These crispy pan fried chicken breasts are so easy to prepare and delicious to eat. Made with a simple seasoning and quickly pan-seared in olive oil, dinner is only 15 minutes away!
For more delicious chicken dishes, try making my recipes for Baked Lemon Herb Chicken and Potatoes, Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings, and Air Fryer Chicken Breasts.
Why This Recipe Works
Quick-cooking chicken — Looking for a quick fried chicken breast recipe? It doesn’t get any faster than this! The key is to thinly slice the breasts and pound them into a thinner cutlet. These fry up in no time.
Simple ingredients — Chicken, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and olive oil — that’s it! Truly, it seems too simple to be true perhaps, but this is one of my favorite ways to make chicken.
Great for sandwiches — These best fried chicken breasts are not only delicious as pictured here with broccoli and mashed potatoes, but it’s also so yummy on sandwiches. I like to add these easy proteins between slices of a baguette with some mayo, tomato, and lettuce. Terrifically tasty…you need to try it!
Easy to double — Speaking of sandwiches, I often double this recipe so that I can have leftovers for tomorrow’s sandwiches, or salads, or on top of pasta…you get the idea!
Ingredients
Chicken breasts — I have only made this pan fried chicken with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. They are easy to slice in half and thin out and fry. You could try a chicken thigh without slicing it in half if that’s what you have on hand.
Olive oil — If your pan is large or you find that your chicken isn’t crisping up uniformly, then add more oil, ½ tablespoon at a time, for desired crispiness.
Salt and pepper — I love a lot of pepper on these easy, crispy chicken breasts, and add just a couple shakes of salt on each side but you can feel free to add as much salt and pepper as you like.
Here’s How You Make It
If you’ve always wondered how to pan fry chicken breast, this has always been my go-to, quick recipe.
- Half the chicken breast (or breasts) down the middle crosswise (through the widest part) til almost all the way through but not quite. (photo 1)
- Open it like a book, place it on a cutting board and mash it with the heel of your hand until it is an even thickness. (photo 2)
- Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper to both sides of the chicken breast. (photo 3)
- Drizzle the olive oil into a heavy-bottomed pan or non-stick skillet (I love using cast iron for this) over medium-high heat. (photo 4)
- When the oil starts to shimmer, it’s ready for the chicken. Gently lay the chicken breast on the oil and cook for 3-4 minutes per side and serve. (photos 5-6)
Yes! Chicken can crisp up without the skin. The key is to make sure the chicken is of uniform thickness when it hits the oil so that it browns evenly on all surfaces. Don’t disturb the chicken as it cooks, allow it to cook all the way on one side before flipping. It will loosen easily once one side is done.
Cutlets are thin slices of chicken breast that have been made into an even thickness. I do this with the heel of my hand, but you can also put the butterflied (or halved) chicken in between two pieces of parchment paper and gently pound with a meat tenderizer.
Cutlets are often fried, but can also be baked, grilled, or sautéed as part of a stir fry or other dish.
I love this protein option so much and serve it in a number of ways. Some of my favorites include:
– With roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes.
– In a sandwich with mayo (or mustard), tomato, lettuce, and a thin slice of onion.
– In a BLT as an added bonus. (If you’ve never had a BLT with a fried chicken cutlet on it, oh man are you in for a treat!)
– This chicken is also delicious, hot or cold, sliced up and placed on top of a simple salad or as part of a cobb salad.
– Sometimes when I meal prep, I’ll add this chicken over a portion of Mexican rice or cilantro lime rice.
– Sometimes I find I want to add protein to pasta, so I’ll add these delicious chicken breasts to orzo or pasta.
Expert Tips + Tricks
- Cooking more than one chicken breast? Make sure not to overcrowd the pan. If the chicken touches, it won’t crisp up well. It’s better to work in batches, adding a little oil at a time as you go.
- These chicken breasts will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- You can also freeze this fried cutlets for up to 4 months in an airtight container or resealable bag.
More Recipes
- Chicken with Garlic Herb Butter
- Easy Baked Lemon Chicken
- Grilled Chicken Dry Rub
- Creamy Pesto Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Breast and Rice
Did you make this recipe? FANTASTIC. Please rate the recipe below and be sure to tag me on social when you share a photo on social – I love seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
Crispy Pan Fried Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 1 large skinless, boneless chicken breast
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt - to taste
- black pepper - to taste
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, halve the chicken breast almost entirely down the middle so it opens like a book, but it is still one piece of chicken. Place the chicken cut size down on the cutting board and gently bash it with the heel of your hand so the chicken is all of an even thickness.
- Season both sides with the garlic powder, and generously with the salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan or non-stick skillet set over a medium high heat.
- Once the oil is shimmering, cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side, doing your best not to disturb the chicken as it browns to get a nice, crispy, caramelized crust.
Oh my goodness, this looks delicious! I’m definitely making this! thanks for sharing! A healthier option for a family favorite.
So tasty! These are the absolute best. We make them with whole wheat bread crumbs and wheat flour. Cook a little longer in our oven.
Turned out just the way I expected 🙂 Guilt free chicken fries, thank you so much!
What brand of bread crumbs do you use? I just made these today, and they were so good! But I’d love to get finer bread crumbs for next time.
I typically use the Kroger brand! Nothing too fancy over here 😉