Pan Fried Chicken Breast (EASY, JUICY No Brining!)

Recipe: Pan Fried Chicken Breast Recipe (Easy, Juicy, No Brining) »

This Pan Fried Chicken Breast recipe will change your life - seriously! There's no need for brining at all to achieve juicy chicken and this is a super low effort recipe with an ingenious method that guarantees that your chicken is cooked all the way through every single time. This is great for meal planning or if you want something delicious but lean too. You will never cook chicken breasts another way again!

This recipe for pan frying chicken breast is so easy and I actually learnt it from TikTok from an account called Smalltowninfluencer. It doesn't require anything special but it's the clever method that makes it so juicy. She learned it from a cooking class and has not cooked chicken breasts any other way since and ever since I first tried it, I am the same (that's what I mean about it changing your life!). This pan fried chicken recipe works with all sizes of chicken breasts. I tried this with different sized chicken breasts, even huge 430g/15oz ones. I also tested it out with both a brined and non brined breast and they had the exact same level of juiciness! YAY for low effort recipes! :)

How to pan fry chicken breast without drying it out? Take your chicken breasts out of the fridge and pan fry them on medium heat for 5 mins presentation side down. Then turn it over and add a cup of water and then pop the lid on and cook it for 2-5 minutes. hen turn the heat off and let the heat cook or steam the breast through for another 15 minutes. This steaming helps keep the chicken breast so moist! I seasoned mine with a Cajun spice mix and I've shared the recipe below with you.

How long does it take to cook chicken breast in a frying pan? This takes 7-9 minutes for an extra large chicken breast of active cooking time. Then you turn the heat off and leave it for another 15-20 minutes and then take out of the pan. I rest it for 5 minutes and then serve it.

Do you pan fry chicken on high or low heat? Medium heat is perfect for pan frying chicken breasts. High heat can dry it out and low heat risks undercooked chicken.

Is it better to fry chicken breast in oil or butter? For this recipe we use oil because butter has a low smoke point.

Top Recipe Tips For Making Juicy Pan Fried Chicken Breast

1 - You do need a pan with a lid for this. The actual pan doesn't really matter and you can use a non stick, cast iron, ceramic or copper aluminium pan.

2 - Make sure that the pan is heated up before adding the oil and the chicken, otherwise the chicken will stick to the pan.

3 - You can cook the chicken straight from the fridge. There is no need to take it out of the fridge to bring it to temperature before cooking.

4 - I used a Cajun spice mix to season the chicken (recipe is below) but you can use any other spice rub you like.

5 - Rest the chicken after taking it out of the pan. This allows the juices to reabsorb back into the chicken breast.

6 - Big tip: If you just want to make enough Cajun spice mix for 2 chicken breasts, substitute the tablespoon measurement for teaspoons!

7 - This roasted broccolini goes well with the chicken and only takes 12 minutes in the oven to cook. I roast my broccolini while the chicken is resting for 15 minutes.

The leftovers are fantastic in sandwiches (try some chicken, mayo and iceberg lettuce sandwiches) or try using this in baked chicken enchiladas. And if you prefer to cook it in the oven try my baked chicken breast recipe with Mexican seasoning.

Pan Fried Chicken Breast Recipe (Easy, Juicy, No Brining)

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

• 3 teaspoons oil
• 2 chicken breasts up 300g/10.6oz to 430g/15oz each
• 2 tablespoons Cajun BBQ rub seasoning (1 tablespoon per chicken breast)
• 1 cup water

Cajun Spice Mix (enough for 6 large chicken breasts)

• 1.5 tablespoons salt
• 1.5 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground white or black pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper

Step 1 - Mix all of the Cajun bbq rub ingredients together in a bowl. Season each breast with 1 tablespoon of the spice rub all over.

Step 2 - Heat the frying pan to medium heat. Add the oil and place the chicken breasts in the pan presentation side facing down. Cook for 5 mins, lid off. Then using tongs, turn over the breasts and add 1 cup of water and place lid on for 2-5 minutes depending on how large your chicken breasts are (2 minutes for 300g/10.6oz breasts or 5 minutes for 430g/15oz). Turn heat off leaving with the lid on and sit for 15-20 minutes (20 minutes if you have extra large chicken breasts). Remove chicken breasts from the pan and place on a plate or chopping board and rest 5 minutes and then serve!

I made a big batch of these pan fried chicken breasts for Mr NQN and I promise that if you make these once, you'll make them again. They are so juicy and the Cajun spice mix is amazing. I made him pan fried chicken breasts as he is a bit obsessed with his health and he has this particular weight he wants to stay at. It's 76kgs or 12stone. And for a 188cms or 6 foot 2 man that is lean but that's the way he wants it and he gets on the scale every morning. I refuse to get on a scale, I think it plays with your mind so I won't go near one but it's a morning ritual for him. And sometimes his mood depends on what the scales say!

But I am off overseas this week and I wanted to make him some food to eat while I am away. Mainly because when left to his own devices he makes very poor nutritional choices (eating an 8 serving lasagne in 2 meals or making pasta and sauce without any additional protein). I made him a whole lot of these chicken breasts to eat while I am away. He can have them with the vegetables or pasta if he feels like making it. At least I know that this will satisfy his need for lean protein but are so ridiculously easy to make that they satisfy my need to make something simple and not time consuming!

So tell me Dear Reader, how often do you get on a scale? Does your weight put you in a mood?