Make delicious pan-seared chicken breasts in just a few easy steps — no flour and no dredging needed. A simple dinner recipe crafted for home cooks!
DON’T OVERCOMPLICATE SEARED CHICKEN
There’s no need to overcomplicate pan-seared chicken. It’s an easy dinnertime recipe that should be whipped up with minimal effort and ease. Feel free to skip the flour dredge and the extra steps. You don’t need them.
To make succulent chicken breasts equipped with a good sear, all you need is chicken, oil, seasoning, a few steps, and a little know-how.
As home cooks, we are always on the hunt for simple recipes we can easily master. Especially when it comes to simple chicken recipes, and particularly chicken recipes that are multifunctional. Yes, please.
The recipe you’ll find here has been in our dinnertime rotation for almost 10 years now, fail-proof, and 100% mastered. It’s certainly good enough to eat on its own, but it can also be shredded and use in all kinds of chicken casseroles, dinner sandwiches, and of course, as a salad topper.
WHAT IS PAN-SEARED CHICKEN
Pan-seared chicken is chicken that either begins or is fully cooked on the stove-top in a pan. Regular-sized chicken breasts should begin on the stove-top and finish off in the oven due to their size. Because of their thickness, finishing them in the oven helps them to cook through evenly.
If you want to cook the chicken 100%, all-the-way on the stove-top, you’ll need to begin with chicken cutlets, which are sometimes also labeled as “thinly sliced chicken breasts.” You can find examples of pan-seared chicken cutlets made on the stovetop in these recipes: Quick-Seared Chicken with Red Curry Mustard Sauce and BBQ Chicken Sandwiches.
4 STEPS FOR PERFECT PAN-SEARED CHICKEN BREASTS
THE OVERVIEW
- Prepare the Pan
- Prep the Chicken Breasts
- Sear in the Pan
- Finish in the Oven
1. PREPARE THE PAN
As stated earlier, pan-seared chicken breasts begin on the stove-top in a (you guessed it) pan. But not just any ol’ pan. A pan that has been brought up to temperature, along with a little drizzle of oil shortly before the chicken goes in. It’s also important to note here, that you use an oven-safe pan large enough to house the chicken without crowding it.
2. PREPARE THE CHICKEN BREASTS
Before the chicken breasts can go into the pan, you’ll need to pat them dry with a paper towel. This helps to remove any excess moisture from the chicken breasts, helping with both the sear and allowing the seasoning to stay put. Also enabling the seasoning to stay put, is an extra little drizzle of oil.
So, in a nutshell, pat dry, drizzle with oil and sprinkle over your favorite seasoning blend. As far as seasoning goes for chicken, I almost always use my TAK House Seasoning. It’s a simple mixture I always have on hand, consisting of Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
I whip up a big batch every month or so, store it with my other spices in a sealed jar, and conveniently pull from it as needed.
The preparation method for pan-seared chicken is very similar to the one used for perfectly baked Chicken Breasts in the Oven, and if you purchase chicken breasts often, it is definitely one you’ll want to have at your fingertips!
3. SEAR THE CHICKEN
So the pan and the chicken are prepped, and now it’s time to get down to business — time to sear. The word “sear” can sound intimidating to home cooks, but allow me to ease your fears, you’ve just reached the easy part of the recipe, and those other steps? They weren’t any trouble at all, now were they? Pan-seared chicken really is easy to make.
HOW TO SEAR CHICKEN BREASTS IN A PAN
The chicken goes in…and it stays in. Don’t jostle it or move it around — you’ve just got to let it be.
This is how you develop a good sear. Hot pan (but not too, too hot), hot oil, and you’re good to go.
Note: For a perfect pan-sear, you really need to know what “medium-high” means for your stovetop. For example, on my stovetop, almost all of my burners cook different, and a 3/4 turn on the dial of one burner doesn’t necessarily produce the same heat output as the one next to it. So use your most trusted burner and your best judgment.
4. FINISH BY BAKING CHICKEN IN THE OVEN
The chicken will sear for 3-4 minutes on each side and then it’s off to the oven for some even cooking.
HOW LONG TO BAKE CHICKEN AFTER SEARING
The chicken will go into a 350° oven for 20-25 minutes depending on the size of your chicken breast. For smaller breasts, 20 minutes will likely be fine, but lfor arger breasts shoot for 25 minutes.
