How to cook chicken breast (2024)

Chicken breast while being a convenient to use, lean cut of meat, is prone to drying out if overcooked. It can easily become chewy as well, but if treated with a little care during cooking, the results can be juicy and delicious.

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Chicken breast can be poached, baked, roasted, pan-fried, deep-fried, casseroled and stir-fried, either whole or cut into cubes or strips. They can be sliced in half and butterflied (opened out), or stuffed as in our mustard-stuffed chicken recipe. However you cook them, make sure they're cooked through by checking in the centre that the juices are not pink.

Types of chicken breast

Pan-fried chicken breast recipe

Serves 2

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2 chicken breast fillets, with or without the skin
1 tbsp olive oil

1. Chicken breasts will cook more evenly if they're of an even thickness, so put each one on a board, cover with some cling film and flatten the fattest part slightly with a rolling pin or the base of a saucepan. Take off the cling film and season well.

2. Heat the oil in a frying pan then add the chicken breasts (skin-side down, if they have skin) and cook for 2-3 minutes or until browned. Then turn over, cover and cook on the other side for 7-8 minutes or until cooked through. Check the inside is cooked by poking in the end of a sharp knife – the juices should run clear. If not, keep cooking for another minute and check again. Rest for 5 minutes before serving so the juices can be reabsorbed and the chicken will be juicy.