how to cook chicken breast in cast iron skillet

My Cast Iron Chicken Breast recipe is a staple in our home, because it is super easy to pan roast with little prep time, so I can get it on the dinner table in a little more than 30 minutes.

A quick pan sear gets the skin nice and crispy and then the whole pan goes into the oven to roast the chicken breasts to juicy perfection. It is an easy two-step cooking process that gives me time to whip up a quick dinner salad for a healthy, budget-friendly meal everyone loves.
Cast Iron Chicken Breasts with crispy chicken skin pan roasted in a cast iron skillet

Ingredients you'll need

Chicken breasts - Bone-in and skin-on chicken breasts are best for pan roasting for maximum flavor and juiciness and wonderfully crispy skin.
Seasonings - Kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and garlic powder
Fat - 1 tablespoon ghee (or high smoke point oil such as canola)

Overhead view of Cast Iron Chicken Breasts pan roasted in cast iron skillet with a dish towel near the hot skillet handle

HOW TO COOK CAST IRON CHICKEN BREASTS

Making juicy chicken in a cast iron skillet is very easy! With just a few basic ingredients, you can have the chicken breasts prepped and ready to be pan roasted in under 10 minutes!

Season chicken breasts - Combine 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder. Carefully lift skin from chicken breasts and sprinkle half the seasoning mixture onto each breast under the skin. This will get the seasoning directly on the chicken meat. Gently put the skin back in place.
Sear chicken breasts - Heat a 10" oven safe cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon ghee. Place the chicken breasts in the skillet with the skin side down and sear 3-4 minutes without moving. When chicken breasts are seared nicely, use tongs to flip them over. NOTE: The chicken skin will release easily for turning when it's seared. If the skin is sticking, let it continue to sear a bit longer until it releases from the pan
Roast chicken in oven - Place skillet in preheated oven and cook for 25-30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 162°F. Use an instant read thermometer to check the temperature in the thickest part of the chicken without touching bone. A meat thermometer is an essential tool for your kitchen.
Rest - When the chicken breasts are cooked through, remove the skillet from the oven and allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes. Be very careful handling the skillet. It is HOT! I always place an oven mitt on the handle to remind me not to grab it.

TIPS TO GET A GOLDEN CRISPY SEAR ON CHICKEN SKIN

Starting with dry chicken is the first step to crispy chicken skin, so always pat chicken dry with paper towels.
Use a cast iron skillet. Cast-iron skillets hold and distribute heat well for a more consistent sear all over the surface of the chicken.
Heat skillet over mid-high heat for 5-10 minutes before adding oil.
Use a cooking oil with a high smoke point. I recommend using ghee but another high smoke point oil, such as canola oil, works great too. Avoid using olive oil or butter as it will burn quickly and could affect the flavor.
Don't move the chicken around in the pan! This is very important! Let the chicken sear without moving. Moving it around in the pan will cause the skin to stick to the bottom of the pan leaving your chicken naked and sad. When the chicken is nicely seared, the skin will release easily for flipping. If the skin tries to stick, continue to sear until the skin releases. You may need to turn up the heat just a bit.
Be sure to use an oven mitt when working with cast iron. The entire pan, including the handle, will get screaming hot!

SPICES THAT GO GREAT WITH CHICKEN

I like to play around with different spices to switch things up when making my cast iron chicken breasts.

You can sprinkle a little seasoning right on the skin or lift the skin and put the seasoning directly on the chicken meat (my preferred way to season chicken breasts).

Here are some seasoning suggestions to get you started:

My favorite rub I use all the time is a chili rub. Find the recipe on my Chili Rubbed Pork Chops. Use this dry rub directly on the chicken meat
Super quick and easy chicken seasoning - Combine 1/2 Tbsp kosher salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp onion powder, and 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves. Lift the skin and season the meat liberally with the seasoning mixture.
Greek inspired seasoning - make a paste using 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp dried parsley, 1 Tbsp garlic powder, 1/2 Tbsp kosher salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp sugar, and 1 Tbsp canola oil. Lift the skin and rub this directly on the chicken meat for best results.

Looking straight on at cast iron skillet with pan roasted chicken Breasts ready to eat

DO I HAVE TO USE A CAST IRON SKILLET?

Technically, no, but there's a reason this recipe is titled Cast Iron Chicken Breast. When you want a crispy skin it's all about the sear and no other type of pan will sear meat as well as cast iron. Here are the biggest reasons why I highly recommend using a cast iron skillet:

Cast iron gets really hot and once it gets hot, it stays hot. This is an important quality that produces the best sear on meat and golden brown chicken. Always preheat your cast iron skillet by placing it on the burner for 5-10 minutes. You'll know it's heated properly when the handle is getting too warm to touch with your bare hand. Alternately, you can pop the skillet in the oven while it's preheating. It's important to note the entire skillet, even the handle, gets HOT, so be sure to use a pot holder when working with cast iron.
Cast iron is oven safe, even the handle, so this kitchen workhorse can go from stovetop to oven with no worries.
Cast iron is non-stick when used properly, so you won't have to worry about the skin sticking to the bottom of the skillet. You should have no problems with stuck on food when using a well-seasoned cast iron skillet that you preheat before using.