If you’re feeling unsure about the doneness of your chicken breasts, an instant-read thermometer really comes in handy. To take the internal temperature of your chicken, simply insert the thermometer in the center of your chicken breasts.
THE DONENSS OF CHICKEN
I pull my chicken from the oven when it has reached an internal temperature of 160°, but disclaimer, FoodSafety.gov recommends eating chicken at a safe temperature of 165°.
However, I keep in mind that as the chicken rests, it will actually continue to cook, therefore, continue to rise in temperature. If you were to pull the chicken from the oven at 165° or higher, it would likely be over-cooked by the time you sat down to eat.
This is an easy chicken dinner recipe you can whip up in almost 30 minutes. There’s minimal prep, and it is absolutely perfect for weeknight dinners. Please, enjoy!
How to make perfectly cooked pan-seared chicken.
- 3 tablespoons canola, avocado, or olive oil, separated
- 4 (about 2 pounds) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon TAK House Seasoning or your favorite poultry spice blend
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Preheat the oven to 350° and allow to come to temperature. Place a large, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, and prepare the chicken.
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Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil. Sprinkle over 1 tablespoon of TAK House Seasoning, and rub to adhere.
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Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the heated pan, and allow to come to temperature. Add the chicken and sear for 3- 4 minutes, just until golden-brown. Flip the chicken and sear for 2-3 minutes more.
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Transfer to the oven and bake for 25-27 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve and enjoy.
Chicken is such a staple in our home! Yours looks perfectly cooked and I can think of a million ways to use it 🙂
Yummy! Pan seared chicken is basically the the ultimate versatile protein, it goes with almost everything!
Thank you, Eden! It really does!
This is exactly how I make mine and it is always perfect. We eat chicken all the time so this is a go to recipe.
Those chicken breasts do look perfectly seared! You make it look so easy. I love a straightforward recipe that I know I will enjoy.
Thank you so much, Heidy!
This is so helpful to have when cooking pan seared chicken! Will definitely try this next time I make chicken. 🙂
Such perfectly seared chicken! They would be good sliced on top of a salad or with pasta.
This does indeed look perfect. I think I need to whip up your TAK House seasoning blend to keep on hand. Brilliant!
That IS perfect pan-seared chicken breasts! I’m drooling here…
Thank you, Catherine!
This is just the way I’d like my chicken to be served. Simple with no much ingredients. Perfectly well done and delicious
I love that you shared a recipe that has been a staple of yours for over 10 years. I know it is good then! Plus I love an entree with so few ingredients.
I am going to try this method tonight! I have never thought of searing the chicken first then baking it. It looks like it comes out so tender and moist!
I love the color you’ve got on these chicken breasts, they look delicious! Look forward to trying your method soon!
Oh my goodness! These chicken breasts are so quick to make and looks amazing. They will be my go-to recipe for a quick weekday dinner with a quick salad. Thanks!
What a fantastic explanatory post, a great resource to learn how to pan sear chicken.
The chicken looks perfect Kelly! And so easy to prepare!!
I’m already thinking of different ways I could serve this pan seared chicken. It looks perfectly cooked. I have never seared in a pan and finished in the oven. Can’t wait to try it!
They look amazing and a wonderful idea to make extra and use the next day! Great recipe idea.
Fabulous! This chicken recipe is so easy that I think I can replace my all-time favorite with it – it looks absolutely amazing!
Great caramelization on the chicken 🙂 This is a simple one that is so interchangeable
I made chicken breasts tonight using these steps and they came out amazing. Moist, tender, and full of flavor.
This recipe looks so delicious and… easy! I just can’t believe you can make something this good in just a few simple steps. Can’t wait to test it! 🙂
So excited to try this recipe – WITHOUT using flour. I mean I was keen to try something similar for quite some time now, and I think the time has come – I am on it! 🙂
Pan-searing chicken is one of my favorite quick and easy weeknight dinners. This guide is so easy to follow and provide all the most important information!
This is so perfect for those nights when I need an easy yet delicious meal — especially on weeknights. Thanks for sharing all your tips!
What a smart way to get the nice browning of pan frying and locking in the juices you get with baking. Love having a good staple like this on hand for so many dinners!
I am sooo keeping this in my arsenal! I never make chicken breasts right. My friend told me about searing, however, I think I needed the step-by-step instructions to go by.
This looks so perfect and amazing. I am drooling over the pics. I will have to try this soon 🙂
Chicken is a staple at my home. This is such a go to recipe and you made this just perfect. Love this with some pasta.