The Cozy Cookbook is here! 
This super quick Pan Fried Chicken recipe is easy to make with chicken breasts in a flavorful garlic butter pan sauce. It comes together in less than 30 minutes and pairs well with mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli!
Be sure to try my Baked Chicken Thighs recipe next!
EASY Pan Fried Chicken
This super simple Pan Fried Chicken is the best way to get dinner fast without sacrificing flavor! After being seared to golden perfection, the chicken is basted with an easy and flavorful pan sauce which incorporates delicious gourmet flavor in a flash!
You only need a handful of ingredients for this recipe, some of which include white wine for deglazing the skillet, (see pro tips for substitution options if needed), crushed garlic cloves, chicken broth, thyme, butter, and fresh lemon wedges (if desired)!
Serve this with mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli or green beans for an easy meal that your family will love!
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Slice the chicken in half lengthwise to create 2 thinner slices. Pat dry, season each side, and sear in olive oil. Set aside. Deglaze the skillet with white wine.
Add the chicken broth, seasonings, garlic, and thyme. Simmer and reduce by half. Reduce heat to medium low and add the butter, followed by the chicken. Use a spoon to baste the chicken with the pan sauce for 1-2 minutes.
Remove from heat and serve with fresh lemon wedges if desired. Serve with mashed potatoes and your roasted vegetable of choice!
Pro Tips
- Wine: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc are my go-to dry white wines for this recipe. My next recommendation would be non-alcoholic white wine, which is widely available these days. While the wine does really elevate this recipe, chicken broth can be used instead.
- Skillet temperature: Don’t let the heat get too hot once the butter is added to ensure it doesn’t break/separate.
- Potato Pairings: Mashed, Roasted, and even Greek Potatoes are my go-to choices for this recipe. Check out all of my potato recipes here.
- Vegetable Pairings: Roasted Broccoli, Green Beans, and Asparagus are great in this recipe.
- For a saucier version of this dish with a few more ingredients, try my recipe for Chicken in White Wine Sauce. For smaller bites to serve as an appetizer, try my Chicken Bites recipe!
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Leftovers can also be frozen, but there isn’t quite as much sauce to accompany the chicken in this recipe as you’d normally find in my recipes.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- 12-inch cast iron skillet– Similar to the one I used for this recipe.
- Kitchen Tongs– makes it easy to handle the chicken when searing.
- MyFavorite Chef Knife
- Meat Tenderizer
Try These Next
-
- Cajun Chicken
-
- Homemade Hamburger Helper
-
- Ranch Pork Chops
-
- Baked Chicken Thighs
-
- Lemon Garlic Chicken
-
- Cabbage and Sausage
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Tried This Recipe?
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Pan Fried Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken & Seasoning
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt/Pepper
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Pan Sauce
- ½ cup white wine
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon EACH: basil, oregano, onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon seasoned salt
- 3-4 tablespoons butter, salted
- Fresh lemon slices, for serving
Equipment
Instructions
- Combine the chicken broth and seasonings (basil, oregano, onion powder, and seasoned salt), and set aside.
- Slice the chicken in half lengthwise to create 2-3 thinner slices. Cover with saran wrap and use the textured side of a meat mallet to pound it to ½-inch thick. Pat the chicken dry.
- Lightly sprinkle each side of the chicken with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken in batches for 4 minutes per side, until a golden crust has developed. Set aside.
- Turn the heat off and add the white wine. Set heat to medium and add the chicken broth + seasonings, smashed garlic, and thyme. Adjust heat to bring to a gentle simmer and let it reduce by half.
- Decrease heat to medium-low. Add the butter and the chicken along with any juices from the plate. Let the butter melt and tilt the skillet to transfer the pan sauce to one side. Use a spoon to baste the chicken for 1-2 minutes. (How good does it smell?)
- Add fresh lemon wedges to the skillet if desired or serve them on the side. You can also squeeze the lemon right onto the chicken in the skillet. Remove from heat and serve with mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli. (See notes for other pairing options!)
Notes
- Wine: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc are my go-to dry white wines for this recipe. My next recommendation would be non-alcoholic white wine, which is widely available these days. While the wine does really elevate this recipe, chicken broth can be used instead.
- Skillet temperature: Don't let the heat get too hot once the butter is added to ensure it doesn't break/separate.
- Potato Pairings: Mashed, Roasted, and even Greek Potatoes are my go-to choices for this recipe. Check out all of my potato recipes here.
- Vegetable Pairings: Roasted Broccoli, Green Beans, and Asparagus are great in this recipe.
- For a saucier version of this dish with a few more ingredients, try my recipe for Chicken in White Wine Sauce. For smaller bites to serve as an appetizer, try my Chicken Bites recipe!
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 4 servings in this recipe.
Well I got a super super delicious from one kid and an A++++++ from the other Kid. Thank you. They loved it. So tasty and easy
Wow I love how your kids rate!🩷 Nice work Chelsea, thanks so much for the great review!🩷
Delicious meal! I used a smaller pan to pan fry the chicken. I did it in batches. That took longer, so I kept the chicken warm in the oven after the broccoli cooked. The pan juices were tasty! I substituted a few turns of olive oil for butter. I recommend the mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli go with this meal. Use fresh basil, if available.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! I agree, roasted broccoli and mashed potatoes are perfect with this one. Thanks so much for the great review!💗
My family was blown away from the flavor! My 10 year old said I should open a restaurant!
I love hearing that Rachel, nice work!🙌 Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!💖
What a delicious meal!!!!!! I can’t believe how quickly this came together. I had all the ingredients for this recipe on-hand. The spices perfectly complimented each other. My husband and son loved it; and I still had time to chillax with them on the couch after dinner because there was minimal dishes. I’ve learned to keep some white wine on-hand for your recipes and it absolutely raised the bar on this meal. Thanks again, Steph! Too yummy!🙌
You’re very welcome Lauren! I’m so happy your husband and son loved it. I also love how quickly it comes together. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!💖