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four golden brown chicken breasts sauteed in a cast iron skillet.
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4.75 from 4 votes

Easy Sauteed Chicken

This easy sauteed chicken breast recipe is delicious and only takes about 20 minutes to make (pan sauce included). Juicy pan-seared chicken breast that’s perfect for a busy weeknight.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Course: Chicken Breast, Main Course, Poultry
Cuisine: American
Diet: Low Calorie
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 376kcal
Author: Adina

Equipment

  • Cast-iron skillet or another heavy-bottomed pan

Ingredients

Chicken breast:

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 7-8 oz/ 200-230 g each
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt, Note 1
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon butter

Sauce (Note 2):

  • 3 small shallots or 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves finely minced
  • ¼ cup dry white wine 60 ml
  • 1 cup chicken stock 230 ml
  • 1 medium lemon the juice
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons butter about 1 oz/ 30 g

Instructions

Chicken:

  • Pound the breast pieces with a meat mallet between two layers of plastic wrap until they are evenly thick (Note 3).
    4 chicken breasts
  • Season: Mix the spices in a small bowl. Pat the chicken dry and rub it with one tablespoon of olive oil. Then rub it with the spices.
    1 teaspoon salt + ½ teaspoon pepper + 1 teaspoon sweet paprika + ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • Sauté: Heat the remaining oil and the butter in the skillet. Cook the chicken breasts on medium heat for 4 minutes, flip, and cook for another 5 minutes. Turn the heat down a bit if the skillet is getting too hot and the pieces are browning too fast.
    1 tablespoon oil + 1 tablespoon butter
  • Check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer; it should be 165°F/ 74°C. If the temperature is not safe yet, continue cooking the chicken until it reaches the safe temperature (Note 4).
  • Rest: Transfer to a warm plate and let it rest while you make the sauce. Or let it rest for 4-5 minutes anyway if you don’t make the sauce.

Sauce:

  • Let the skillet cool down for a few minutes (Note 5).
  • Sauté: Melt the butter in the skillet. Cook the finely chopped shallots over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes until softer and golden. Don’t let it get brown; turn the heat down if necessary. Add the finely minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
    1 tablespoon oil + 3 shallots onion + 3 garlic cloves
  • Pour in the white wine, scrape the bottom of the pan, and let the wine bubble off for about 30 seconds. Add the stock and simmer the sauce until it is slightly reduced.
    ¼ cup/ 60 ml white wine + 1 cup/ 230 ml chicken stock
  • Whisk in the lemon juice, mustard, and butter; the sauce should be slightly thick and glossy.
    juice of 1 lemon + 1 tablespoon mustard + 2 Tbsp/ 30 g butter
  • Serve: Spoon the sauce on the chicken breast pieces and serve immediately.

Notes

  1. Seasoning: You can use about 2 teaspoons of chicken or universal seasoning. As they usually contain salt, you might not need to add any salt to the chicken. However, if you use spices from your cupboard, don’t forget to salt the chicken.
  2. The sauce is optional but so delicious. You can serve the sauteed chicken with any other sauce or use the breasts for other recipes.
  3. If the breast pieces are very large and thick, you can slice them lengthwise to reduce the cooking time.
  4. Cooking time: For small to medium ones, 8-9 minutes should be enough; larger pieces (9 oz/ 250 g or more) will need more time, up to 13-15 minutes.
  5. Pan: This is particularly important if you use a cast-iron skillet, they can get very hot, and it takes a few minutes for them to cool down a bit. If they are too hot, the shallots will burn quickly once you add them to the skillet.

Nutrition

Serving: 1chicken breast | Calories: 376kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 923mg | Potassium: 630mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 563IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg