Pan-Seared Chicken Breast

A boneless chicken breast seared gently in butter until golden outside and juicy within, then finished with a quick pan jus. The key to keeping lean breast meat from drying out is butterflying and pounding it into an even cutlet, so it cooks fast and evenly — a simple move that turns a notoriously bland cut into something genuinely good.

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup water (for the jus)

Pan-Frying

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Browning Food and Building a Sauce→

Method

Butterfly and pound the cutlets (highly recommended)

For the best results, place a chicken breast flat on a cutting board and, holding a sharp knife parallel to the board, slice horizontally through the thickest part, stopping about ½ inch from the far edge so the two halves stay connected, then open it like a book. Place the opened breast between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment and, using a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy pan, pound to an even ¼–½ inch thickness. Repeat with the second breast. You can skip butterflying and pounding, but a whole breast will require the longer cooking method below.

Season and sear

Season both sides liberally with salt at least 20–30 minutes before cooking. This brief dry cure helps the chicken retain moisture and stay juicy as it cooks.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat until foaming, then add the chicken.

For butterflied and pounded breasts, flip every minute until browned and cooked through (165°F), about 4–5 minutes total. For breasts that have not been butterflied or pounded, flip every 3 minutes until cooked through (165°F), about 12 minutes total. Remove from the pan, season lightly with salt, and let rest 5 minutes.

Make the jus

Deglaze the pan with the water, scraping up the browned bits to make a simple jus. Reduce by roughly half, then pour over the chicken.

Pairs with: Chicken with Mustard Sauce; Chicken Marsala (see Part 8 for both sauces)