Kitchen Tips: Tips And Tricks To Cook Tender Pan-Seared Chicken Breast

As winters are here, it's time for most of us to indulge in comfort food. Be it soups, curries, noodles, or pizzas, comfort foods taste different during winters. No matter what day it is, ending it with comfort food feels therapeutic. If you ask me, I would say that a spoonful of Alfredo pasta with a seared chicken breast on the top and stir-fried vegetables on the side is my go-to comfort food. The creamy pasta, the tender chicken with a golden exterior, and the subtly flavoured vegetables are enough to soothe my palate and soul altogether. However, it took me a few attempts to cook the chicken and the pasta right. To know how to make a deliciously smooth and creamy Alfredo pasta, click here. Let’s talk about how to nail cooking a tender chicken breast on the pan. The first time I tried making a pan-seared chicken breast, it turned out to be overcooked. The second attempt turned out to be chewy and raw. After many such attempts, I finally learned to make a perfectly tender and juicy chicken breast with a golden exterior. This article has some of my tried-and-true techniques to cook a perfect chicken breast on the pan. Check them out. 

  1. It's better to use a large, cast iron and straight-sided skillet. You can also use a non-stick pan but a cast-iron skillet is a better option. 
  2. Make sure you start with oil on a medium-high heat flame. Make sure the oil is hot before adding the breasts. 
  3. Swirl the pan to evenly distribute the oil before adding the chicken. 
  4. Don’t flip, poke or touch the chicken before five to seven minutes. Flipping the chicken before five to seven minutes will devoid you of a golden, crisp exterior.
  5. Flip the chicken once and don’t move it again. Let it cook on medium-high for a minute then cover and cook for ten more minutes on low heat. 
  6. Finish with butter to elevate the flavour and colour of the chicken. 
  7. Don’t forget to let the chicken rest for at least five minutes before slicing. Slicing it before that will result in a rubbery and chewy mass. 

Do follow these tips properly to cook your chicken breast on the pan and let us know how they worked.