Pan-Seared Chicken with Citrus and Herb Butter

By AislePrompt Editorial · ·

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.

Tender chicken breasts pan-seared to golden perfection and finished with a zesty citrus and fresh herb butter sauce. This Mediterranean-inspired comfort-food recipe, ready in about 25 minutes, pairs 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 4, 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: 10 min Cook: 15 min Serves 4 Mediterranean cuisine 320 cal/serving
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Ingredients

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Instructions

  1. Step 1: Pat dry 4 chicken breasts and season both sides with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
  2. Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chicken breasts and cook for 6-7 minutes on the first side without moving until golden brown.
  3. Step 3: Flip chicken and cook for another 5-6 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the chicken is cooked through.
  4. Step 4: Reduce heat to medium-low and add 3 tbsp unsalted butter, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme, and 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley to the skillet. Spoon the melted herb butter over the chicken continuously for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
  5. Step 5: Remove the skillet from heat and stir in 1 tsp lemon zest and 2 tbsp lemon juice, spooning the citrus herb butter over the chicken once more before serving.

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