Juicy Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breast is so simple to make with a classic blend of herbs and a delicious coating of parmesan cheese. A perfect chicken recipe to make on a weeknight or for your weekly meal prep!
Here's what you'll need to make this juicy Chicken Breast recipe in cast iron skillet:
- 4 medium chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon of oregano
- ½ teaspoon of paprika
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- ¼ teaspoon of fresh ground pepper
- 2 tablespoon fresh grated parmesan cheese
Do you put oil in a cast iron skillet when cooking chicken?
Yes, especially for boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Because the chicken breasts have such a small amount of fat, they need some oil in the pan to prevent sticking in the cast iron skillet. It's important to use an oil with a higher smoke point, like a vegetable oil.
Best choices are canola oil, sunflower or safflower oil. Some vegetable oils are a blend of these too. I recommend staying away from olive oil as it has such a low smoke point, it can't take the higher temperatures.
Should I pan sear chicken before baking?
Yes! This is where you seal in the juices, preventing the chicken breast from drying out and you create a lot of flavour with the initial browning of the chicken that happens.
It also, of course, partially cooks the chicken breast, which reduces the amount of time needed in the oven.
Is it better to fry or bake chicken breast?
If you're looking to get a flavourful chicken breast, without the extra grease that comes from frying, this cast iron skillet chicken breast will give you the best of both worlds!
It's got sealed in juices and flavour from getting seared first and it's not dried out, which can easily happen with chicken breasts because they're so naturally lean.
How do you pan brown chicken breast?
To pan brown chicken breast, follow these steps:
- Heat an oven safe skillet (either non-stick or cast iron) over medium heat.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil (canola or vegetable oil.) Season chicken breasts as desired.
- Once the oil becomes shiny in the pan, add the chicken breasts and cook undisturbed for 3 minutes per side.
- Then, place the whole pan into the pre-heated oven to finish cooking them for about 13 minutes in a 350 degrees F oven.
How do you keep chicken from sticking to cast iron?
If your chicken breasts stick in your cast iron pan, you probably don't have enough oil or the pan hasn't had a chance to heat up enough, or both!
To make sure your chicken breasts don't stick in the cast iron skillet, add an oil with a high smoke point, like canola or a vegetable oil.
Make sure to allow the cast iron skillet to heat up. The pan is ready when the oil becomes shiny.
When you place the chicken breast into the cast iron skillet, don't touch them for about 3 minutes!
This lets the chicken cook on the outside, creates a lot of flavour and prevents the chicken breast from sticking.
Hope you love this recipe for Cast Iron Skill Chicken Breast!
~April
More gluten-free and healthy recipes here:
- Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Pomegranate Seeds
- Sheet Pan Maple Dijon Chicken and Broccoli Bake
- Ground Beef with Beans and Quinoa Meal Prep
- Spinach and Citrus Salad with Sweet and Spicy Almonds
- Easy Weeknight Hamburger Soup with Sweet Potatoes
Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breast
Equipment
- Large cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 4 medium chicken breasts, skinless, boneless
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 2 tablespoon fresh grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil in a cast iron skillet over medium.
- Mix all the spices and parmesan cheese in a small bowl.
- Coat each chicken breast in the spice mixture. Simply sprinkle the mixture over each side of the chicken breasts and press the mixture in, coating each side.
- Once the cast iron pan is hot, place the chicken breasts into the pan and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Do NOT turn the chicken breasts during this time, let it cook.
- Flip them over and cook on the other side for another 3 minutes.
- Then, place the whole pan into the oven, cook for 13 minutes until an inserted meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F.
Becca says
Yum ! This chicken recipe was so delicious. I'm very picky about chicken. I've learned that I'm loving everything I cook in a cast iron, so thought I would give chicken a try. This was moist and full of flavor. I added fresh garlic and onions in the pan, but followed everything else exactly. Definitely making this again.
April says
Hey Becca - thanks for commenting. So glad you liked it and I love the addition of onion and garlic. I'll be trying that next time for sure 🙂
April
Kerry says
Delicious, and the cook time was spot on. This was my first time cooking chicken breasts in my cast iron, and I will definitely do it again!
April says
Hey Kerry - thanks so much for commenting. Great to hear you enjoyed it and will do it again (go cast iron!)😄
April
Kris says
This was my first time using a cast iron skillet for chicken and this was amazing! Tender and juicy with the crisp roasted texture on the outside!
April says
Right on, Kris! Thank you for your review and comment! So glad you liked the chicken and had a great first experience using the cast iron skillet😄