The Basics: How to Make Seared Chicken Breast

Published on Monday, March 8, 2010, by CHOW Food Team / Edit Post

2 / 7
1. Pour enough olive oil into the frying pan to generously coat the bottom. Heat on the stovetop over medium heat until the oil shimmers, about three to four minutes.
Seared Chicken Breast
2 / 7
PDF
ALLThe Basics
POST A COMMENT |11 Comments

COMMENT

  • Pounding may do you some good, but I've always liked thicker chicken breasts, as long as they're still juicy. I coat the bottom of the pan in olive oil on medium/medium-high heat, season the breasts, and let them fry on one side for 5 minutes, flip and 5 minutes more. Then I turn the heat down to low/low-medium, flip the chicken again, and cover the pan for 5 minutes, then flip again, and take a...+READ

    Pounding may do you some good, but I've always liked thicker chicken breasts, as long as they're still juicy. I coat the bottom of the pan in olive oil on medium/medium-high heat, season the breasts, and let them fry on one side for 5 minutes, flip and 5 minutes more. Then I turn the heat down to low/low-medium, flip the chicken again, and cover the pan for 5 minutes, then flip again, and take a thermometer to them. They usually hit 160-165 at the 4-5 minutes mark on the other side. I get asked all the time how my chicken is so moist, and I kind of shrug, because it's the only way I've ever known how to make chicken breasts in a skillet. Hopefully someone can replicate it :-D-COLLAPSE

  • I find this method dries the breast out. Better to sear in a HOT pan with minimal butter for a minute or two on both sides, season, then slip into a small ovenproof dish and that into a preheated 400 degree toaster oven or oven for 8-10 minutes (depending on the thickness of the breast). CRITICAL point: let it rest for 10 minutes before serving!!! Result = browned outside, juicy inside, and...+READ

    I find this method dries the breast out. Better to sear in a HOT pan with minimal butter for a minute or two on both sides, season, then slip into a small ovenproof dish and that into a preheated 400 degree toaster oven or oven for 8-10 minutes (depending on the thickness of the breast). CRITICAL point: let it rest for 10 minutes before serving!!! Result = browned outside, juicy inside, and cooked through. YUM!-COLLAPSE

  • I agree with MikeB3542 about slicing them thinner as preferable to pounding them thinner (although I do both if I'm in a hurry). I also recommend patting very dry with paper towels before cooking. Standard old chicken breast, as opposed to free-range, etc., has this squooshy, wet, almost squeaky texture already -- with pounding, you may as well be eating tofu.

  • The modern "chicken breast" is large, tough, and flavorless! Special thanks to hormones, injections, etc, etc. space age chicken engineers! Trim & Pound is the must! Salt. Pepper & Canola, than finish in the convection oven @ 500 + for a couple minutes. A nice simple Ver Blanc is the best, over Wild rice.

  • i like to use butter or a more neutral oil with a high smoke point, aggressively season one side of chicken with salt, then sear over high heat. After the flip, I finish in a 400 degree oven for a few minutes to finish. always has a near-crispy sear with a juicy inside

  • I definitely recommend pounding the chicken breasts; it can be done very quickly and results in a much nicer more evenly cooked breast.

  • Alton says that pepper burns when you sear. I'm not entirely sure I've witnessed it, but I do know that a few grinds of fresh after it's cooked is just as good or better.

  • I prefer to pound mine, too. That way they're cooked through before the thinner parts dry out.

  • One man's opinion: I like the 'see all steps at once' option, and the option to print the steps is a smart one, but I now have a pdf on my hard drive that I didn't really need, and which I now need to delete. Separate links for the two options would be much appreciated.

    MikeB3542: You may want to try pounding the breasts into a more uniform thickness. That way you'll get a slightly quicker cook...+READ

    One man's opinion: I like the 'see all steps at once' option, and the option to print the steps is a smart one, but I now have a pdf on my hard drive that I didn't really need, and which I now need to delete. Separate links for the two options would be much appreciated.

    MikeB3542: You may want to try pounding the breasts into a more uniform thickness. That way you'll get a slightly quicker cook time, and a more even level of doneness throughout the cut. Though Chow's method is solid here, and I appreciate that used the 'right' temperature for the meat, as opposed to the USDA's incredibly well-done recommended temps.-COLLAPSE

  • What I find really helps is slicing thicker chicken breasts into thinner pieces. They cook more quickly, and less like to dry out and get tough.

  • I gave up frying in olive oil about 15 years ago and prefer using one with a much higher flash point, like grapeseed. But, to each his/her own.
    CP