cast iron chicken

How to cook chicken breast in a cast-iron skillet, an easy recipe for juicy, tender and healthy chicken breast.

Cast-Iron Chicken Breast

chicken breast, about 200 g/ 7 oz each

lemon

parsley

honey

olive oil, divided

fine sea salt and pepper

Wash and zest the lemon. Juice it, but...

Wash and zest the lemon. Juice it, but start only with half the juice when making the marinade.

Mix together the lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley...

Mix together the lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley leaves, honey and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small blender. Process until you have a smooth paste. Add salt and pepper to taste and more lemon juice or honey according to your liking.

Place the chicken in a shallow dish and...

Place the chicken in a shallow dish and pour the marinade over. Turn the chicken a few times in the dish to coat all over. Cover with plastic foil and leave to marinate in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. If you marinate it for a shorter time, like 30 minutes, leave it on the counter, if not take out of the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to cooking to make sure that the meat reaches room temperature.

Heat a cast-iron skillet very well. Heat the...

Heat a cast-iron skillet very well. Heat the remaining oil, add the chicken, turn the heat to medium-low and cook for a total time of 20 to 25 minutes, turning several times in between, but not disturbing the chicken for the first 6-7 minutes or so. 

After the initial 6-7 minutes, if you notice...

After the initial 6-7 minutes, if you notice that the chicken breast gets too dark too soon, lower the heat and move the chicken around in the skillet.

Check if the chicken breasts are cooked through...

Check if the chicken breasts are cooked through by inserting a skewer in the thickest part of the chicken breast, the juices should run clear.

You could start checking shortly before the first...

You could start checking shortly before the first 20 minutes have come to an end, to make sure that you don't overcook the chicken, especially if the chicken pieces weigh a bit less than 200 g/ 7 oz. Smaller chicken breast pieces weighing about 120-150 g/ 4.2 – 5.3 oz should be ready in about 18 to 20 minutes.

Or use a kitchen thermometer, the internal temperature...

Or use a kitchen thermometer, the internal temperature of the chicken should be between 73 – 82 degrees Celsius/165 – 180 degrees Fahrenheit.

Serve immediately with side dishes of your choice...

Serve immediately with side dishes of your choice (most anything fits) or let cool and serve on a salad.

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An easy recipe for roasting juicy, tender and healthy chicken breasts: one skillet or pan, one lemon and the chicken.

Basic Skillet Chicken Breasts

This cast iron chicken is the most delicious way to cook boneless chicken breasts and the crispy skin is so good.

The Best Cast Iron Chicken Breast

skin chicken breasts

vegetable oil

unsalted butter

tsp black pepper

tsp kosher salt

oregano

sage leaves

chicken stock

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Place cast iron pan in oven for 10 minutes.

While cast iron is pre-heating, place chicken breast skin side down on a cutting board and cover with plastic wrap.

With a mallet or rolling pin, lightly pound out the chicken breasts so they flatten to about 3/4 inchess thick.

Flip the chicken over and sprinkle salt and pepper on skin of chicken breasts.

When cast iron pan is pre-heated, carefully remove it from the oven and place it on the stovetop over medium heat.

Add the oil.

Now place chicken breast skin side down into the pan and cook for 6-8 minutes or until the skin is crisped up and brown.

Flip the chicken over so it is skin side up and turn off the stove.

Add the butter and fresh herbs to the pan and place in the oven for 10 minutes.

Once the chicken has cooked for 10 minutes, remove to a plate and cover loosely with aluminum foil for 5 minutes to rest.

Place the cast iron pan back on the stovetop over medium low heat.

Add chicken stock and butter and whisk together making sure to scrape up any bits from the pan.

Bring to a light simmer and reduce by half.

Pour pan juices into a container.

Serve chicken breasts immeditely with pan juices on the side.

These Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breasts are tender, juicy, and beautifully seared in a cast iron pan. All you need is 30 minutes of hands on time.

Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breasts

boneless, skinless chicken breasts (around 2 pounds total)

onion powder

garlic powder

salt

black pepper

lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

maple syrup

Butterfly the chicken by cutting each breast in half horizontally.

Place chicken in a large bowl. Season with onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper.

Squeeze lemon juice over top. Add ¼ cup olive oil and maple syrup. Mix to coat the chicken.

Place chicken in the refrigerator and allow to marinate for at least an hour, but preferably overnight.

Remove chicken from the refrigerator and set it on the counter about 15 to 20 minutes before cooking.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Swirl the pan around to evenly coat the bottom of the skillet in oil.

When the olive oil is hot, add the chicken breasts, leaving space in the skillet between each one. Cook chicken in batches if your skillet isn’t large enough to fit all pieces of chicken comfortably.

Cook for 5 minutes, then flip and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.

Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauces and side dishes.

My easy Cast Iron Chicken is the perfect weeknight meal, with minimal hands-on time and a huge variety of serving options.

