An easy 30-minute recipe starting with searing the chicken breasts on the stovetop, then oven-baked to finish them off for a great tasting, moist, and tender weeknight dinner.
Introduction
This is really how I cooked for many years. I would get home from work, and I was tired, but we want a good dinner. I spent 5-10 minutes of preparation time and usually finish in the oven as I'm unwinding, and in another 15-20 minutes or so, dinner is made.
Faster than ordering pizza and so much better, healthier, and if you're cheap, then cheaper. You must think ahead a little and have a main course in the fridge.
I have a freezer in the garage fridge for meat only. I might take out a couple of chicken breast, a pork tenderloin, and some sirloin and just let them thaw in the fridge for a few days and work my way through them.
The Maillard Reaction
One of the secrets of this recipe is searing. You get a nice Maillard reaction (the searing/browning) to add lots of flavors you get no other way.
A Maillard reaction is a reaction promoted by heat between proteins and carbohydrates. After several steps, it leads to browning and new flavors. It is different from caramelization since caramelization involves only carbohydrates.
Just sticking them in the oven will not get you there. Get them close to the final color you like during the searing before you move on the oven roasting step.
My Rating
This is number one in the standard rotation. A very strong 4. It is a little plain to be a 5 rating.
🐓The Chicken
This is a skinless boneless chicken breast recipe. It is not for skin-on or bone-in breasts. You can use skinless chicken thighs, but I suggest a finish temperature of 175° to 180°, although 165° is safe.
If you are doing more than one breast, try to use breasts of about the same sizes and thickness. If the breasts you are using vary in thickness, you should flatten the thicker one down a bit with a meat mallet or heavy pan. If your chicken breasts are an inch thick, flatten them down a little to ¾ inch thick.
This should not be done with chicken that is still frozen. The outside will be over-cooked and chewy before you get the thickest part of the breast to the safe temperature of 165.
🧂The Seasoning
This is a season as you wish recipe, but I don't suggest anything with sugars since they might burn with the searing.
Just a coarse salt and pepper will do, but we like our homemade All Purpose Seasoning - 7:2:1 and 7:2:2 and keep it on the stovetop. It adds garlic, which is required in our household.
♨️The Pan
This is a perfect recipe for cast iron. I generally use a 10-inch skill for this. It is the perfect stovetop to oven pan and just the right size for two breasts.
Other sizes and non-cast iron skillets can be used. But be sure you are using an oven-safe pan if you are moving it from the stovetop to the oven.
If you don't have an appropriate pan, you can use a different pan for the stovetop then transfer the chicken to a preheated oven-safe pan to finish cooking.
⏰Time
The most common size breasts (10-12 oz.) will take about 15 minutes in the oven after a nice medium searing. A large, thick breast will be 5 minutes or a little longer. A small breast may take a little as 10 minutes in the oven.
Always cook to a final internal temperature of 165° and never by time alone. Times are provided to help you plan only.
There is only a little variability in this recipe, and most of it is related to the thickness of the chicken breasts and a bit by the amount you sear.
These time estimates are based on an oven temperature of 375° convection or 400° conventional oven. You can use a different oven temperature if you are cooking something else since you are cooking to a final internal temperature. It will take a bit longer or shorter, depending on your adjustments.
Also, be sure to let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before cutting to reabsorb the fluid in the meat from the cooking process.
👨🍳Food Safety Tips
For safety, you must check the internal temperature of the thickest part of the breast and get to 165°.
Chicken should not be rinsed for food safety. It will splatter germs over your kitchen. For more details, please see Chicken- To Rinse or Not To Rinse? .
📖Chicken Breast Recipes
How to Grill Chicken Breasts on a Gas Grill
🖼️Step-by-Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375° convection (400° for a regular oven). Put an oven-safe pan on a stovetop over medium-high heat with a teaspoon of oil. I use a 10 inch cast iron skillet. Trim and pat dry the chicken
Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper or seasoning of your choice.
When the oil is hot and shimmering, carefully lay the chicken breast in the hot pan. Brown both sides for 3-4 minutes each.
Get them to almost the color you want when eating. So you have seared, flipped, seared, flipped, and then to the oven.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until an internal temperature of 165°. The thinner breast will be 15 minutes and the thicker bigger ones for about 20 minutes.
Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Done in less than 30 minutes, and you spent most of the time setting and unwinding. Not bad, not bad at all.
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📖 Recipe
Pan Seared Oven Baked Chicken Breast
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Ingredients
- 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts - about 10 oz each well timed
- 1 teaspoon oil
- Salt and pepper to taste OR 7:2:1
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° convection (400° for a regular oven). Put an oven-safe pan on a stovetop over medium-high heat with a teaspoon of oil. I use a 10 inch cast iron skillet. Trim and pat dry the chicken
- Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper or seasoning of your choice.
- When the oil is hot and shimmering, carefully lay the chicken breasts in the hot pan. Brown both sides for 3-4 minutes each.
