These Pan Fried Chicken Breasts are perfect when you need a quick protein for lunch or dinner! They’re juicy with lots of flavor, but what I love most is the crispy golden brown crust that just melts in your mouth. It’s not a thick or heavy batter, it’s a thin, lightly floured crust that coats each chicken cutlet. And they easily pair with your favorite side dish. I’m pretty sure you’ll find yourself making these a few times every month!
Ingredients Needed
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts: You’ll need two boneless chicken breasts to cut in half and make 4 thinner chicken cutlets.Â
- All purpose flour: Just a little bit of flour adds a light, crispy coating to the chicken breasts.
- Olive Oil and Butter: I love to pan fry my chicken in olive oil and butter. You get that buttery taste in the breading and the olive oil helps keep the butter from burning. It’s my go-to combination for the best chicken!
- Seasoning: I love a good seasoning blend, but you don’t need anything fancy. All I use is some salt, black pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and paprika. This is similar to what I use for my baked chicken breasts.
How To Cook Pan Fried Chicken
The full instructions and measurements are included in the recipe card below, but here’s a quick step-by-step overview:
Step One: Slice the chicken breasts in half to make 4 thinner chicken cutlets. Also make sure the chicken breasts have an equal thickness. You can do this by lightly pounding the thicker part of the breasts with a rolling pin or meat pounder.
Step Two: Season each breast with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and paprika. Rub the seasoning in with your hands on both sides to make sure each breast is well coated.
Step Three: Season the flour with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Then lightly flour each chicken breast on both sides.
Step Four: Cook the chicken breasts in a large skillet with olive oil and butter until crispy and golden brown. I like to let them rest on a wire rack before serving so they stay nice and crispy.
How To Know When Your Chicken Breasts Are Done
The only safe way to know when your chicken breasts are done is to use a meat thermometer. Your chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F. A meat thermometer also keeps you from cutting inside your chicken to check for doneness. If you cut inside the chicken breast before it’s done or had a chance to rest, you will loose a lot of the juices that keep the chicken moist and tender. Trust me...just invest in a meat thermometer.😉
Ways To Serve Your Chicken Breasts
Serve your pan-fried chicken breasts with quick and easy side dishes like creamy mashed potatoes, skillet green beans, lemon pepper roasted broccoli, or sautéed cabbage. And they’re also great with creamy pasta recipes like this tuscan chicken pasta with sun-dried tomatoes. The light breading on the chicken soaks up sauces nicely. And of course they’re perfect to chop up and add to a cobb salad!
Pan Fried Chicken Breasts Video
Watch as I show you how to make the best pan fried chicken breasts. I share all of my tips for getting that perfect crispy golden brown crust!
Pan-Fried Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- â…“ cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breasts in half to make 4 thinner chicken cutlets. Make sure the chicken breasts have an equal thickness. You can do this by lightly pounding the thicker part of each chicken breasts with a rolling pin or meat pounder.
- Add 1 teaspoon of sea salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, the Italian seasoning and paprika to a small prep bowl. Mix together to combine. Season each chicken breast with the seasoning mix and rub the seasoning in with your hands on both sides to make sure each breast is well coated.
- Now add the flour to a shallow plate. Season the flour with 1 teaspoon salt, ½ black pepper and the garlic powder. Add the chicken breasts to the plate and lightly coat each one with the seasoned flour on both sides. Set the coated chicken to the side.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and butter. Once the skillet is hot, add the chicken breasts to the skillet and cook for approximately 3-4 minutes on each side. If your skillet is getting too hot, turn your heat down to medium-low. You want the chicken breasts to cook all the way through without burning too quickly. Take your time, don't rush it.
- Once the chicken is crispy, golden brown on both sides, and has an internal temperature of 165°F, remove them from the skillet and allow them to rest (preferably on a wire rack) for 3-5 minutes. Serve with your favorite sides and enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure your heat is not too hot or your chicken will not cook evenly. Ideally you want to keep your heat at medium heat and towards the end turn it down to medium-low if needed.
- Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. The temperature should be at least 165°F.
Nutrition
Shirley hoelscher says
Made this tonight, my husband I both loved the flavor, the juicy and tender chicken, however it tasted spicy to both of us and we don’t buy spicy anything for seasoning. I will try cutting back on garlic and see if that helps. Thank you and can’t wait to try other chicken recipes.
Sue says
These turned out perfect. Details were spot on. Chicken turned out juicy and delicious. Thank you for this great recipe. This is a keeper
Marsha McDougal says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Joyce says
My husband loved this chicken so much he even stated it was the best chicken he ever had!
Easy recipe to follow and make.
I will be now making this recipe everytime I want to pan fry chicken breasts.
Thank you for sharing your delicious recipe 🙂
pat says
I do the cooking for my alzheimer wife now. I have cooked before, but never would I have fried chicken. I never much cared for it, but she always has. So, I baked, it sometimes to keep her chicken quota up. haha. The other night she was pining for some 'good ol' fried chicken'. Well, you can guess the next part was accompished with some grumbling along with the fear of an entire new venture for me. Now, with the dishes done and settling in for the rest of the evening, I have to say she was tickled immensely (seldom seen these days) and ya know? I really liked your recipe myself. So, besides sharing with all us folks out here, your recipe's moral increase in this house must surely secure you a place in heaven. Thanks.
Seanna says
My whole family loved it. Going to make it again tonight and make a gravy with the remaining drippings.
Marsha says
That's awesome!! I'm so glad to hear it 🙂
Robinson Cheryl says
Very good but way too much salt!