PERFECT Cast Iron Chicken Breast

Knowing how to make the PERFECT Cast Iron Chicken Breast can make life so much easier. This cooking technique will add a healthy lean protein to whatever meal you need and is great to use for meal prep for the family!

I used to make so many mistakes when it came to cooking chicken breast! It is so easy to dry out, can be tough and chewy, and it's a guessing game if you don't use a thermometer.

The cast-iron skillet is a versatile tool that makes it easy to cook delicious chicken all year round without needing a grill!

You may also like these cast iron chicken recipes: Cast Iron Lemon Chicken OrzoorCast Iron Shrimp and Creamy Cilantro Lime Orzo.

A Quick Look at The Recipe

• ✅Recipe Name: Cast Iron Chicken Breast
• ⏲️Ready in: 30 minutes
• 👪Makes: 3 Chicken Breasts
• 📋Main ingredients: Chicken Breast, Butter, Salt, and Lemon.
• ⭐Why You'll Love This Recipe: This recipe is perfect because it will teach you an easy technique to make a tender and juicy chicken breast in your cast-iron skillet.

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Choosing Your Chicken Breast

There are good and bad chicken breasts. Sometimes you just get stuck with a stringy piece of chicken. Cooking this chicken starts in the grocery store.

When you're looking, choose chicken breasts that are smooth, pale pink-colored, and shiny. Smaller chicken breasts will cook more evenly and tend to be less chewy. The chicken should be plump but not bulbous.

Avoid chicken breasts that look like they have lots of striations or stringy pieces hanging off of them. Avoid yellow chicken breasts. Avoid huge bulbous chicken that looks like it has been injected with water.

Ingredient Notes

• Chicken Breast. This technique is perfect for chicken breast, but can also work with boneless chicken thighs, and makes Juicy Boneless Pork Chops!
• Butter. I always cook with unsalted butter and add salt as I need.
• Avocado oil. Typically, I'll use avocado oil because it has a high enough smoke point for this recipe.
• Lemon. The squirt of lemon at the end of this recipe helps add a delicious finished flavor to the chicken breast. You can also serve this in a Lemon Cream Sauce.

*Please see the recipe card below for more information on the ingredients.

Variations

This recipe is more of a tutorial on how to cook the chicken. Although the seasonings are what I typically use, your options are endless. Typically, I go with an Italian flavor with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano.

Some of my other favorite combos:

• Garam masala, thyme, turmeric, salt, and pepper.
• Paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
• Chili powder, cumin, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
• Chili powder, paprika, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper

Another way to change up the flavor is to replace the lemon with lime. You can also add fresh herbs to the cast iron with the butter, like fresh sage, thyme, or rosemary.

How to Make Cast Iron Chicken Breast

Master this technique to cook your chicken, and you will always end up with the juiciest piece of chicken breast for your everyday meals!

Seasoning the Chicken

Step 1: Pound and tenderize the meat. It takes two extra seconds and can make a huge difference in tenderness!

Step 2: Place your cast iron over medium heat. While the cast iron is heating, season the chicken breasts with whatever seasoning you prefer. You don't need to marinate if you don't have time. I usually don't have time, and it still comes out delicious, but if you remember, you can season up to 48 hours in advance.

Cooking the Chicken

Once the cast iron is hot, add the avocado oil. I prefer to use avocado oil on the cast iron because the skillet conducts heat so well and can burn olive oil at the heat we are using in this recipe.

Step 3: Place each chicken breast flat on the cast iron. Add half of a lemon, cut side down, on the skillet. You may need to do this in 2 batches, depending on the size of your cast iron.

Step 4: Cook the chicken breast for 7 minutes and then flip it over. If the chicken is looking darker or browner than you think it should, lower the temperature.

Step 5: Cook for another 7 minutes and check the temperature with your instant-read thermometer. Use tongs to roll the chicken breast onto its edges to cook the sides of the breast and develop a golden brown color. Leave the chicken on the cast iron until it reaches 165℉.

Basting

Step 6: Once the chicken reaches 165℉, remove the pan from the heat and add the butter to the pan near the lemon. Use a spoon to baste the chicken in the butter. Then use tongs to grab the lemon and squeeze it over the chicken.

Remove the chicken and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting it. The rule of thumb is to let it rest for half the time it took you to cook it. Top it with Balsamic Onions and serve it along with Lemon Pasta with Spinach or Parmesan Roasted Sweet Potato Halves to make it a delicious meal!

Pro-Tips

1. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel after tenderizing and before seasoning to get the best sear on the chicken.
2. Remove the pan from the heat when you add the butter to make sure you don't burn the butter when basting.
3. The less you move the chicken. the better. Let the chicken develop a sear before you flip it or check it, otherwise, it will stick to the pan

Cast Iron Chicken Breast FAQs

How do you cook chicken breast in a cast-iron skillet without it sticking?

The key is to add a little bit of oil after the cast iron is hot. Wait until the oil is shimmering, then add your chicken to the pan. Don't move the chicken for a few moments. If you try to move it before it is seared, it will stick to the pan.

How do you get a nice sear on chicken breast?

Wait until the oil is shimmering. Then add the chicken breast. Allow the chicken breast to sit undisturbed for at least 4-5 minutes.

How do you reheat chicken breast and keep it juicy?

This chicken can be eaten hot or cold. I prefer not to reheat and to eat it cold in salads. If I do reheat it, I place it in the microwave for 45-second intervals, flipping after every 45 seconds until warm. Chicken dries out more when you reheat it. Another way to reheat it is by making gravy and reheating it in the gravy.

What to Serve With Chicken Breast

The best part about cast-iron chicken breast is how versatile it is. There are so many things you can eat it with or add it to!

• Try it with some pasta like Creamy Red Pepper Sauce, Garlicky Cauliflower Pasta, or Spicy Vodka Sauce.
• You can replace any of these proteins with this chicken in these dishes: Cast Iron Shrimp and Creamy Cilantro Lime Orzo, or Cast Iron Lemon Chicken Orzo.
• You always need a vegetable to go with your chicken, like My Favorite Maple Bacon Brussel Sprouts, Italian Lacinato Kale Recipe (Tuscan), or Italian Cabbage Recipe.
• And of course, you can simply add it to a salad with our Lemon Basil Vinaigrette, or serve it with rice or risotto like our Mushroom Truffle Risotto or Lemon Spinach Orzo!
• Make our Mediterranean Chicken Wrap with cast iron chicken instead of grilled chicken!

More Cast Iron Recipes

• Italian Cast Iron Pork Tenderloin
• PERFECT Cast Iron Boneless Pork Chops
• Cast Iron Lemon Chicken Orzo Recipe
• Cast Iron Lemon Dill Salmon