Learn how to make the best tender, juicy and delicious chicken breasts right on your stove-top in a grill pan or cast iron pan.
I don’t know where I’d be without grilled chicken. I grill chicken all year for meal-prep and for so many recipes too. Grilled, skinless chicken breasts make a great addition to a healthy diet because they are low in calories and high protein. Eating chicken breast, without breading or skin, helps you eat fewer calories and even burn extra calories for effective weight loss. I always make extra and save it for salads, in burritos, pasta or meal prepping!
Because we don’t always have access to the outdoor grill year round, I make the chicken on the stove-top most of the time. To make tender juicy grilled chicken you will need a heavy duty grill pan. A cast iron pan with ridges works best but if your cast iron pan doesn’t have ridges, you can still grill the chicken on it too.
For the seasoning, I usually switch it up each time I make the chicken and don’t really measure but for the sake of this recipe I’ve included my favorite herb and seasoning mix. You can also used a packet of taco seasoning or your favorite herbs and spices and make it your own.
How to Grill Chicken on Stove-Top (Easy Grill Pan Method)
Ingredients
- 4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 4 oz each
- 1 teaspoon Dried or fresh basil, cilantro or parsley
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon brown or granulated sugar
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 lemon or lime, optional
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Combine all the dry seasoning in a small bowl. Season both sides of the chicken with the dry seasoning mix.
- Heat a heavy duty grill pan to high heat for about 2-3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-high and add the oil to the pan and make sure the entire pan is coated with oil.
- Add the chicken breasts to pan and cook for 5-6 minutes on the first side without moving, until the undersides develop dark grill marks. Flip the chicken breasts using a pair of tongs or a fork and cook the other side for 5-6 minutes.
- Turn off heat and allow chicken breasts to rest in pan for at least 5 minutes before cutting. Sprinkle with lemon or lime before serving (optional).
Notes
I tried this today for the first time and it was great! I’ve never grilled chicken on the stove before. My goal was restaurant style chicken that’s typically on a salad. It came out PERFECT! I used my homemade seasoning blend that has adobo, creole, garlic & onion powder, fresh ground pepper, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, dried parsley & dill. Those seasonings with the methods of this recipe made a perfect grilled chicken breast. I also butterflied my breast which meant less cooking time. They were thinner. 10/10 I’m doing this again. I made it to put on top of my grandmother salad and she’s in food heaven!
I’m so happy to hear that!
I followed your grill chicken on stove top method and it turned out a success.
I used 2 whole chicken legs and marinated it with tandoori masala. It was so flavourful and juicy.
Thank you for sharing.
Yum! Made this with just some leftover taco seasoning. Cut up a breast, put it in a wrap with some Mexican cheese, and black olives. Delish!
Made this quickly as part of a late dinner and it was so good! I didn’t expect it to be as tasty as it was. Great simple recipe, definitely will be making this again 🙂
This recipe was so helpful! Came out great – the whole family enjoyed. Will be making again
This was so good! I used a tbsp of montreal chicken seasoning and a pound of chicken. It was the first time getting a perfectly juicy, grilled chicken..
I’ve made this twice now and am so grateful for the recipe and excellent instructions. It went do well on our salads, but I could see this being delicious and a sandwich too. Thanks!
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review <3
I grilled mine using the Ikea grill pan with Malibu All Purpose Seasoning. XKNT thank you for clear instructions.
I basically smoked everyone out of this house following this recipe! Could it be that I used veg oil instead of EVOO or that I used too much? Maybe something about my cast iron not being seasoned enough? Help!
Maybe your pan over-heated which caused the smoke. I would just lower the heat a tad next time. Yes, seasoning the cast iron pan may also be an issue if the chicken was getting stuck to the pan.
Use grapeseed oil. It has a very high smoke point.
You could try slicing the chicken in smaller portions sections before seasoning and grilling
It makes a difference
How can I grill chicken on a ceramic stovetop? I’ve read that cast iron will scratch the ceramic stovetop.
You can use a heavy-duty non-stick pan.
Hi Laurie, I use cast iron pots and skillets on our ceramic stovetop daily. No issues with scratching.
I want to try and make this tonight but I don’t have olive oil.
What to use in its place? Butter, vegetable oil?
First time I tried this they were nowhere near cooked through. Whoops! Second time I made sure to spread out the meat a bit and pounded them slightly thinner. Then they were slightly overcooked after 6 minutes each side. Whoops! I think I’ve got it figured out! I never knew how to grill chicken like this, and always dry poached in the oven which heats the place up a lot more and doesn’t have that tasty seared outside. I use my large Le creuset cast iron skillet but now I kind of want a grill pan!
Third time’s the charm. I got this! Makes for a super quick lunch if you are home as well. Our favourite quick spice blend is thyme, oregano, salt and pepper and a sprinkle of true citrus lemon powder.
Worked like a charm just as written. Loved the spice blend! For those who think 5 minutes per side plus 5 minutes resting isn’t long enough, please note the recipe calls for 4 oz chicken breasts. Many of them these days are 8+ oz! I cut them in half to get two thin fillets out of each breast. I brined the chicken, too, as another commenter suggested. Will definitely be making this again!
This was easy and delicious! Will definitely make this a regular at my house!
My burners are too small for a grilling pan. What do I do?
Just use the large burner or a smaller pan.
just made this exactly per recipe. it came out perfectly. so easy and so good! the key is to let the meat sit on the skillet for those extra 5 minutes before slicing. thanks for the recipe!
Glad you enjoyed it, Thanks for stopping by!
Tried the receipe today. LOVED it!
This is my first time making grill chicken AND IT couldn’t have been any better!
Thanks for the receipe layla!
Simple and insightful
In my life i have never had chicken cook in 5 mins each side so i’m perplexed at how EVERYONE says it does? are people eating raw chicken- probably not so what am i doing wrong?
It depends on the size of your chicken breast. We advise that you cook your chicken breasts to an internal temperature of 165f.
thank you
it was DELICIOUS
john k