Easy Pan-Roasted Chicken Breasts With Lemon and Rosemary Pan Sauce Recipe

The Food Lab

Unraveling the mysteries of home cooking through science.

J. Kenji López-Alt
Easy Pan-Roasted Chicken Breasts With Lemon and Rosemary Pan Sauce Recipe

The secrets for extra-juicy chicken with crisp skin and a smooth, rich pan sauce flavored with lemon and rosemary. [Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]

Pan-roasted chicken with pan sauce—like this one flavored with fresh rosemary and lemon—is the ultimate weeknight staple. It's inexpensive, delicious, and takes less than half an hour from start to finish. Throw a great simple mixed green salad on the side, and you've got yourself one of my all-time favorite meals.

Why this recipe works:

  • Adding gelatin to broth forms a thicker, glossier, far more stable emulsion than store-bought broth alone.
  • Soy sauce adds a big umami boost to the sauce.
  • A thermometer ensures that your chicken comes out perfectly moist with crisp skin every time.

A pan-sauce master plan leads to restaurant-quality results every time.

Read the Whole Story
  • Yield:Serves 2 to 3
  • Active time: 20 minutes
  • Total time:30 minutes
  • Rated: 4.75

Ingredients

  • 2 whole airline chicken breasts or boneless skin-on chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
  • 1 small shallot, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
  • 1 (1 1/2-inch) piece of peeled zest plus 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh juice from 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce

Directions

  1. 1.

    Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 450°F. Pat chicken breasts dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil in an oven-safe medium stainless steel skillet over high heat until just starting to smoke. Carefully lay chicken breasts into hot skillet skin side down. Cook without moving until skin is deep golden brown and very crisp, about 6 minutes. Carefully flip chicken breasts and transfer skillet to the oven.

  2. 2.

    While chicken roasts, add stock to a liquid measuring cup and sprinkle gelatin over the top. Set aside.

  3. 3.

    Cook chicken until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken breasts registers 150°F, about 7 to 12 minutes. Remove skillet from oven and transfer chicken to a cutting board. Set aside to rest while you make the pan sauce.

  4. 4.

    Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the skillet and place over high heat. Add shallots and rosemary and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add stock/gelatin mixture and lemon zest and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Continue cooking on high heat until sauce is reduced by about two-thirds, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in butter, soy sauce, and lemon juice and cook at a hard boil until emulsified, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside.

  5. 5.

    Slice chicken breasts into three pieces on a sharp bias and transfer to individual serving plates. Taste sauce and season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.

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How to Make Easy Pan-Roasted Chicken Breasts With Lemon and Rosemary Pan Sauce
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