Cast Iron Pan Rosemary & Garlic Chicken
I like to grill year round but we have been getting A LOT of rain lately and I haven’t really been excited about going outside to cook. This is my tried and true way to cook chicken inside.
This method starts with pounding the chicken to a uniform thickness (I use my fist), then a quick marinade, a hot cast iron pan for a quick sear (if you don’t have one of these in your kitchen, you should), and then about 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven. It gives you a super juicy, flavorful chicken that has a golden crust on the outside flecked with fresh rosemary and caramelized garlic. I like to make this chicken at the beginning of the week and then use it to top salads for Miles’ lunch as the week goes on.
We don’t eat a lot of meat at all, but when we do it is always chicken. But trust me, I have made my fair share of it- one of my most popular recipes is this chicken recipe from when I first started this site.
Make sure you always cook your chicken to 165 degrees- this recipe works for my oven, but everyone has different ranges of heat in their kitchens. If you’re looking for a good meat thermometer I love love love my Thermapen and I use it almost daily. Note- you can not buy these on Amazon, and anything you find on there will most likely be a knockoff and not worth your money. I have purchased maybe ten of these over time as gifts and they usually run really good sales around Christmas.
- 1.5-2 lbs boneless chicken breast
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tsp kosher salt
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Place chicken in a gallon sized ziploc bag, and seal squeezing out as much as air as possible. Pound chicken to about 1.5 inches thick using your fist (be careful not to pop the bag, a you will be adding the marinade to the bag).
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In a small bowl combine the remaining ingredients and stir together to combine. Pour into Ziploc bag and seal again, pressing out the air. Use your hands to mix around the chicken so it is coated in the marinade. Set in the fridge for 1 hour.
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After 1 hour, remove the chicken from the fridge and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set a well seasoned 10.5 inch cast iron pan on the stovetop and preheat over medium-high heat. It will be hot when a drop of water sizzles and disappears but the pan isn't smoking.
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Using tongs lay chicken in pan (it should definitely sizzle immediately and if it doesn't let the pan heat longer), spacing it out as much as possible but don't worry if it touches a bit.
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Cook chicken without touching it for 5 minutes. It should totally release from the pan after that amount of time. Turn the chicken over and then put the whole pan in the over. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until it reaches 165 degrees.
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Remove chicken from the oven and let it rest in the pan for 5 minutes. Then transfer it to a cutting board and let it rest another 5 minutes before cutting it against the grain.
