We’ve used this skillet chicken breast recipe for years. It never fails. It’s quick, easy, and guarantees the juiciest, most tender chicken.
We got so tired of dry, overcooked chicken breasts that we actually stopped buying them for a while. But I couldn’t give up on them completely, so I set out to make a chicken breast recipe that would stay juicy and tender every time. The trick is cooking them in a skillet with a lid (or foil) to lock in all that moisture. It really works!
This method was inspired by our favorite skillet pork chops recipe (another protein that can easily turn out dry if you’re not careful). It’s a game-changer for pork chops and just as magical for chicken. If you want more ideas, check out our pan-roasted chicken breasts, or fire up the grill for our grilled chicken breasts.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken: This recipe is extremely helpful for cooking chicken breasts, but you can also use it for chicken thighs. While it’s not 100% necessary, use a mallet or rolling pin to pound your chicken to an even thickness for the most even results. If I’m in a rush, I skip this step, but it is especially helpful if your chicken breasts are on the larger, thicker side.
- Oil: I add a little high-heat cooking oil to my skillet before adding the chicken. I love avocado oil, but any neutral-flavored oil will do.
- Spice blend: You can use your favorite blend or use the one suggested in the recipe below. It combines chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and black pepper. I also love this Cajun seasoning and our homemade steak seasoning (which works nicely with chicken). You can also skip the seasoning and marinate your chicken instead. Try one of these: lemon garlic chicken marinade or Greek chicken marinade.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Cook Chicken Breasts
Tip 1: Don’t skip the seasoning. Chicken needs some extra love when it comes to seasoning. The most important thing is to use salt (we offer guidance for how much in our recipe below). Then, rub the chicken with your favorite spice blend. In the one shared below, we add some paprika, which adds flavor, but also color, which is a nice touch when it comes to chicken!
Before cooking, pat your chicken dry with paper towels so the salt and any spices adhere to the chicken. Starting with dry chicken also helps it brown nicely in the skillet.
Tip 2: Brown your chicken on one side. Our method is a two-part process. First, you’ll want to brown one side of the chicken.
Heat a bit of oil in your skillet. Any heavy-bottomed skillet will do (think heavy nonstick, stainless, or cast iron). When the oil is hot, you’ll place your seasoned chicken into it. Cook the chicken breast without moving it for a few minutes or until golden brown on the first side. Then, you’ll move on to the second part of this method.
Tip 3: Lower the heat and cover. Now flip the chicken breast, reduce the heat to low, and add a splash of liquid. I often use water, but white wine or chicken stock works well, too. Cover the skillet with a lid (or tuck aluminum foil around the chicken in the pan) and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the center is cooked.
The second side will slowly turn golden brown, and since we added the lid, the moist heat from the pan will gently cook the middle. Gently cooking chicken breasts this way keeps them juicy and tender.
Tip 4: Let it rest. Before cutting it, let the cooked chicken rest for a few minutes on the counter, covered with some foil. The chicken will finish cooking as it sits, and all the juices inside will either redistribute inside the chicken or fall out onto your plate. If there are juices on your plate, save them! They make the best sauce.
Serving Suggestions
These juicy chicken breasts are so incredibly versatile. I love them next to healthier sides like mashed cauliflower and mashed sweet potatoes. For some crunch, consider homemade coleslaw or my favorite broccoli slaw.
I often add this chicken to salads. Toss your favorite salad ingredients into a bowl, add the chicken, and drizzle with one of my homemade salad dressings. I especially love this tahini dressing and homemade ranch.
More Chicken Breast Recipes
- Crispy Chicken Milanese
- Baked Lemon Chicken Breast
- Perfect Juicy Grilled Chicken
- Baked Garlic Basil Chicken
- Chicken Alfredo
- Browse all of our chicken recipes
Juicy Chicken Breasts
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
If you’ve ever been let down by dry, boring chicken breasts, this recipe will change your mind. Our favorite skillet method is so easy and yields juicy, tender chicken every time.
Use our spice mix below, or grab your favorite blend from the store. The real magic is in the way you cook it. Covering the skillet with a lid after flipping the chicken is a game-changing tip. If you don’t have a lid for your skillet, use foil and tuck it around the chicken instead. We use the same trick when cooking pork chops.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
1 teaspoon chili powder (try homemade chili powder)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ pounds (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as avocado or vegetable oil
1 lemon, quartered (optional)
Directions
1In a small bowl, mix the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and black pepper.
2Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season both sides of the chicken with salt, then rub the spices all over.
3Heat the oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmery, add the chicken. Cook, uncovered, until golden, about 3 minutes.
4Flip the chicken and reduce the heat to low. Add ¼ cup of water to the skillet and cover with a lid (or tuck aluminum foil around the chicken). Cook until an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest part of the breast, 10 to 15 minutes.
5Transfer the chicken to the plate and cover loosely with foil. Leave the chicken to rest for 5 minutes. Slice the chicken into thick pieces and serve it drizzled with the pan drippings and lemon wedges.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Keep leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat, with a splash of water and covered with a lid.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
I have never been able to cook chicken in any form. I had so many failures that I I bought rotisserie or opened a can of chicken. But, I followed this recipe and it worked!! It is tender and delicious. This recipe is easy to follow and it is a keeper. Thank you for sharing it.
I only used the salt, peper, paprika, and chicken broth but the recipe makes a perfect chicken breast! We had it with rice, black beans and steamed asparagus with it. I don’t know if it makes any difference but I added some of the cooking broth to the plate with the chicken on the covered resting plate.
Love it! That sounds delicious 🙂
Finally! Tender chicken breasts! As usual, Inspired Taste knocks it out of the park. Love your tender pork chops as well. Thank you!
Yay! You are so welcome! 🙂
The juicy Chicken breast recipe is the bomb!!!!!!
So happy you love it, Lydia!
Just made this OMG, the chicken is so delicious and juicy. Mine has always been dry! Definitely making again.
That’s amazing, Sharon! So happy you enjoyed it!
One thing I do different is before puting on the spice rub is patting the breasts with paper towels, to soak up the moisture that happens after the salt is on for half hour. And I’ve made this recipe about ten times times, and I love it!!! I’ve done the pork chops the same way.
Great tip, Maureen!
This is 100000% the best way to cook boneless/skinless chicken breasts. Thank you for this because we eat this all the time now. The only thing I do different based solely on personal preference is that the only seasoning that hits the pan is the salt. I put the rest of the seasoning on top of the breasts after I flip them so that they “bake” into the chicken on top during the 10-15 minutes under the lid. I find that certain spices (especially pepper) taste off when fried in a pan on high heat.
This is my favorite quick, easy, delicious, and healthy go-to chicken breast meal. I make it about once a week and even taught my college son to make it. It’s a new favorite for sure. I usually slice the chicken in half lengthwise to cook it even faster (be careful not to overcook) when I’m in a rush. I make a batch of the dry rub and save it for a super quick solution.
OMG!! This is delicious. I was sure about the chilli powder but the flavors come together great. Definitely making again
My pan fried chicken is always dry…this was so moist and quick! I served it with your easy bean salad. Can’t wait to try other recipes!
Love it! The bean salad would be delicious with this 🙂
This is some of the best chicken I have cooked in a really liong time! Family was fighting over the leftovers (I doubled the recipe). Thank you!!!
I fixed this for my son. He really doesn’t like chicken, however he loved how this was cooked. I made rice boiled in chicken stock to serve with it. So delicious 😋
This recipe looks DELICIOUS & super easy!!! I’m anxious to try it!!! I have a question… How can I tweak this recipe for Bone-In Chicken Leg Quarters with Skin, for stove top? Do you maybe have a good recipe to share? Thank you in advance.~Ninfa
This recipe is a game changer! I’m not one to fix simply a meat by itself. Meat goes into casseroles, stews, soups, etc. I made the recipe using a jerk chicken spice and it is amazing. Cannot EVER remember having chicken this tender and flavorful! THANK YOU!!!
LOVE THIS! Quick, easy, and the most tasty chicken I’ve made in a long time! Don’t be afraid to spice it! I used some boxed chicken broth for the splash. Saving this recipe for sure!
I’ve made a lot of chicken recipes in my time not much of a chicken person because of the grit inside the chicken sometimes it’s this nasty but I tried your recipe has to be the best recipe for chicken ever.
WOW!!!! This was insanely good! Followed exactly as written. Used Bell & Evan’s chicken breast. Definitely making this again……My family loved it!!
Followed this simple recipe and the chicken breasts turned out succulent, flavourful and so yummy! Thank you!
I have seen so great recipes for chicken, I am going to cook one tonight for dinner.
Juciest chicken ever!! This is a life-changing recipe. I will never have dry chicken breast again. Super easy and very tasty.