- Get them to almost the color you want when eating. So you have seared, flipped, seared, flipped, and then to the oven.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until an internal temperature of 165°. The thinner breast will be 15 minutes and the thicker bigger ones for about 20 minutes.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Done in less than 30 minutes, and you spent most of the time setting and unwinding. Not bad, not bad at all.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Do not try with frozen chicken.
- Try to use breast of about the same size and thicken. If over ¾ inch thick, flatten them a bit with a meat mallet or bottom of a heavy pan.
- Season as you want but I suggest nothing with sugar that may burn. We use All Purpose Seasoning - 7:2:1 and 7:2:2.
- Start searing with a preheated pan, not cold. The oil should be shimmering. You may need more oil if you don't use well-seasoned cast iron or non-stick skillet.
- Sear in the pan to approximately the final color you want.
- First, sear with the smooth side up, then flip, sear, then one final flip as it goes into the oven.
- The oven time can vary by size and thickness. Usually, 15-20 minutes but you must check for the final internal temperature of 165°. Thinner breasts may take as little as 10 minutes.
- Rest for 5 minutes after cooking before cutting.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition
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Editor's Note: Originally Published August 28, 2011. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Brandon Remson
This looks proper! Does it matter if I place the skillet on the bottom or top shelf in the oven? Looks like You placed yours towards the bottom...
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Brandon,
Welcome to the blog. The answer is near the middle or a bit under. Not real high or low. It is very forgiving.
Dan
Penny
So happy to come across this - I've used this method in the past, but like someone else posted, forgot the oven temperature - and you give great instructions. I suggest using a probe thermometer before throwing it in the oven. Making this tonight, thank you for your recipe and the refresher course on how to sear and roast!
Julia
I finally got myself a cast iron skillet last week and this chicken turned out perfectly! It had the great taste of grilled chicken, without me having to stand and watch the chicken every moment at our (unreliable and inconsistent) outdoor grill. I drizzled it with balsamic dressing at the very end of cooking, let it rest and sliced it, and it was excellent on top of our salads tonight. Thanks for another great technique!
Rob
Thank you for this! I did this a few years ago but couldn't remember the oven temp which landed me to your site. One thing I would suggest is to brine the chicken the night before with salt and water. I also add seasoning based off the meal I'm cooking. Make sure to leave the chicken out on the counter at least 30 min to come close to room temp. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel so you can get a little crust on it. Salt and pepper both sides before searing. Talk about juicy chicken!! Thanks again!
Lulu
I want to use my grill type cast iron skillet (the one that would create grill marks on my chicken). Would any cooking instructions change?
Thank you,
Lulu
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Lulu,
That will be fine, I'm sure. The instructions will be the same. Just remember you are cooking to a final internal temperature.
Dan
Kristy
This is the best way to cook a juicy chicken breast, it never fails. I use this recipe every time unless I’m grilling. I’ve also recommended it to friends!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Kristy,
Welcome to the blog.
This is one of my old recipes that I have used for years. It is just so fast and easy to do.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Jordan Bidwell
Thank you! I will probably always make chicken this way now because it turned out so juicy. Usually when I sear I end up drying it out. I sauteed some vegetables while it was in the oven and had great chicken fajitas.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Jordan,
Welcome to the blog.
This is one of the original recipes I did for the blog.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Lee
Thank you for this recipe! I needed to get out of my rut of store-bought rotisserie chicken, but it was hard to find a foolproof easy and quick recipe. I've made this twice now and it's as good on day 2 and 3 which helps to make sure I'm eating healthy. This time I added some fresh minced garlic to the pan before the chicken - tasted great! I also roasted some garlic in the oven the same time I roasted the chicken, I use it instead of a condiment for a healthy sandwich. Can you tell I love garlic? I just recently found your blog and am looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
Sara
Hello All,
total cooking novice here - i am about to try pan searing chicken breast/finish in oven recipe (in cast iron).
i signed up for newsletters, i look forward to more easy to do recipes.
Proof of novice experience: i saw a recipe that mentioned blanching, and all i could think of was The Golden Girls.. ugh. i had to look up what 'blanching' was.
wish me luck.
Sara
DrDan
Hi Sara,
Welcome to the blog.
I hope you enjoy our recipes. We are aiming for the novice to intermediate cooks, so I think you will fit right in.
Let me know if you have questions or if something is not clear. We don't blanch much here and when I do, it is discussed in detail every time.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Jenny
SO HAPPY!
This chicken comes out perf every time! Chicken was always dry before. I lost this recipe and couldn't remember where I got it from. I was glancing through your recipes and saw the pic of the chicken. So glad to find you again, and the funny part is I look at your stuff all the time. lol on me!
As simple as it is to cook this chicken, I still wanted the recipe because I was guessing at the steps. YaY, you're still here!
Love the simplicity of your recipes, site, and of course your doggy pics. So Cute!
DrDan
Hi Jenny,
Welcome to the blog and sorry for the delayed response.
This is one of the recipes that I did for many years before the blog and it evolved to this final form then.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe and thanks for the note.
Dan
Jan
Do I have a lid on the pan in the oven ?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
No.
