How to Make Pan-Roasted Chicken Breasts

Pan-roasting is a little-known method that's startlingly easy and results in chicken breasts with crackling skin. You'll need a sturdy ovenproof skillet. This recipe makes four single chicken breasts.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Salt And Pepper
• Skillets
• Spatulas
• 4 chicken breasts with skin and first wing bone
• 3 tbsp. peanut oil

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Heat a sturdy ovenproof skillet over medium heat. A well-seasoned cast iron skillet works best.
3. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Check the chicken breasts to make sure each one has enough skin to cover the breast meat.
4. Lay the breasts skin-side down on the cutting board and give each one a few solid whacks with the flat side of a meat mallet or other heavy object. This will help keep them from curling during cooking. Don't flatten the breasts.
5. Place the oil in the pan, swirl it to coat completely and lay the breasts in the oil skin-side down. They should sizzle very gently. If the chicken sizzles too rapidly, turn the heat down immediately.
6. Cook the chicken without turning it for about 3 minutes. It should be cooking very slowly.
7. Place the skillet in the oven, without turning the chicken, and cook until the breasts are done.

Tips & Warnings

• Because the skin of the chicken remains in constant contact with the bottom of the pan, it becomes very crispy when cooked.
• The two keys to this recipe are to not turn the breasts and to cook them on top of the stove very slowly at first so that the skin doesn't brown too early but cooks long enough to begin to render its fat and to cook away its moisture.