Juicy Cast Iron Chicken BreastWith Garlic Butter is an easy, fool-proof way to prepare tender, mouthwatering chicken. It features succulent seasoned chicken breast with an herbed crust, topped with a decadent roasted garlic butter. Make for weeknight dinners, meal prepping, and more!
Prepare oven - Heat oven to 400°F. Tear off a square of aluminum foil that is large enough to wrap a whole bulb of garlic.
Prepare garlic - Remove the paper on the outside of the garlic bulb to reveal the individually-wrapped cloves. Slice off about a quarter inch off the top off the garlic bulb so the raw cloves are exposed. Place the garlic cut side up on the aluminum foil and drizzle the cloves with olive oil. Wrap the garlic tightly in the aluminum foil.
1 garlic bulb, 1 teaspoon olive oil
Roast - Place the aluminum foil-wrapped garlic on a baking sheet and place it on the middle rack in the oven. Roast for 40-45 minutes.
Remove roasted garlic - Allow the garlic to cool then use a small fork, chopsticks, or your hands to remove the cloves. To use your hands, pinch the bottom of the bulb with your fingers and squeeze in an upward motion to push out the garlic.
Mix ingredients - Add the butter and roasted garlic to a bowl. Use a fork to mash the ingredients together until smooth. Alternatively, use a mixer with a paddle or a food processor until smooth. Fold in freshly cracked pepper, finely chopped herbs, and lemon zest, if desired.
½ cup high-quality salted butter, freshly ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon fresh herbs of choice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Roll butter - Set the butter aside. This is step is optional, but you can transfer butter to a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper. Form the butter into a log, wrap tightly, and twist the ends for future use.
Chicken
Heat oven - Heat the oven to 400°F.
Pound chicken - Tenderize chicken with a meat mallet, rolling pin, or fist to an even ½ to ¾ inch thickness.
2 chicken breasts
Season chicken - Use a paper towel to dry the chicken breasts on both sides. Rub the chicken breasts with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, kosher salt, and pepper on both sides, or season to taste.
2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Sear chicken - Heat about a tablespoon of avocado oil or high-heat cooking oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once the cast iron skillet is hot and the oil shimmers, add the chicken. Sear chicken on one side until golden, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken over and immediately transfer the skillet to the oven and cook on the middle rack for 10-13 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 155°F (68°C).
1 tablespoon cooking oil
Rest - Add a pat of the room temperature garlic butter and a squeeze of lemon juice to the top of each chicken breast. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
lemon juice
Video
Notes
Top tips
The Herbed Garlic Butter makes a half cup, you can save the rest for later or use for multiple breasts.
Make the butter the day before to streamline this recipe.
If your breasts are different thicknesses, tenderize them to make them the same thickness. This will ensure they cook evenly all the way through.
Be sure to let the chicken rest after cooking. This keeps the chicken juicy.
Drizzle any leftover juices from the skillet onto the chicken when you serve it for extra flavor!
Storage & Reheat Instructions
Refrigerate leftover cast iron chicken breast for up to 3 days in an air-tight container. To reheat the chicken, let it temper on the kitchen counter for 10 minutes, then reheat it in a covered pan with cooking oil over low heat.