This is seriously the easiest and best way to cook juicy chicken breasts. I used coconut oil, substituted Lawry’s seasoned salt for the chili powder and I used vegetable broth. It came out perfect. So juicy and flavorful! Thanks for this recipe, it’s a keeper!
I’ve been looking for a chicken breast recipe that doesn’t result in rubbery chicken, this one turned out great!
I’ve tried a few methods now in search of a way to ensure genuinely tender, juicy chicken breast. This is by far the most reliable. I try to buy small breasts, pull the chicken off the heat just before it reaches 165 degrees and allow it to finish cooking while it rests. It’s perfect every single time.
Excellent! Chicken was juicy and cooked!
Excellent! I have never found a recipe for chicken breast that I can use with confidence. Not only was this quick and simple, but it was tender and delicious too. The spices used were perfection.
Good guidelines to go by! I used McCormicks Montreal Chicken Seasoning on both sides of the chicken breasts instead of the indgredients listed in the recipe. Wow, it was delicious!!!
Second time I’m making this recipe, quick, juicy and tender. I switch up the seasonings, cooking method same as recipe…DELICIOUS! Thank you for sharing.
I googled easy, quick and good chicken breast recipe and this came up. I’m so glad I found it because it was yummy! I cut my chicken up in strips to cook a little faster and once cooked I really enjoyed the flavor- def juicy- I will make this again and I like the idea of putting it on a salad.
I think I’ve commented on this before but I felt I had to comment again. After the umpteenth time making this I still can’t get over how easy, juicy and delicious this is. Thank you so much for this recipe!
This chicken recipe was a quick, easy and full of flavor. The whole family loved it and I loved it as a topping on my salad.
That’s fantastic! So happy the recipe was quick, flavorful, and a hit with the whole family. Love that you found a way to enjoy it over salad too!
Came out so moist & delicious. When I served it to my teen daughter she said it was the best I’ve ever made!
That’s the best compliment! So thrilled your daughter loved it. Enjoy!
Wow! This was a great and easy recipe! I used a little lemon infused oil . The combo of the seasonings was perfect! Will definitely make again !
So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
I’ve never had good luck with searing and then covering chicken breasts. The chicken breasts (boneless/skinless) come out of the pan much too tough. The liquids that collect in the pan…I suppose it’s brine…appears to be culprit and pretty much boils the chicken pieces in the liquid and steams the parts not covered. I think the problem resolves with a better choice of chicken breasts….smaller and not puffed up from brines or raised with steroids. I’ve used the same recipe with simple seasoning a number of times before to perfect skillet chicken, so beware the puffed up boneless/skinless breasts from the big box butcher shops.
You raise a great point! The quality and size of chicken breasts definitely impact the final result. Larger, water-injected breasts can release excess liquid, leading to the problem you described. I often look for smaller, organic or air-chilled breasts whenever possible.
In the video you add water to the pan right before covering it. How much water do you add? (This doesn’t appear in the written instructions) Thank you.
Hi Maria, We add a few tablespoons of water.
I haven’t cooked for my very anal husband since we were dating. 17 years ago!!! The first time I cooked for him I made lobster tails. Unfortunately!I put them wrong side up in the oven and had the fire dept over. So he believed everything I cooked would turn out that way. Well, about a year ago I cooked for him since he now is more relaxed and I used this recipe and it turned out AMAZING!!! He asks for it all the time now. Does anyone have a comment on how this would pair with roasted brussel sprouts. I’ve been dying to make them but haven’t had a chance yet. Im not sure if the 2 flavors would be too similar in regards to the spices? I would make a potatoes. We have to have some sort of potatoe with anything we eat. He’s Irish and really loves his potatoes. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes. I love the way you tell us WHT we’re doing something in all your recipes. Ex:) Like why we shouldn’t press on 5he chicken breast to make them cook faster. Thanks for sending all your delicious recipes our way!!
Marie, I have made this with maple-Dijon roasted carrots and Brussel sprouts (trimmed and halved) and it’s fantastic. I use equal parts maple syrup and Dijon mustard to make the sauce (I usually do a 1/3 cup each for a full sheet pan of veggies). I roast just veggies in the oven at 400 for 15 minutes, then toss in sauce and roast for 15 addition minutes. It compliments this yummy chicken perfectly!
Hi Marie, We are thrilled you love the recipe. Brussels sprouts would be lovely with this chicken.