Pan Seared Chicken Breast Recipe

Today we’re keeping it simple with an easy recipe for healthy pan seared chicken breasts. Simple, however, does not mean boring.

This homemade delicacy delivers rich, royal flavors using a peasant’s most prized ingredient — the chicken breast. It’s great for all sorts of meals, including family feasts, quick dinners, make-ahead freezer meals, or low-carb lunches.

Pan seared chicken breast is a buttery sear of chicken seasoned with garlic and paprika. Once done, it comes out golden, glossy, and picture-perfect “for the gram.”

If that’s not convincing, wait until you bite into it — you’ll love it! But first, let’s dive into the know-hows for this dish.

Is Pan Seared Chicken Breast Recipe Healthy?

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Absolutely!

Our pan seared chicken breasts are as healthy as meat gets. The recipe centers around chicken breast — a holy grail for every bodybuilder.

You can hop onto it too. Every 4-ounce serving of chicken breast contains 25 grams of protein, which equates to 14%-50% of the required protein on a 2000-calorie diet.

Served with vegetables, as we did in this meal, it’s enough to keep you feeling full until dinner. So no more between-meal snacks and no sugar-laden munchies. This dish delivers both flavor and that full feeling.

As far as nutrients go, chicken breasts come with plenty, some in the form of vitamins B6 and B12.

Vitamins B6 and B12 are essential for providing you with energy to fuel your workouts and regulating fuel (glucose) for your brain, thereby preserving your health.

We also kept a strict eye on the amount of sodium. The total amount in this recipe takes up 21% of your daily sodium intake.

One of the pillars of a healthy diet is well-regulated dietary sodium. Otherwise, you may end up facing adverse health issues such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, and even stroke.

As a precaution, you may want to avoid pre-packaged foods that sneak in excess amounts of salt and sugar. We encourage you to stick to healthier, homemade meals, and this recipe is a great place to start!

Marinade

The marinade is a blend of readily available spices like oregano, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and salt. It’s a basic mix that carries our favorite flavors.

What’s even better is you can use it over and over again with excellent results. The spicy herbs and pleasant hints of paprika will keep you coming back for more!

Garlic and olive oil also make a perfect combo to elevate the taste of chicken breast and any meat in general. Mix the two with the rest of the spices in a bowl and stir until you’ve formed a paste you can easily slather onto the chicken.

Once fully coated, the chicken breasts are ready for the next step.

How to Pan Sear Chicken

In this recipe for pan seared chicken breast, we use searing and sautéing techniques for a crispy touch and buttery finish.

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Tips for Cooking Chicken Breast

In some instances, you may end up with a dark, near-black sear. This is fine if using blackening spices like Cajun and Creole seasoning.

If not, however, ensure that a black crust is not just the chicken burning during the searing process.

You can slice the chicken breast lengthwise for easy and quick cooking. It also helps to prevent the exterior from drying out before the center cooks.

To ensure the chicken is ready, check that the internal temperature is at 165 F. Or that the juices run clear (not pink) before removing it from the heat.

Can You Freeze Cooked Chicken Breasts?

Yes, you can freeze cooked chicken breasts with no problems. It’s a genius way to work in those freezer meals, make-ahead meals, and meal preps.

To store it, leave it to cool to room temperature after cooking and then transfer it into a freezer-safe container. Tupperware and Ziploc bags are perfect for this as they keep the air out and prevent the meat from contamination.

After tightly sealing shut, you can safely store cooked chicken breast in the freezer for 2-6 months.

When you’re ready to use it, leave the chicken to thaw in the refrigerator until fully defrosted. Then reheat it again; you can microwave it for a few minutes or bake it until hot before serving.

How Long Does It Last in the Fridge?

Cooked chicken breasts can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days in an airtight container.

Again, Ziploc bags or any Tupperware containers are A-okay. Just avoid keeping the chicken breasts for more than three days.

Longer storage time starts to see the chicken turn greyish while giving off a foul odor accompanied by a slimy texture.

Ensure that the lid is tightly sealed shut and the chicken is always in the fridge, and avoid keeping it at room temperature for over an hour.