WHAT IS THE BEST CAST IRON PAN TO USE?

The cast iron skillet I use every single day in my kitchen is the 10.25" Lodge Cast Iron Skillet. It comes pre-seasoned and is inexpensive too! This skillet will last you for years and if you take care of it, you'll be able to pass it on to your children. This is a skillet that can be in your family for generations.

You might also like the larger 12" cast iron skillet, but keep in mind with the larger size it is also heavier. I do like my 12" cast iron pan when cooking for more than 4 people, but it is heavy, y'all! It takes both hands to get it from the stovetop to the oven.

If you like a grilled chicken look with beautiful grill marks, you might want to try a cast iron grilling pan. I prefer the smooth skillet because it allows me to get a good sear on ALL of the meat, not just where the grill marks are, but a grill pan is nice to have on hand too.

CAN THIS RECIPE BE DOUBLED?

Yes! This cast iron chicken breast recipe is for cooking 2 large chicken breasts, however, you can easily double, triple, or make however many chicken breasts that will fit in your oven at once. I ALWAYS make at least one extra to make my Chicken Pot Pie Soup later in the week. And leftover chicken breast meat is great for making Homemade Chicken Salad Sandwiches too!

Keep in mind, you will have to sear the chicken breasts in batches and place them on an oven safe rack set inside a baking sheet to finish cooking in the oven. TIP: Line the baking sheet with foil for easy clean-up.

WHAT DO YOU SERVE WITH PAN ROASTED CAST IRON CHICKEN BREASTS

Cast iron chicken breasts are the perfect dinner recipe for busy nights. While the chicken is cooking, put together a simple dinner salad with your favorite dressing. Give my homemade Creamy Italian Dressing a try. Pan roasted chicken with a side salad makes a delicious LOW CARB meal.

If you have a little more time on your hands, whip up some mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables.

Another favorite side dish recipe I like to serve with these pan roasted chicken breasts is my Orzo Pasta with Spinach and Parmesan. It's easy to prepare while the chicken is cooking in the oven.

WHAT IS A GOOD SAUCE TO PAIR WITH CAST IRON SKILLET CHICKEN BREAST?

A simple pan sauce is quick and easy to make and adds another depth of flavor to this cast iron chicken recipe. Click here to try my herb butter sauce. This is a versatile sauce that goes great with chicken and pork as well as other proteins. You can't go wrong with fresh herbs and butter in an easy to make sauce!
Another great idea is to make my Bechamel Sauce and add fresh spinach. This creamy sauce with spinach served with the cast iron chicken recipe makes a complete meal that everyone will love!

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Cast Iron Chicken Breasts

Main dish

American

Cast Iron Chicken Breast (Pan Roasted)

My Roasted Chicken Breasts Recipe is one of my favorite easy dinner recipes! In a little more than 30 minutes you can make the most amazing CRISPY, tender, juicy chicken and only have one pan to clean when you're done! Roasted chicken dinner perfection!

Prep time: 10 Min Cook time: 30 Min Total time: 40 Min

Ingredients

2 Chicken breasts, bone-in and skin-on
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly cracked
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon ghee (or high smoke point oil such as canola)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Pat chicken breasts dry with a paper towel
Combine 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder. Mix well. Gently lift skin from the chicken breasts and sprinkle half the season mixture onto each breast under the skin. This will get the seasoning directly on the chicken meat. Put the skin back in place.
Heat a 10" oven safe cast iron skillet over mid-high heat and melt 1 tablespoon ghee. Place the chicken breasts in the skillet with the skin side down and sear 3-4 minutes (see note 1). When chicken breasts are seared nicely, use tongs to flip them over (see note 2).
Place skillet in the preheated oven and cook for 25-30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 162°F. Use an instant read thermometer to check the temperature in the thickest part of the chicken without touching bone.
When the chicken breasts are cooked through, remove the skillet from the oven and allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes (see note 3)..

Notes:

1. Don't move the chicken breasts around in the skillet when searing. It's important to set the timer and leave the chicken breasts alone so the skin can get nice and crispy

2. The skin will release easily for turning when it's nicely seared. If the skin is sticking, let it continue to sear a bit longer until it releases from the pan.

3. Be very careful handling the skillet. It is HOT! I always place an oven mitt on the handle to remind me not to grab it.

4. You can double, triple, or make however many chicken breasts as needed. You will need to sear the chicken breasts in batches and place them on an oven safe rack set inside a baking sheet to finish cooking in the oven. For easier clean up line the baking sheet with foil.

Sodium (milligrams)

617.94

Cholesterol (grams)

118.39

Nutrition label disclaimer: Nutrient values are estimates only. Variations may occur due to product availability and food preparation. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.