BEST EVER Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breast - Bless This Meal (2024)

Published: Dec 5, 2022 · Modified: Mar 8, 2024 by Kate · This post may contain affiliate links ·

Cast iron skillet chicken breast is tender, juicy, and delicious. Chicken breast is seasoned with salt and pepper then cooked in a bright lemon rosemary sauce. All you need is a cast iron skillet and 30 minutes to make this flavorful dinner.

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I’ve been using a cast iron skillet for almost everything lately. It has become my favorite kitchen tool. A good seasoned cast iron skillet gives the dinner so much flavor that you just don't get from a traditional non-stick pan.

The chicken breast is so flavorful and is cooked in garlic, lemon, rosemary, and honey. As the chicken breast is caramelized, the sauce is drizzled over top flavoring all sides of the chicken breast. It's a gluten free, family friendly dinner packed with flavor that everyone can enjoy in no time. I'm confident everyone will love this easy cast iron recipe.

Why You’ll Love Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breast

• Cast iron chicken breastcan be made in 30 minutes making it easy for weeknights. There's very little prep time and the clean up is extremely easy since everything is made in a cast iron skillet.
• The cast iron chicken breast with sauce is made with bright aromatic flavors of lemon, honey, rosemary, and garlic making it extremely flavorful. Everyone is going to love this dinner including the kids! Make this if you're wanting to impress a loved one or family.
• The cast iron pan chicken breast is extremely versatile. Make this chicken cast iron skillet recipeit for dinner or meal prep for school or work lunches. The chicken breast stores nicely and can keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. The honey, lemon, rosemary sauce the chicken cooks in can be poured over top to keep it nice and juicy.
• Everything is homemade and simple. The recipe relies on whole, healthy ingredients to build the flavor of the chicken. You may already have most of the ingredients on hand.

What You Need to Make Lodge Cast IronChicken Breast

Olive oil - opt for a good quality olive oil for the best flavor. Canola or vegetable oil can be substituted but it won't give the same flavor that an olive oil provides.

Chicken Breast - boneless skinless chicken breasts are used in this recipe.

Salt and pepper - cast iron chicken breast seasoning is extremely simple of this recipe.We're keeping it simple making sure not to take away from the sauce the chicken cooks in later. I like to use seasoned salt for this recipe.

Garlic - you have to use fresh garlic for this recipe. Buying pre-minced or using garlic powder in its place just won’t taste the same. Fresh garlic cloves are going to bring the best flavor in this cast iron skillet chicken breast recipe.

Rosemary - fresh rosemary is used in this recipe. I have not used dried rosemary in this recipe but I think the fresh gives the best flavor as it cooks down into the sauce. This one ingredient adds so much flavor.

Lemon - we use the juice from one lemon. It adds brightness and tanginess to the dish. Use the juice from a fresh lemon for the best results.

Honey - used to offset the sharp acidity from the lemon and brings balance to the dish. We like using local honey to help our local community and because it's healthy! Try buying local if you have the opportunity.

Why You Should Cook in a Cast Iron Skillet More Often

If you don't own a cast iron skillet or two this is your sign to get one. We love cooking in ours and take every opportunity we can to use it. Below are some reason you should be using your cast iron skillet more regularly.

• As long as your cast iron skillet is seasoned correctly, it is naturally non-stick. You also don't have to worry about the little bits of carcinogenic Teflon flaking off into your food which is commonly found in non-stick pans.
• Cast iron pans had iron into your food. Iron is an extremely important mineral your body needs to keep cells healthy. Cooking with cast iron helps with that. While it may not give you a significant amount of iron, it helps a little bit!
• Cast iron skillets heat and cook evenly. While it takes a little longer to heat than thinner pans it's one of the best as retaining heat. As as result the food cooks evenly as well.
• You can use your cast iron skillet on just about any surface. If you want to make this delicious cast iron skillet chicken breast on the stove, in the oven, over a campfire, or even a grill, you can.
• Cleaning when you're done making this delicious cast iron skillet chicken breast is SO easy. All you need is water and a dish cloth to clean. We like to keep our cast iron skillets seasoned well. Soap will only strip the skillet of that seasoning.

