Perfect pan roasted chicken breasts cooked with butter and fresh thyme. With our easy method, the chicken is golden brown on the outside and juicy in the middle. It tastes incredible!
Pan roasting is one of our favorite ways to cook chicken. We use the same method for cooking these lemon chicken thighs and when making our popular recipe for pork chops. First, we sear our chicken in an oven-safe pan on top of the stove, and then finish it in the oven until cooked through.
We also use a similar process when making our skillet chicken breasts, but instead of letting the chicken finish in the oven, we cover them with a lid and keep them on the stove.
How to Make Pan Roasted Chicken
If we can find them, boneless skin-on chicken breasts are our go-to for this recipe. If you can’t find chicken breasts with the skin left on and the bone out, you can make this with bone-in breasts or skin-on chicken thighs. You can also use skinless breasts, although I have to admit that golden-brown skin is my favorite part.
I cook the chicken in butter for this chicken recipe and add lots of fresh thyme. You’ll start by generously seasoning the chicken with salt. Then, place it skin-side down into a hot pan. When the chicken is golden brown, flip it and add butter and fresh thyme.
Now, here’s the good part! When the butter has melted, spoon it all over the chicken, and then slide the pan into the oven so the chicken can finish cooking.
While the chicken finishes cooking in the oven, open the oven door a couple of times and spoon more butter over the chicken to keep it moist.
What to Serve with Pan Roasted Chicken
I love serving these juicy chicken breasts over mashed potatoes and make sure to spoon some of the pan juices over the top (it’s so good). Mashed sweet potatoes or lower carb mashed cauliflower are also wonderful with this chicken recipe. You can add a side of veggies, too. You’ll be finishing the chicken in a 400°F oven, which is the same temperature I use when roasting carrots and in this garlic roasted asparagus.
Easy Pan Roasted Chicken Breasts
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
Perfect pan-roasted chicken breasts cooked with butter and thyme. The chicken is golden brown, juicy in the middle, and tastes incredible! We love using boneless skin-on chicken breasts for this recipe if we can find them. Chicken thighs would also be great. If you cannot find chicken breasts with the skin left on and the bone out, you can make this with bone-in breasts. You can also use skinless breasts, although I have to admit that golden-brown skin is my favorite part.
You Will Need
2 boneless skin-on chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each)
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon neutral oil, like grape seed or canola
2 tablespoons butter
Handful fresh thyme sprigs
Half of a lemon, for serving
Directions
1Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).
2Pat the chicken breasts dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
3Heat oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, and then carefully place chicken skin side down into the hot skillet. Cook without moving until skin is deep golden brown and crisp, about 6 minutes.
4Carefully flip the chicken, and then add the butter and thyme. When the butter has melted, spoon it over the chicken several times.
5Transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook chicken until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breasts registers 165°F, 10 to 15 minutes. Spoon the thyme butter over the chicken several times while it bakes. If you are cooking bone-in chicken breasts, expect they will take a bit longer; I’d expect somewhere between 25 and 35 minutes.
6Remove the skillet from the oven and transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving. Serve with butter from the pan spooned on top and a squeeze of lemon.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
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I made this with boneless skinless breasts. I cut each breast into 3 pieces, butterflied the thick part, pounded until all were of about 3/4″ thick. I preheated my cast iron skillet in oven while my potatoes baked, took it out when they had 10 minutes to finish. Because I had pounded my chicken, I decided to finish on stovetop, as it was easier to baste and watch. Added oil, then chicken to hot pan on med-hi heat, flipping for about 6 minutes total. Removed chicken, started sauce. Because my fam LOVES sauce, I used 1 c.chardonnay, thyme, 2 tsp Dijon mustard,then butter and black pepper;addded chicken back to pan sauce and finished up. It was delicious – definitely a do-over!
This was absolutely delicious. The butter and thyme were so good and the chicken came out really juicy. I will definitely make this again.
I covered it instead of putting it in the oven. I can’t be bothered to do the oven thing since I’m only cooking for myself. It still came out delicious though. Will 10/10 cook it again.
Delicious. I have just discovered your site – it is great to find simple to make delicious food without garlic and onion. ( I can not eat either and it is frustrating how everyone just throws garlic in everything rather then finding herbs that work. Though you have what I’m sure are good recipes with garlic also)
This is one of the easiest and most delicious recipes! Thank you for sharing this, we make it all of the time, it’s so versatile and it’s restaurant quality, much tastier than plain boneless chicken.
The first roast chicken I’ve really enjoyed, delicious. Thank you 🙂
Excellent! This recipe had my picky teenage granddaughter taste some and made her plate and immediately then asked for another piece. This a victory, well seasoned and juicy. THANK YOU
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