Marinated Grill Pan Chicken
Gorgeous and flavorful, these marinated chicken breasts were actually grilled in a pan on the stovetop, making supper come together without all of the running around and waiting that the outside grill often entails. I pair these with a light side and some iced tea and have the perfect supper for any time of year.
Gorgeous and flavorful, these marinated chicken breasts were actually grilled in a pan on the stovetop, making supper come together without all of the running around and waiting that the outside grill often entails. I pair these with a light side and some iced tea and have the perfect supper for any time of year.
Today, I’m going to show you how you can use a cast iron grill pan to make gorgeous chicken like this on your stovetop, too. But you can use any ole pan you have, no problem.
Recipe Ingredients are:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- A bottle of your favorite salad dressing/marinade
- A cast iron grill pan or whatever pan you have at home.
What Kind of Marinade Should I Use?
I’m using TLish dressing and marinade. I’m slightly obsessed with these. Okay, moderately to highly obsessed. You can get them at Publix and all of the flavors I have tried are amazing. You want a vinaigrette type dressing for this. Look for one that specifically says vinaigrette or marinade on it and you’re good. Any of the TLish flavors work great as marinades.
Where Do I Get A Cast Iron Grill Pan?
The cast iron grill pan used here is made by Lodge. You can learn more about them by clicking here.
If you have a glass stovetop or smooth stovetop surface you need to know that I do, too, and I am using this pan. Why? It’s flat on the bottom so it will work just fine. Whenever I see a cast iron skillet or pan that is the first thing I look for, if it’s flat all on the bottom, I know I’m good.
Tips On The Cast Iron Grill Pan:
You want there to be a good contact all across the skillet with the stovetop itself for even heating and you don’t want anything protruding from the skillet or pot that could scratch your stove. I’ve been using cast iron on my glass cooktop for over seven years. I also use a very large All American Pressure Canner on mine, as well, as the manufacturer’s manual said I could pressure can as long as the bottom of my canner was flat and smooth, as with the cast iron.
How To Make Marinated Grilled Chicken In A Pan
Place your chicken breasts in a zipper seal bag and pour in your dressing.
Reserve A Little Dressing:
I reserve a little bit for dipping later so there is always just a tad left in my bottle, which I put in the fridge. Let this marinade as long as you can, preferably a few hours or overnight.
Grease Up The Pan
BEFORE I put the chicken in my grill pan, I grease it a bit. Use vegetable oil (I use coconut oil) or whatever vegetable oil you choose. Then place this over medium high heat until the entire skillet is good and hot before even thinking about adding your chicken.
Next Step:
Place your chicken in the hot skillet, just the chicken, not the extra marinade in the bag, and let it cook until it the chicken has grill marks on one side and naturally releases. If you go to pick your chicken up and it is sticking, it isn’t ready to be flipped yet. This is going to take anywhere from 5-10 minutes, depending on the level of your heat – your stove and my stove have never met so I don’t expect they are too synchronized.
Look how purty!
This is what my chicken looked like after the first side had sizzled and seared for about ten minutes. Now I’m going to cook it about ten minutes more.
If You Have Thicker Chicken Breasts
If you have thick chicken breasts like I did in this photo, you may want to turn the temperature down just a little bit and let it cook a few minutes beyond that. I usually pick the thickest piece and stick a knife in the center before I remove them from the pan to ensure that they are done. Make sure its inside is heated to 165 degrees before removing.
And that’s it! Gorgeous, juicy, flavorful marinated chicken cooked in a grill pan.
Simple as can be!
Tips to Wash the Cast Iron Pan
To wash my pan, I let it cool a bit and give it a quick hand washing, then smear a bit more oil on it and place it in a 350 oven for about ten minutes. After that, I just turn my oven off and let the pan sit in there until I need my oven again, then I open it, see my pan, and return it to the cabinet. 🙂
Ingredients
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts 2-6
- 1 bottle salad dressing/marinade of your choice* I'm using TLish
- Cast Iron Grill Pan
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in a large zipper seal bag, pour dressing over. Seal and place in the refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
- Brush inside of skillet with vegetable oil or smear with solid vegetable shortening. Place over medium high heat until skillet is very hot.
- Add chicken and let sit, undisturbed, until chicken releases from the pan and has the level of grill marks you desire, about ten minutes. Flip chicken and repeat until fully cooked.
- Check to make sure chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the center. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
You may also enjoy these chicken recipes:
Ritz Cracker Chicken Recipe: Only Three Ingredients
Getting a little deep with today’s quote:
Thanks for the info on washing the cast iron pan. I don’t use my cast iron often because I don’t want to have to re-season them after they’re washed. Your idea sounds a lot easier. Thanks!
Your timing is perfect, Christy! I recently got a good buy on boneless skinless chicken breasts, so stocked up on them for the freezer. However, I was really wanting to find a new recipe for them instead of the same old same old. Voila, Christy to the rescue! My mouth is already watering at the thought of these with a fresh crispy salad!
Oh, and the Big Top peanut butter glasses bring back such memories. Thanks for that, and for all the encouraging things you post. 🙂
Thanks, Christy, for the chicken recipe. Can’t wait to use it. Also, thanks for the info on the drinking glasses. Will definitely look for them. I use cast iron skillets (from my husband’s grandparents and his parents) and love them because of where they came from and because they are great to cook in.
Just curious, why do you put crisco on the pan after you wash it? I’ve never had a cast iron pan but I love the idea of grilling in it. Thanks 🙂
Jenny, the Crisco helps season the pan so it stays pretty “non-stick”. Hope this helps.
From another Jenne…
Take some pictures and post from the cornbread festival. I live in MI now and miss all my TN festivals, another one is the Strawberry Festival in Dayton, TN.
I had to chuckle a bit when I read how you leave your pan in the oven and then next time you need the oven you put the pan away. I can’t count how many times I’ve preheated my oven and when I go to put my food in I open the door to find my nice, hot cast iron pan that I forgot was in there! Your memory must be a lot better than mine!
Thanks so much for the hint about the glass top and cast iron! When we first moved into our house, I used my skillet and it really made a big mess and for the past 14 years I have not cooked with cast iron on the stove top. ( I still use my corn stick pan in the oven, though.) But my skillet did not have a flat bottom. I have several skillets that belonged to my mother and both grandmothers and perhaps I can use them again. They are packed away but I will look to see if they have flat bottons.
I have enjoyed your recipes for a long time and was at one of your first book signings at the book store in Jones Valley on a Sunday afternoon several years ago.