When ready to consume it, check that the chicken is still in good condition before reheating again.

What to Serve With

Plain chicken breasts cooked well can make a great meal. But they’re even better with complements to make them a more rounded dish.

Here are a few pairings:

1. Mashed Potatoes

Add a little milk and cheese to your potatoes to end up with silky-textured mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes pair incredibly well with cooked chicken breasts because of their creamy texture.

They help make the firmer chicken breast more pleasant to chew. Plus, they add healthy carbs that chicken breast lacks, helping to balance out the meal.

2. Baked Vegetables

Baked vegetables are even more fun to add as a side. Think of broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, and onion; a variety of textures in one cook.

As we did with this recipe, you can sauté some veggies and add them to the cooked chicken breasts. They not only add versatility to the dish but nutrients too.

Besides, chicken breasts are mostly protein and could do with some veggies to accompany them. Try adding your favorite ones and let us know how you enjoy them!

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For other ideas on serving cooked chicken breasts, you can check out our collection of 100+ healthy chicken recipes. We guarantee that there’s a little something for everyone who enjoys the beauty that is chicken. Enjoy!

More Delectable Trays of Chicken and Vegetables

Prior to the baking, we seared our chicken skin side down until golden to achieve a better texture of the skin. You can see that there’s just a few ingredients, but thanks to this technique it doesn’t need a lot either.

Our chicken marbella cooks in the oven and develops this beautiful color, indicating how tasty it is. The tray contains chicken and plums, as well as a savory sauce flavored with red wine and capers.

Healthy Pan Seared Chicken Breast

5 from 2 votes

This healthy pan seared chicken breast features mushrooms, carrots, and asparagus to make a well-rounded meal. Serve plain, as a Keto dish, or with mashed potatoes.

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• cook TIME 22 mins
• prep TIME 10 mins
• total TIME 32 mins

• COURSE Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
• CUISINE American
• SERVINGS
  4

  servings
• CALORIES 478 kcal

INGREDIENTS

1x2x3x

• 28 oz skinless boneless chicken breast
• 16 oz asparagus (sliced)
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms (brown, medium-sliced)
• 5 oz carrot
• 4 oz onion (sliced)
• 0.5 oz grated parmesan cheese
• 2 3/4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp olive oil (divided)
• 1/2 tsp salt (divided)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper (divided)
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp garlic (chopped)
• 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 2 tbsp parsley (fresh)

INSTRUCTIONS

1

Using a sharp knife, make vertical incisions along the surface of the chicken breast.

2

In a small bowl, mix 1/4 tsp oregano, 1/8 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp paprika, and 1/4 tsp garlic powder. Then, add in 1 tbsp olive oil.

3

Marinate chicken breasts with the spice-oil mixture.

4

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and add in 1 tbsp olive oil.

5

Add in 28 oz chicken breasts and sauté on both sides for about 8 minutes until they turn golden brown. Remove from the heat.

6

Clean the pan before heating it again over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil. Stir-fry 8 oz mushrooms for 2 minutes until golden brown.

7

Add in 1 tbsp chopped garlic, 4 oz onions, and 5 oz carrots. Stir fry for 2 minutes before adding 16 oz asparagus.

8

Season with the remaining 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper, and 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning. Finally, add 2 3/4 tbsp butter to the vegetables, cook for about 6 minutes, and then turn off the heat.

9

Sprinkle 0.5 oz parmesan cheese and 2 tbsp parsley, and serve.

NUTRITION

Nutrition Facts

Healthy Pan Seared Chicken Breast

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 478Calories from Fat 225

% Daily Value*

Fat 25g

38%

Saturated Fat 8g

50%

Polyunsaturated Fat 2g

Monounsaturated Fat 11g

Cholesterol 169mg

56%

Sodium 478mg

21%

Potassium 1335mg

38%

Carbohydrate 14g

5%

Fiber 5g

21%

Sugar 6g

7%

Protein 50g

100%

Vitamin A 7084IU

142%

Vitamin C 13mg

16%

Calcium 110mg

11%

Iron 4mg

22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keywords: how to pan sear chicken, pan seared chicken breast, pan seared chicken breast recipe