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Sear chicken breasts in a cast iron skillet using this easy Cast Iron Chicken Breast recipe. It’s ready in less than 15 minutes and uses only four, common pantry spices (6 total ingredients). Enjoy these perfectly seared chicken breasts with a steamed or roasted vegetable like my air fryer squash. You can also have this as part of a chicken Caesar salad, a chicken Alfredo bake or in my keto chicken soup!
What’s So Great About These Chicken Breasts
- Chicken Breast Cooked in a Cast Iron Skillet: cast iron pans lock in the meat’s juices and give it a great sear on the outside
- Simple Ingredients: I used just 6 total ingredients like chicken and spices that any level of cook has in their pantry
- Perfect for Meal Prep: I love making this on a Sunday and enjoying it throughout the week for lunch with my creamy caesar dressing as part of a caesar salad. But, the options are pretty endless.
- Quick: If you’re busy, then you need a bunch of 30 minutes meals in your toolkit. This one comes together in about 15 minutes.
Ingredients Needed
- Chicken Breasts: I’m using fresh, raw chicken breasts. You can pound them to make them even before cooking.
- Italian Seasoning
- Garlic Powder
- Black Pepper
- Sea Salt
- Olive Oil: you can also substitute another cooking oil like avocado oil
How to Sear Chicken Breast in a Cast Iron Skillet
Mix the spices in a small bowl (photo 1).
Add the seasonings to both sides of the chicken breasts (photo 2).
Preheat a cast-iron skillet with olive oil to medium heat and seared both sides of the chicken breast (photo 3).
Top Cooking Tips & FAQs
- Use even-sized chicken breasts: I’m using regular sized chicken breasts in this recipe. Since no chicken breast is the same. It’s best to pound them out so that they’re about the same thickness. You can also use a meat thermometer to check their temperature individually.
- Preheat your cast iron skillet: one of the benefits of using a cast-iron skillet in this recipe and others like seared scallops and pan-seared shrimp is that it distributes heat evenly once pre-heated. To preheat the pan, just turn it on medium heat for 2-3 minutes before you start cooking.
- Mix your spices separately before adding them to the chicken breasts: to get all the flavor of the spice mix in every bite.
It depends on the size of your chicken breasts. I cook them for 4-5 minutes per side or until the meat reaches about 160 degrees. As the meat rests, it will continue cooking to 165 degrees (the recommended food-safe temperature).
Make This a Meal
Salad & One-Pot Meal Options
- Chicken Cobb Salad: just add the chicken on top
- Keto Chicken Vegetable Soup: prepare the chicken in a dutch oven and use it to make a flavorful soup
Easy Side Dish Recommendations
More Cast Iron Skillet, Easy & Keto Chicken Breast Recipes
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Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breast Recipe
Use DRDAVINAHS at checkout to save on some equipment & ingredients!
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb Chicken Breasts, about 2 large chicken breasts, patted dry
- 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
- 2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Natural Ancient Sea Salt, or more to taste
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- Olive Oil, Coconut Oil or other fat for cooking, 2 tbsp is enough
Instructions
- Mix all of the spices in a small bowl (so that they get incorporated evenly) and sprinkle them on both sides of the chicken breasts
- Heat olive oil in a cast-iron skillet or frying pan to medium heat
- Cook the chicken breast for 4-5 minutes per side, or until the chicken breasts reach 160 degrees (they'll continue to cook to 165 degrees as they rest)
- Remove from the skillet from the heat and allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes before cutting.
Nutrition Details
The nutrition facts come from entering the recipe ingredients into Spoonacular API, a database of food ingredients. They may vary for any recipe based on the exact product used. The keto sweeteners I use have 0g net carbs & are not included because sugar alcohols do not impact most people. This is provided as a courtesy, but you can do your own calculations if you wish!
