Easy Pan Seared Chicken Breast

Juicy pan seared chicken breast in a simple chicken pan sauce

Course Lunch/Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken pan sauce, pan seared chicken breast

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Servings servings

Calories 141kcal

Slice each chicken breast in half lengthways so you have 2 thinner pieces. Mix salt, garlic powder and pepper in a small bowl and season the chicken pieces on both sides.
Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. When the oil is warm add the chicken to the pan. Cook 5 minutes each side and remove from the pan.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the butter and diced onions to the pan and saute for 5 minutes. Squeeze lemon juice into the pan to deglaze the bottom - scrape up any brown bits with a wooden spoon as the lemon juice sizzles.
Pour in the chicken broth and simmer for 10 minutes - the amount of liquid should reduce by half.
Add the seared chicken into the pan and toss in the sauce. Turn off the heat and serve with any extra sauce spooned over the top.

Allow the chicken to get golden brown when you sear it before flipping to make sure your pan sauce is flavorful
If you don't have lemon you can use anything acidic to deglaze the pan like dry white wine or a splash of vinegar
You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs or bone in skin on chicken thighs in place of the chicken breasts. They will take slightly longer to cook so use a meat thermometer to check for an internal temperature of 165F