Photography by Beth Fuller. Styling by Catrine Kelty.

Cold-Start Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts

Name: Cold-Start Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 2 teaspoons kosher salt

By Steve Dunn

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Time

30 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

Ingredient check list

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Why This Recipe Works

With just a few modifications to our tried-and-true “cold-sear” cooking method, we've added boneless, skinless chicken breasts to the list of proteins that cook up beautifully with the technique. Gently flattening the thick part of the breast with a meat pounder encouraged even cooking, while lightly brushing oil on both sides of the breast allowed for even browning without causing splattering. We put the oiled chicken in an unheated, dry skillet; set it over high heat; and flipped it regularly. Flipping the breasts frequently meant that the meat gently cooked from the outside in: The exterior slowly developed a deep, brown crust while the interior remained juicy. Removing the chicken from the pan when it reached 155 degrees and letting it rest for 10 minutes to climb to a 165-degree serving temperature allowed time for whipping up a tasty pan sauce.

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Before You Begin

For the best results, buy similar-size chicken breasts weighing up to 10 ounces. If using breasts that weigh 10 to 12 ounces, cook only three and increase the cooking time in step 3 to 9 to 12 minutes and slice the chicken for serving. We don't recommend using breasts larger than 12 ounces here as their exteriors will toughen before they cook through. We developed this recipe with Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If using Morton kosher salt, which is denser, use only 1½ teaspoons. If desired, use the skillet in which you cooked the chicken to make one of the sauces at right.

Instructions

Gently pound thicker end of each breast until ½ inch thick. Pat breasts dry with paper towels. Brush both sides of breasts with oil and evenly sprinkle each breast with ½ teaspoon kosher salt.

Place breasts, skinned side down, in 12-inch nonstick or carbon-steel skillet, arranging narrow parts of breasts opposite wider parts. Place skillet over high heat and cook for 2 minutes. Flip breasts and cook for 2 minutes (there should be light browning).

Flip breasts; reduce heat to medium; and continue to cook, flipping breasts every 2 minutes, until exterior is well browned and thickest part of breast registers 155 degrees, 6 to 8 minutes longer. Transfer breasts, skinned side up, to platter; tent with foil; and let rest for at least 10 minutes. Serve.