Cast Iron Chicken Thighs

bone-in skin-on chicken thighs

paprika

½ tsp black pepper

olive oil

Tbsp butter

garlic cloves, sliced

Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

thyme

chicken broth

lemon, sliced

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a small bowl, combine garlic powder, onion...

In a small bowl, combine garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Evenly rub this mixture all over the chicken thighs.

Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet...

Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, sear the chicken thighs for 3 minutes per side, then remove to a plate. Remove oil from the skillet.

Add the butter, and once it has melted...

Add the butter, and once it has melted add garlic, rosemary and thyme. Sauté for 1 minute.

Add in chicken broth and stir to deglaze...

Add in chicken broth and stir to deglaze the pan. Bring the broth to a simmer.

Nestle the chicken thighs (skin side up) and...

Nestle the chicken thighs (skin side up) and lemon slices into the broth. Cover the pan and cook for 45 minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 180°F when measured with an instant read thermometer.

At the end, remove the cover and broil...

At the end, remove the cover and broil the chicken for a few minutes (keeping a close eye on it to prevent burning) until the skin browns up.

These juicy cast iron chicken breasts topped with garlic herb butter are one of my favorite ways to make chicken in just 30 minutes!

Cast Iron Chicken Breasts with Garlic Herb Butter

chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each)

olive oil (substitute vegetable oil)

smoked paprika

cumin (optional)

cayenne pepper (optional)

unsalted butter (softened)

garlic (minced

thyme (substitute whatever herbs you prefer)

lemon juice

In a bowl, mix together the softened butter, minced garlic, lemon juice, thyme, salt and pepper until fully combined. Set aside. You can store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks!

Garlic Herb Butter

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

In a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, and cayenne.

Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and season liberally on both sides with the spice mixture.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add in just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan (about 1 tablespoon).

Sear the chicken breasts on one side for 5 minutes. Then flip and immediately transfer the cast iron pan to the preheated oven. Bake at 425°F for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked through. [Smaller, thinner breasts will only have to bake for 5-10 minutes, but thicker breasts will need 15-20 minutes.]

Use an instant thermometer to check when the chicken is done so that it doesn&#39;t get overcooked! Chicken breasts should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F, but I like to pull them out around 160-162°F because they&#39;ll continue cooking as they rest.

Remove the chicken from the oven and top each breast about a tablespoon of garlic herb butter.

Let the chicken rest for at least 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Chicken

Perfect for many occasions! Just made and mixed in with my Caesar salad and loved it.

Super easy and extremely flavourful!!!! Will definitely make again! Thank you for sharing!

This chicken is AMAZING!! This is the first time that I’ve ever commented on a recipe online but I have to tell everyone how delicious this recipe is! And it’s pretty easy to throw together. I use two large Costco organic chicken breasts, less salt in the spice mix than stated in the recipe (1st time I made it we all thought it was too salty) and almost double the spices, fresh rosemary and thyme in the butter, cooked as recipe states for 15 mins in oven and it comes out perfect and juicy! I cut slits in the chicken before adding the herb  butter so it soaks in the chicken. We serve with instant pot risotto that I cook at the same time as sautéing the chicken, and green beans, and it’s all delicious together! Thank you for this recipe!!

This was fabulous!  I always over cook chicken and I followed this recipe and I made a perfectly cooked chicken for once!  Everyone loved it and next time I should double the recipe as everyone had seconds!  Thank you for sharing this dish!!

Some of the best chicken breast I’ve ever eaten. No joke. This recipe is incredible

So delicious!! This is the first chicken breast recipe I found to use in my newly refreshed cast iron skillet.  My family loved it, said it was the best chicken I’ve ever made. I followed the recipe exactly except I accidentally browned both sides before putting in the oven.  Since I had butterflied the chicken I only left it in the oven for 2-3 minutes once I realized my mistake.  It was still cooked perfectly.   Thank you for sharing this!

Outstanding! Simple to make, will add this to my rotation. Whole family loved it. Thank you!

I have been making dry, sad chicken for years. My chicken comes out cooked perfect with this recipe, thank you so much for this!

I just bought a cast iron skillet and I’m trying out new recipes. This was delish! I ran out of paprika, but even without, the chicken was still a hit.

Cooked this and my husband said it was the best chicken he has EVER had.. even from restaurants!

I would suggest doubling the rub recipe. Other than that, it's delightful, visually appealing, and absolutely delicious. 

One tip that helps me with every chicken breast dish, pound the chicken breast flat. That way it cooks reasonably evenly no matter the cut. You can just hit it with your palm until it's all the same height.

The flavor!!!!!! Oh my goodness! I didn’t change a thing and this turned out so delicious! Easy to make too! Thank you so much!!

I made this recipe exactly as written. It is absolutely on point for the most delicious moist chicken breast. Exploding with flavor, the seared crust is perfect. This one definitely has a permanent spot on my dinner rotation list.

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Top 5 cast iron chicken recipes from across the web

The most viewed cast iron chicken recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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The most viewed cast iron chicken recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine