Easy Chicken on Stove Top– Plain Chicken that Tastes Good

This simple plain chicken recipe is more technique than recipe. Fast and versatile, follow these tips to prepare plain chicken breast so that it actually tastes good even without anything but salt. Then, serve it plain or dress it up any way you like. Chicken doesn’t have to be boring!

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Plain chicken breasts can get boring. They don’t have much flavor, and they can be dry. However, you can cook your chicken fast so that it actually tastes really good, even plain!

Plain, simple chicken, though it can be dull and dry, can be flavorful and juicy!

Plain chicken can also be a useful and versatile mealtime staple. Some things to love about plain chicken:

• affordable if you stock it in your freezer when it is on sale
• cooks quickly
• simple, requiring only a bit of salt and your preferred cooking fat
• plain enough to pass muster with plain-food lovers
• flavorful even though plain– when prepared this way
• a template for any other flavors you can think of!

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This Is Not a Recipe

This really isn’t exactly a recipe. You can ignore the amounts of things and just cook the chicken. All you need is chicken, cooking fat, and salt.

This is more of a technique. If you are an experienced cook, you have probably figured all this out for yourself! Or maybe someone taught you these tips for getting your plainest chicken breast to taste good.

If you are learning basic cooking techniques, these tips will help you turn out tasty chicken on your stove every time! It may not be rocket surgery, but a little knowledge can help you avoid lackluster flavor, chicken that sticks to the pan, and dried out meat.

Even if you have been cooking chicken for awhile, if you aren’t super pleased with how it turns out, read on to learn simple ways to improve your technique. That was my situation…

TPC

My family refers to this “recipe” as “salsa chicken” most of the time, even though I make it for all sorts of other applications. (Keep reading for un-plain suggestions.) But it started out on our menu as TPC. Totally Plain Chicken.

Do you have one of those people in your family who likes food to look and taste very simple? I still have one, though a little more zesty food works for us now. Years ago, though, this one really couldn’t stand much flavor. It wasn’t pickiness, either. It was overwhelm.

(There was also one who didn’t want to eat anything with “dots” for awhile. Cinnamon in applesauce, seeds in bananas– the toddler years are not for the faint of heart. We all happily eat dots now…)

The trouble was that the rest of the family really enjoys flavorful food. We needed something for everyone. That was when I learned to fix chicken on the stove so that it tasted good. Then some of us added salsa.

This is easy. It is a fast way to fix a bunch of chicken, perfect for when you need to get something on the table quickly. Fix whatever else you are going to have with the chicken while it is cooking!

The Technique

I don’t know about you, but I don’t remember learning to cook chicken. I must have just winged it, because even by the time I had toddlers, I wasn’t very good at fixing chicken breast on the stove. It tended to stick to the pan. It also came out boring. Plain flavor, and no color at all. OK with something added, but not great.

I didn’t really know how to sauté chicken. It’s hard to say how I missed this, since it is pretty easy! Still, I did miss it, and maybe you did, too. I blame coming of age back when everyone was telling us to use as little fat as possible. It is ironic, since learning to sauté chicken well requires less cooking fat…

If you have this problem, try these tips:

Pat the chicken dry before cooking

I admit, I don’t usually bother to dry my chicken pieces. In the pictures, I didn’t do it, and you see how it turned out. If you want a stellar result, patting the chicken dry will help achieve a caramelized crust and the accompanying big flavor. This is a bonus tip. For overachievers.

Cut the chicken up

If you start with chicken tenders, you won’t need to do this. They will be similar enough in size.

If you start with those gigantic chicken breasts, you still don’t have to cut them up, but they will take much longer to cook. Keep an eye on them, but don’t rush.

I usually cut each large chicken breast into 2-3 pieces, making them as similar in size as possible. If I am feeling meticulous, I might pound them to similar thinness with a meat mallet. Usually not.

This is also somewhat optional; if you don’t care whether the pieces are uniform at the end, you can just turn each piece when it is ready. You pieces will finish at different times, but still be good. The downside is that you need to keep checking it.

Heat the skillet

The first big mistake I made was not heating the skillet. Maybe I thought it would hurt the skillet somehow. Well, it might have– I used to use nonstick skillets, which I learned to avoid for health reasons.

Those nonstick pans were marketed as “healthier”, presumably because you could use less oil to cook on them. That and they break down, so people keep buying new ones…

The problem is the negative health effects of nonstick coatings. Regulations have changed, but the newer pans aren’t necessarily better. From respiratory and immune effects to hormone disruption and cancer and beyond, those coatings aren’t great for us. Learn more about health and cookware here.

Ask a bird owner– birds tend to die in a kitchen where nonstick pans are in use! You aren’t a bird, I assume, but they might not be doing you any favors, either. Here is more info, in case you have a bird. Learn more about healthier cookware here.

I tried a couple of ceramic pans; they were great for a few weeks, then developed scratches even though I followed the care instructions meticulously. Plus, it is hard to know what is in the ceramic, just like other coatings.

Now, using cast iron or stainless steel, I realize it helps to get the skillet hot for a few minutes before adding anything, even the fat. Heat your pan well first!

Adding the fat

I don’t worry about using fat anymore. I choose our cooking fats carefully, and use them liberally. Fat can be good for you! Essential, in fact. I like high quality animal fats, and I often use avocado and coconut oils for cooking.

(For a thorough look at fat and health in ordinary-person language, read this. For a quicker treatment of fat, check this short article.)

Once added, get your fat really hot! This is another mistake I used to make. Not only did I add the fat to a cold skillet, I also let it heat for just a minute or even less. My foods stuck, and never developed a crust or caramelized. Now, I do something like unload the dishwasher or chop an onion while it heats.

The fat should be bubbling, or at least shimmery. Don’t let it smoke, though. (What it does depends on what kind you use. Butter bubbles. Avocado oil shimmers.) A drop of water added to the oil will sizzle like crazy when the oil is hot.

If your chicken sizzles when you lay it in the skillet, you are doing well. When the fat is very hot, the food doesn’t absorb much of the fat. I can cook 3 pounds so of chicken in a couple of tablespoons of oil, usually.

Don’t let your chicken pieces touch

This is one thing I got right. Except sometimes if I was rushing. Indulge your chicken as if it were a scrappy little kid who complains when a sibling bumps them or breathes on them or looks at them. Avoid crowding the pan, even though it means not everything fits. Use two skillets if you are in a rush.

Cook uncovered

Another of my mistakes! You can cook chicken with the lid on the pan. It will, in fact, cook faster. It will sort of steam, or, if you add water, poach. You can eat it, and possibly shred it. It will turn out white and very bland. Which you might want sometimes.

If you want the flavor that comes from browned, and even caramelized, chicken, leave the lid off! The steam can escape, and a crust develops on the chicken. Most of the flavor comes from the browned bits. If you plan to make a sauce, the browned bits add flavor to the sauce.

Wait to turn the chicken

I usually got this wrong. If you turn the chicken too soon, it is likely to stick to the pan. Even if you had the pan nice and hot. It will also be hard to develop the exterior crust. You want the brownish crust– it helps keep the inside of the meat moist and adds a lot of flavor.

Sort of like waiting to shoot until you see the whites of their eyes, wait to turn until you see the white edges on the chicken. Try to lift the piece of chicken; if it sticks, it isn’t ready.

If it is nicely browned underneath, turn it. If not, give it longer. The time depends on the thickness of the chicken. If you can see brown edges, it is time to turn before it burns! Ideally, turn just once.

Let it rest

Hey, even cooked chicken gets tired… Let it cool a bit.

This isn’t to say you have to eat the chicken cold. Just give it 10 minutes; you can cover it if you want to serve it warm. The first pieces you finish will stabilize while you cook the rest. Letting is rest a little will help the juices stay inside the meat, rather than running all over your plate, resulting in a juicier bite of chicken.

How to Cook Plain Chicken on the Stove

Heat the pan and then heat the fat– get it really hot. Cut your chicken into similar-sized pieces and pat dry, if desired.

Add the chicken so the pieces don’t touch. Sprinkle with salt, and any other seasoning you want.

When the chicken edges are visibly cooked and the part touching the pan has browned, turn it and do the same on the other side.

Remove the chicken to a plate when the second side is also browned. Let it rest for 10 minutes so the juices don’t run out; cover if you want to serve it warm.

What to Do with Plain Chicken

• serve it plain, either cold or warm
• top with salsa– freshly made, fermented, or from a jar– we do this a lot!
• chop it up for tacos or burrito bowls and serve with lots of yummies– cheese, beans, salsa, sour cream, onion, etc.
• make something like a burrito bowl, but not southwest-inspired– we like Asian-style or Mediterranean, for example– use veggies, rice, a sauce or dressing, etc.
• slice for a dinner salad
• chop or shred to put in soup
• top with pasta sauce and maybe a little Parmesan
• use in a wrap
• make a sauce in the same skillet– deglaze the yummy brown bits with wine, broth, or water, then make your sauce for the chicken
• use chicken thighs– though more moist and flavorful to begin with, thighs turn out well too!

For more really easy, simple, try roasting a chicken or cooking a whole chicken in a slow cooker.

For ideas for using plain chicken, try chicken enchilada casserole, chicken chili, or chicken pot pie soup.