Juicy Stove Top Chicken Breasts Recipe
Tried and true method for preparing the most tender and juicy chicken breasts right on the stove top.
Servings : 4 serves
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or canola oil, divided
- 4 (1 pound total) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- cooking spray
- salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked or sweet paprika
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
Instructions
- Heat 1-1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet; use a 10-inch or 12-inch skillet.
- Pat dry the chicken breasts with paper towels.
- Drizzle just a bit of oil over each chicken breast, or spray with cooking oil, and rub it all over.
- In a small mixing bowl combine salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, and paprika.
- Season both sides of each chicken breast with the prepared seasoning; rub it all around.
- Add 2 chicken breasts to the hot skillet.
- Cook chicken breasts for 5 to 7 minutes without moving them around.
- Flip both chicken breasts over, add 1 tablespoon of butter to the skillet; swirl butter around and continue to cook the chicken for 7 more minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165F. Cooking time will always depend on the thickness of the chicken breasts.
- Remove chicken breasts from skillet; set aside and keep covered.
- Repeat the same method with the remaining 2 chicken breasts.
- When finished, transfer chicken to a cutting board; let rest for 5 minutes, then slice and serve.
Video
Notes
WW FREESTYLE POINTS: 6
RECIPE NOTES
- Chicken breasts should not be thicker than 1-inch, max. If your chicken breasts are thick, use a meat mallet to pound the chicken to a smaller and even thickness BEFORE cooking.
- If there's a chicken seasoning blend that you absolutely adore, go ahead and use that in place of the one I have given here.
- Why are we using vegetable oil and not olive oil? Because, vegetable-based oils have higher smoke points than olive oil. When frying, or pan searing, you need an oil that can withstand the heat.
- Cook the chicken breasts over medium-high heat. DO NOT stir or move the chicken breasts around while cooking. Let cook for 5 minutes or until you can easily flip them over. If there’s any resistance when trying to flip them, give it another minute before trying again.
- Store completely cooled chicken breasts in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 4 ounces | Calories: 273 kcal | Carbohydrates: 0 g | Protein: 24 g | Fat: 19 g | Saturated Fat: 12 g | Cholesterol: 87 mg | Sodium: 182 mg | Potassium: 419 mg | Fiber: 0 g | Sugar: 0 g | Vitamin A: 330 IU | Vitamin C: 1.3 mg | Calcium: 8 mg | Iron: 0.6 mg | Net Carbs: 0 g
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.