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.
Stovetop Grilled Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 6-8 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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
In a temporary kitchen in a vacation home with limited appliances. First dinner that has actually come out like at home. Used a castiron skillet and what was on hand for spices that I purchased (salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried oregano, an Italian seasoning blend, dried basil). It came out delicious and moist! Served with ratatouille which was the other thing I made today that came out per normal. Thanks!
Fixing for Mothers Day. Being single and no children plus my mother is deceased, so I still have a Mothers day in remembrance of her.
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
Delicious recipe. Had this for lunch today. My wife loved it.
Can i use a sKillet ? And vegetable oil ?
I made this recipe , I put chicken on top of spaghetti and poured spaghetti sauce over noodles and again over CHICKEN and my family said it was like eating at a five star restaurant. They Loved It.
May I suggest for chicken breasts tht you do a simple half hour brine before grilling. Makes all the difference! Caps won’t turn off, sorry.
ThE best ever!
The ingredients and the Technique.
I use my old faithful lE creuset PAN.
Glad to see someone else using the Le Crueset grill pan.
I have a lodge grilled fry pan and i folLowed your instructions to the “T”. And my chicken still came out tough and rubberY. I didn’t feel as if it cooked long enough. I had to pOach the chicken afterward
I think i should try it up
Can please explain about marination of chicken with seasoning
When you keep your chicken with Seasoning in the fridge to rest for few hours or overnight before use
My chicken breast came out absolutely perfect! I followed the recipe to the letter. I used a paper towel to OILMcast iron grill THUS, I had to use very little oil which was fantastic.
The chicken breast was cooked THOROUGHLY, it was MOIST, and it had a wonderful flavor.
I plan to continue to use this method utilizing different seasonings and spices.
THIS recipe is a jewel! I have been looking for the perfect recipe for HEALTHTY, delicious, easy to make CHICKEN.
Thank you!
SO glad my healthy chicken recipe worked out for you!!
My chicken breast came out absolutely perfect! I followed the recipe to the letter. I used a paper towel to OILmy grill THUS, I had to use very little oil which was fantastic.
The chicken breast was cooked THOROUGHLY, it was MOIST, and it had a wonderful flavor.
I plan to continue to use this method utilizing different seasonings and spices.
THIS recipe is a jewel! I have been looking for the perfect recipe for HEALTHTY, delicious, easy to make CHICKEN.
Thank you!
the problem I had is that after 5 or 6 minutes, the chicken got stuck on to the pan, is this because it was a new pan?
I will try again but how can I avoid chicken getting stuck. it was delicious though.
I would add a little bit of oil if the chicken begins to stick to the pan.
Just made this and it was absOlutely delicious and perfectly cooked throuGh!
I used an iron skillet ( no ridgeS and It worked Very well! Just to make Sure the chicken was cooked thoroghly ( did not haVe a meat thermomEter) I popped the skillet into a low heat oven for about 5 more MinUtes. I served it sliced on fresh spinach and cherry tomatoes wIth SPicy honey mustard dressing and cheese biscuits❗️
i absoloutly love love loveeee this it came out amazing. i tossed it into a salad and my heart and tummy were happy! i love all her recipes, very quick and simple but an amazing taste! can’t wait to try more of her recipes!
So glad you enjoyed it, Yasmeen!! 🙂
Looks great! Anyways I can make these and freeze them?
Yes, you can slice and freeze them.
I usually cook with olive oil since it’s healthy. Would that work with this recipe? If not, any suggestions?
That looks amazing. Grillpans surely come in handy for people with little time on their hands who want to make great grilled meals.
Looking forward to more amazing recipes from you.
Excellent recipe – easy, healthy and tasty. Cooking times were perfect. This was so much better than another recipe I saw that included putting the grill pan in the oven for 8 minutes after browning in the grill pan. What’s the point? Seasonings/marinades are whatever, it’s up to you, whatever your taste.
about how many calories is per serving. thank you
It looks so tasty and delicious dish and same time healthy food because low calories.Thank you very mush sharing the recipe so that I can cook at my own kitchen.
Looks so yummy! Great idea and I wish I could pick it right out of the computer and eat it! Thanks for sharing!