Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts
- Yield 4
- Prep 10 minutes
- Cook 10 minutes
- Total 20 minutes
Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts is a chicken recipe on Avoteb. The yield on the card is 4. Plan on 20 minutes from start to plate. The amounts and the method are both on this page.
Ingredients
Yield: 4 servings
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 6 to 8 ounces each
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt , (only needed if you are not brining)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or other neutral high-heat oil
- 4 cups water, divided
- 2½ tablespoons fine sea salt
Method
Pound the chicken. Set the chicken breasts between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Gently pound the thicker portions until each breast is an even ½- to ¾-inch thickness.
Salt-soak the chicken, skippable. Check the package to make sure the chicken has not already been brined or enhanced with a sodium solution. Whisk the fine sea salt into 2 cups lukewarm water until dissolved, then mix in the remaining 2 cups cold water. Tip in the chicken and let it brine for 15 to 30 minutes. Lift the chicken from the brine and pat it very dry with paper towels.
Salt the chicken evenly on both sides with the black pepper. If you skipped the brine, also season it with the 1 teaspoon fine sea salt. If you brined the chicken, do not add any more salt.
Sear the first side. Warm the oil in a wide skillet over medium-a hot burner. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chicken breasts in a single layer. Leave without moving them for 3 to 5 minutes, until deeply golden underneath and opaque about halfway up the sides.
Flip the chicken breasts and reduce the heat to medium. Continue cooking uncovered for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and registers 155-160°F in the thickest portion. (The chicken will continue cooking after being removed from the heat to reach the safe 165°F temperature for eating.) Reduce the heat to medium-low if the chicken begins browning too quickly.
Rest the chicken. Move the chicken to a clean plate and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Deglaze the pan, skippable. While the pan is still very hot, carefully pour ¼ cup water or chicken broth into the skillet. Take a wooden spoon to scrape up the flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it bubble gently for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly reduced, then pour the pan drippings over the chicken.
Plate Slice the chicken against the grain and serve warm.