Dan
LuAnn
In having a big dinner party & don't want to be doing a lot in the kitchen after my quest arrive. Can I pan seared the breasts an hour before so I can just pop them in the oven 20 min before dinner? My other option would be to completely bake them & try to keep them warm until dinner, but I'm concerned about them getting dry if they sit in a warm oven for an hour. Any advice?
DrDan
Hi LuAnn,
Welcome to the blog.
Rule Number One. Never do an important meal with a recipe you have never tested. So whatever you decide, do a small test ahead.
I'm not convinced this is the best recipe for you. But let's discuss it first. I'm concerned about the texture of the surface after it is essentially cooked twice. I think it will be tough and dry. If fully cooked and kept warm, your concern is correct, it won't be very good.
I would look at something like these two recipes if you want chicken breasts:
1) https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/parmesan-mayonnaise-baked-skinless/ Make the coating ahead and trim the chicken. Then when the time comes, preheat and you can have them assembled and ready for the oven by the time the oven is hot.
2) https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/oven-baked-parmesan-paprika-skinless/ You could make this up an hour or two ahead but don't cook. Just refrigerate on the tray. Then preheat the oven and pop them in.
Hope that helps.
Dan
Gary Elbaum
Dan,
It’s in the oven now, I’ll let you know how it goes.
Gary
Andy
I've been using this recipe for around 3 years now and it never fails. I love that the author is still receiving (and responding to!) positive feedback nearly a decade after it was originally posted.
Simply put, you're not going to find a better "template" for cooking chicken breast. You can customize this recipe a billion ways, from the seasoning to adding veggies. I don't care how long you've been cooking, I'd be willing to wager you don't have a better easy method of cooking boneless chicken breast than this.
DrDan
Hi Andy,
Thanks for the compliments. I try to respond to most comments and have left comments open on almost every recipe. Only if people are "fighting" then I will shut it down. I do screen comments to keep it polite now.
Most comments are people asking for help or clarification. I try to answer most and I use them to help guide any rewrites to make the recipe more helpful.
This recipe has been rewritten twice. Really, the recipe stays the same but it is explained more or clarified. The last addition was the "pro tips" in the recipe card that I think helps beginners a lot.
You are so right that this and other recipes are just "guidelines" to modify to your taste. https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/so-how-is-recipe-like-pirate-code/
Again thanks for the note and compliment.
Dan
Tina Daugherty-Cole
I love this chicken! I use TONY CHACHERE’s on the chicken and find that this recipe is just perfect for a single serving for my self. ThNk you 😊
DrDan
Hi Tina,
Welcome to the blog.
It sounds great. I have done hundreds of breast this way.
For the readers out there, Tony Chacheres is a well known Creole seasoning. Great on chicken.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Kristin
I am NOT a good cook at all, but this turned out GREAT! My house is a little (or a lot) smokey, but other than that - one of the best things I've ever cooked!! My 3 year old loved it and ate every bite! Thank you soooo much!
DrDan
Hi Kristin,
Welcome to the blog.
For the smoke, you can use a vegetable oil and not olive oil. Also you can decrease the oven temp by 25 degrees and it would a few minutes long. It will also be a touch drier but minimal.
Thanks for the note and sorry for the delay in response.
Dan
Jaime
Best chicken I ever cooked! Thank you for another great recipe!
DrDan
Hi Jaime,
Welcome to the blog.
This is one of those recipes I did for years before the blog started and when I started reading blogs, I was very surprised, nobody else did it like this.
Glad you like it and thanks for the note.
Dan
Debra
Love those doggies! Makes me miss my Golden.
I'm thawing some chicken breasts right now to try this recipe. I'm betting it'll be perfect. I use many of your recipes.
Here's an off topic question concerning your iron skillet which looks perfectly seasoned.
I don't use mine enough, and probably don't clean them correctly, and they rust while stored in a bottom cabinet in my kitchen.
Any sage advice would be greatly appreciated.
DrDan
Hi Debra,
Molly and Lilly say thanks for the compliment. I just gave them extra ear scratches.
About the cast iron. I have had most of my cast iron for about 10 years and admit to pan abuse. But I have never had a speck of rust in all those years and they stay well seasoned. I store them on the lowest part of my lower cabinets. So that is not the secret I guess.
I wash them usually with just very hot water and a scrubbing pad. I do use soap if really needed. Then I dry with paper towel then spray with PAM lightly and rub it around with the paper towel that is a little moist from drying. Then I put them away but I always make sure the one I just used is on top to get rid of any moisture.
Nothing special about the pans. They are preseason Lodge from Amazon. Really cheap. I do have one from a my mother with is almost 100 yrs old and still perfect but I hate to touch it. I just look at it.
So I guess the secret is PAM.
I also put very expensive knives in the dishwasher since I don't plan to hand them down to grandkids. I sharpen them if needed but really I'm a bad example.
Dan
DDT
Hello and good evening!
I found this recipe and followed the instructions completely without changing a thing and that chicken was fantastic.
Absolutely A+. Thank you!
I can't believe I cooked this without screwing it up (I'm in the process of going from a terrible cook to a ...less terrible cook).
Once again, thanks!