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I’ll show you how to cook chicken breast in a cast-iron skillet for a perfect sear. My easy recipe is ready in 15 minutes or less and needs only 6 ingredients! Enjoy delicious cast-iron chicken breasts with steamed or roasted vegetables for a quick weeknight dinner. Or, add it to a chicken Caesar salad for lunch.
A cast-iron pan is one of my favorite ways to cook chicken breasts. It’s quick and easy, getting a perfect cook on the chicken in 15 minutes or less. Cast iron locks in the juices and creates a perfect, flavorful crust on the outside. Serve with a side of air fryer broccoli, or add this chicken breast to a chicken Alfredo bake or chicken soup.
What Makes This Cast-Iron Chicken So Good
- Flexible: My simple chicken seasoning calls for just 4 pantry spices, but you can adapt this recipe with different blends, like my homemade chicken rub.
- A quick way to cook chicken: Everyone with a busy schedule needs 30-minute meals in their back pocket for fast dinners and lunches throughout the week. This chicken is ready to serve in minutes.
- Great for meal prep: I love cooking a big batch of cast-iron chicken on a Sunday to use for easy meals throughout the week. It goes great in a salad with creamy Caesar dressing, or you can add this chicken to meal bowls, tacos, wraps, and more.
Ingredients Needed
Here are notes on the ingredients you’ll need to make this easy cast-iron chicken breast recipe. Exact amounts are in the printable recipe card down below.
- Chicken Breasts: I’m using fresh, raw chicken breasts. You can pound them to make them even before cooking.
- Seasoning: I make a simple chicken spice from Italian seasoning, garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper.
- Olive Oil: You can substitute another cooking oil, like avocado oil, if needed.
How to Cook Chicken Breast in a Cast Iron Skillet
Follow the step-by-step photos below. The key here is to get the skillet nice and hot before you add the chicken.
Season the Chicken
Pat the chicken breasts dry so the spices can adhere. Meanwhile, mix the spices in a small bowl, and then season the chicken generously on both sides.
Sear in Oil
Preheat the oil in your cast-iron skillet over medium heat. If the chicken doesn’t sizzle as soon as it touches the pan, it means the pan isn’t hot enough. Add the chicken to the pan, and cook for 4-5 minutes per side. Chicken is done when the internal temperature reads 165ºF at the thickest part of the breast.
How Long Should You Cook Chicken in a Skillet?
The exact cooking time depends on the size of your chicken breasts. I cook them for 4-5 minutes per side or until the meat reaches about 160ºF. As the meat rests, it will continue cooking to 165ºF.
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Tips to Get a Perfect Sear Every Time
- 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 using a meat mallet 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 first. Mix the spices before adding them to the chicken breasts to get all the flavor of the spice mix in every bite.
Make It Your Own
This chicken breast recipe is intentionally simple as-is, and there are plenty of ways that you can change it up.
- Different spices: Swap the spices with another seasoning blend, like this BBQ dry rub or even mild ranch seasoning. You could also make a Tex-Mex version with homemade taco seasoning for chicken tacos!
- Blackened chicken: A cast-iron skillet is perfect for blackening recipes. Rub the chicken with homemade blackened seasoning. Also, try my blackened shrimp.
- Marinades: Before you season the chicken breast, marinate it in the easy homemade chicken marinade from my marinated chicken legs recipe.
- Make it spicy: Season the chicken with Cajun seasoning for a spicy kick.
What to Serve With Chicken Breasts
These cast-iron chicken breasts are very versatile. Classic sides, like salad and green beans, are always a welcome addition to a plate of seared chicken breast. These are a few other dishes I’d serve with chicken:
Storing and Reheating
- Store: Allow the chicken to cool and then store it airtight in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: You can freeze the cooked chicken breasts for up to 2 months.
- Reheat: Warm the chicken slowly in a covered skillet, or you can reheat the chicken breasts in the microwave.
Cast Iron Chicken Breasts
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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.
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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.
