee)
- 1/2 tsp favorite seasoning
- salt to taste, if not in seasoning mix
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
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In a medium OVEN SAFE pan, heat two tsp of cooking oil. While heating, pat chicken breast dry with paper towel and sprinkle both sides with seasoning of choice. Massage seasoning mix into chicken.
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Cook chicken in pan until well browned, about 3-4 minutes per side.
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Place in oven and cook until chicken reaches 165 degrees. The best way to gage this is by using an oven safe thermometer. This works out to about 12-15 minutes for a thin chicken breast and 15-20 minutes for a thicker breast.
Recipe Notes
For seasoning ideas, use your favorite seasoning mix. I love to use a mix of garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme and kosher salt. You can also use a seasoning salt or something like Old Bay.
By first pan-searing the chicken, you create a great Maillard reaction. This is just a fancy way of saying that you’ll be browning the outside of the chicken, and this steps adds a TON of flavor to your chicken. And finishing up in the oven provides a gentle, even cooking that produces juicy results.
Sometimes, I will add a bit of chicken stock or white wine to the pan once I’ve removed the chicken, and heat gently while I scrape up the browned bits stuck to the pan. Season with a bit of salt and you have a delicious, easy pan gravy to serve with the chicken. Try it with our lectin-free, grain-free, paleo noodles!
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