Pan-Seared Chicken Breast with Garlic and Thyme Butter

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-26 · Updated 2026-04-26

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are drafted and published.

Juicy chicken breasts pan-seared to a golden brown and finished with a fragrant garlic-thyme butter sauce. This chicken recipe, ready in about 17 minutes, pairs boneless skinless chicken breasts, salt, black pepper for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 320 calories and feeds 2, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Prep: 5 min Cook: 12 min Serves 2 International cuisine 320 cal/serving

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Ingredients

2 pieces (about 6 oz each) boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 cloves, minced garlic cloves
3 fresh thyme sprigs

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Instructions

Step 1: Pat dry 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts and season both sides evenly with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then add the chicken breasts. Cook for 5-6 minutes without moving until the underside is golden brown.
Step 3: Flip the chicken and add 3 tbsp unsalted butter, 3 minced garlic cloves, and 3 fresh thyme sprigs to the skillet. Tilt the pan slightly and spoon the melted butter and aromatics over the chicken repeatedly for 4-5 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and is cooked through.
Step 4: Remove the chicken from the pan and rest for 5 minutes before slicing to retain juices.