Cast Iron Chicken Breast is a showstopper! Cast-iron pans are underused and underappreciated. It's a classic cooking tool that consistently delivers expertly cooked food. My cast iron is one of my favorite things to use, and I love it when the opportunity arises to use it.
Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Main Dish
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: 22 minutes
- 🍴 Servings: 4
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Savory and crispy with golden skin, juicy meat, and deep roasted flavor.
- 🍚 Best Served With: Baked potatoes, roasted veggies, or a bright green salad.
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Yes, season or marinate up to 24 hrs ahead.
Summarize and Save This Content On
I prepare a lot of chicken for my partner and me, and chicken breasts are an affordable and healthy protein! So, having recipes like this one helps me learn new ways to cook chicken, switch it up, and try some new things. I promise that the cast-iron cooks chicken so beautifully you'll wonder why you ever used a nonstick pan.
Try garlic chicken thighs and margarita grilled chicken if you want tasty and juicy chicken dinners.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's ready quickly: This is a quick recipe, because all you do is season and sear the chicken. Once it's fully cooked, it's ready to serve!
- It pairs with any side dish: You can serve this chicken with anything! Whether you love potato recipes, salads, or veggies, it all works.
- It makes great leftovers: I like to repurpose the leftover chicken into new recipes or stick it in the freezer to make another dinner on another night.
Ingredients
All you need for this cast-iron skillet chicken breast is listed below. Just the chicken, some spices, and butter for basting.
- Chicken breasts: I use boneless chicken breasts for this recipe because they are easier to cook through in a cast-iron skillet. If you want to use skin-on breasts, just ensure that most of the cooking is done skin side down to render the fat.
- Spices: You may get a little creative here and season your chicken the way you like. I chose salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Onion powder, Italian seasoning, etc, are great choices as well.
- Butter: I prefer unsalted butter because it keeps the chicken from tasting too salty. The purpose of the butter is to baste the chicken to keep it moist as it cooks.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Chili lime: Use some chili powder with your spices and then finish the cooked chicken breasts with a squeeze of fresh lime juice for a Latin twist.
- Lemon pepper: Add some extra fresh-cracked black pepper, then finish with a squeeze of lemon. You may also use your favorite lemon pepper seasoning blend instead.
- Rosemary and thyme: Add bundles of fresh rosemary and thyme when you butter-baste the cast-iron chicken breasts to add fresh herbal flavors.
You have to try my sheet pan chicken breasts if you enjoy recipes like this.
How to Make Chicken Breast in a Cast Iron Skillet
Here are the instructions you'll need for this recipe, including how long to cook a chicken breast in a cast iron skillet.
Step 1: Season the chicken. Sprinkle the spices on each side of the chicken breasts.
Step 2: Sear one side. Heat your cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken for about 6-7 minutes on one side.
Step 3: Flip and add butter. Then, flip the chicken breasts and cook them for an additional 5-6 minutes. Next, lower the heat to medium-low and add the butter.
Step 4: Serve. Baste the chicken by spooning butter over it for 1-2 minutes. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Rest the chicken breasts: You need to allow your chicken breasts plenty of time to rest before you slice them. Slicing too early will let all the juices run out, leaving you with dry chicken.
- Use a thermometer: I highly recommend using a meat thermometer when cooking chicken. It helps you cook it properly without overcooking it. All poultry should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Finish it in the oven: If you like, you may finish cooking the chicken breast in the cast iron skillet in your oven. I would cook them at 350 degrees F for about 8-10 minutes, then check for doneness with a thermometer.
If you're looking for simple chicken breast recipes, I recommend reverse-seared chicken breasts.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Store leftover chicken breasts in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator or for up to 6 months in the freezer.
- Reheating: You may reheat them in a 350-degree oven for 8-10 minutes or microwave for 2-3 minutes. Ensure that frozen chicken is thawed in the fridge overnight first.
Serving Suggestions
- When cooking chicken in cast iron, the possibilities are endless! Some of my favorite vegetables are teriyaki eggplant, baked garlic butter carrots, and parmesan zucchini bites.
- For the non-veggie pairings, I really love jalapeno mac and cheese and Korean potatoes.
- Serve it with a tasty sauce like hot BBQ sauce!
Recipe FAQs
This happens if the pan isn't hot enough. The oil should shimmer when you add it to the cast iron. Trying to cook in a cold cast-iron skillet will make any food you put into it stick to the bottom.
If you have the heat set too high, this can cause the chicken to brown too fast on the outside while remaining raw on the inside. Medium-high heat is plenty hot. Feel free to turn it down to medium if you want less of a crust.
If your chicken breasts aren't sliced or pounded to a similar thickness, or if the breasts greatly differ in size, they will cook at different rates. When in doubt, use a thermometer!
More Delicious Cast Iron Skillet Recipes
Do you like cast iron skillet recipes? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Cast Iron Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons avocado or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Optional: 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley for serving
Instructions
- Pat chicken breasts dry and pound if needed to ensure even thickness.
- Season both sides with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder.
- Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Add chicken and sear for 6-7 minutes until golden.
- Flip and cook another 5-6 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Lower the heat to medium-low. Add butter. Spoon melted butter over chicken for 1-2 minutes.
- Remove from skillet and let rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.
Notes
- Watch the heat when searing the chicken to ensure that the outside doesn't burn. Stove tops can vary!
- Allow the chicken breasts to rest for at least 5 minutes before you slice them to ensure they remain perfectly juicy.
- Use a thermometer to check the cast-iron chicken breasts for doneness. They must be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F to be safe to eat.
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