Tips for Cooking Chicken Breast in a Cast Iron Skillet

1. Preheat the cast iron skillet before adding the chicken breast. Cast iron skillets take a little longer than thinner non stick skillets to heat. If you add the chicken breast before the oil is heated you may risk having oily chicken. I like to give my cast iron skillet a good 5 minutes over the heat before adding the meat. Cast iron chicken breast takes patience but it's very much worth it.
2. Use a well seasoned cast iron skillet for the best flavor and results. We don't go overboard with the seasonings in this chicken breast recipe. In fact, all you need is salt and pepper because the seasoned cast iron skillet is going to give you that extra flavor thin non-stick pans just can't provide. It's so good you'll want to cook chicken in cast iron more often!
3. Be generous with the cooking oil but don't over do it. For this recipe I used 2 tablespoons of olive oil. This was plenty for my medium sized cast iron skillet. If you're working with a larger surface area you may need more than that. Oil is important because it keeps the chicken breast from sticking. I like to have enough to where there's a thin layer covering the bottom of my skillet. In doing so, the chicken is easy to flip and cooks evenly on all sides.
4. Be mindful that chicken breasts come in all shapes and sizes. If you're wondering how long to cook chicken breast in cast iron skillet it all depends on the size of the meat you're using.The chicken breasts used for this recipe are more on the thicker side hence the longer cooking time on each side. If you’re using thinner chicken breasts you may need to reduce the cook time. A general rule of thumb I like to follow is to flip the chicken breasts when the edges start to turn white. It's also wise to keep a meat thermometer around and check for an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

How to Make Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breast

Step 1. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil or enough to cover the bottom of the cast iron skillet. Let preheat for around 5 minutes.

Step 2. While the skillet is heating season chicken breasts generously with seasoned salt and pepper generously on all sides. Once the cast iron skillet has heated place the chicken into the skillet and let cook for about 5-6 minutes undisturbed.

Step 3. While the chicken is cooking add the juice from 1 lemon, sliced garlic, and the honey to a small bowl. Whisk until well combined. Set aside until later.

Step 4. Flip and cook chicken undisturbed for another 4-5 minutes until both sides are golden brown. Once done, add the lemon juice mixture and fresh rosemary sprigs around the cooked chicken breasts and let simmer until reduced and thickened. About 3-4 minutes. Flip the chicken so both sides are seasoned in the sauce. Use a spoon to baste the thickened sauce over top occasionally.

Step 5. Once done, remove the cast iron skillet from the heat and set aside. Serve the chicken immediately with the remaining pan drippings and sliced garlic.

How Do You Keep Chicken From Sticking to Cast Iron?

Believe it or not cast iron skillets are naturally non-stick when seasoned right. The trick to making sure nothing sticks in a cast iron skillet is ensuring there's enough oil used in the recipe. This means covering the bottom of the cast iron skillet in the fat of your choice whether it be oil, butter, bacon grease or anything else. Cooking chicken in cast iron skillet is easy. The more you do it the more comfortable you'll feel doing so.

Is It Better to Fry or Bake The Iron Skillet Chicken Breast?

Whether you want to make the iron skillet chicken breasts on the stove or in the oven is completely your choice. This would be a great recipe to finish in the oven. However, I personally prefer to make everything on the stove and here's why.

I like to watch the chicken cook to make sure it doesn't get too dry. If it's on the stove I can see whether it’s done or if I need to flip it. I also find that some herbs like rosemary are prone to burning in the oven. I like to adjust the rosemary as I flip the chicken breasts to make sure every part of the chicken absorbs the flavor.

Finally, while it's not entirely impossible it’s just a little more difficult to spoon the sauce over the chicken as it cooks if it's in the oven. These are just my personal preferences. If you're wondering how to cook chicken breast in cast iron skillet and oven you can do this by pan frying the chicken on both sides, add the lemon rosemary sauce to deglaze the pan and then finish in the oven at 350 degrees for about 5-7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.

If you choose to make this in the oven let me know! I'm sure it will turn out delicious.

What to Serve with Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breast

• Roasted Green Beans and Carrots
• Roasted Lima Beans
• Yellow Mediterranean Rice
• Instant Pot German Potato Salad
• Buffalo Smashed Potatoes

Other Chicken Breast Recipes You Should Try

• Vodka Sauce Pasta with Chicken
• Turmeric Black Pepper Chicken
• Cajun Chicken Orzo
• Chicken Curry with Almond Milk