Pan-Roasted Chicken Breasts with Garlic and Sherry Sauce for Two
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 18, 2020
Time
1 hour
Yield
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 (12-ounce) bone-in split chicken breasts, trimmed and brined if desiredSalt and pepper 2 teaspoons vegetable oil 3 garlic cloves, sliced thin½ teaspoon all-purpose flour ½ cup chicken broth ¼ cup dry sherry 2 sprigs fresh thyme 1 tablespoon butter, chilled½ teaspoon lemon juice
Before You Begin
If using kosher chicken, do not brine. If brining the chicken, do not season with salt in step 1.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in 10-inch ovensafe skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Lay chicken skin side down in skillet and cook until well browned on first side, 6 to 8 minutes, reducing heat if pan begins to scorch. Flip chicken and continue to cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
- Flip chicken skin side down and transfer skillet to oven. Roast until chicken registers 160 degrees, 15 to 18 minutes.
- Using potholders (skillet handle will be hot), remove skillet from oven. Transfer chicken to serving platter and tent loosely with aluminum foil.
- Being careful of hot skillet handle, pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet, add garlic, and cook over medium heat until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in broth, sherry, and thyme sprigs, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in any accumulated chicken juices and simmer for 30 seconds. Off heat, remove thyme sprigs and whisk in butter and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.
Time
1 hourYield
Serves 2Ingredients
2 (12-ounce) bone-in split chicken breasts, trimmed and brined if desired
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
½ teaspoon all-purpose flour
½ cup chicken broth
¼ cup dry sherry
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon butter, chilled
½ teaspoon lemon juice
Ingredients
2 (12-ounce) bone-in split chicken breasts, trimmed and brined if desired
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
½ teaspoon all-purpose flour
½ cup chicken broth
¼ cup dry sherry
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon butter, chilled
½ teaspoon lemon juice
Ingredients
2 (12-ounce) bone-in split chicken breasts, trimmed and brined if desired
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
½ teaspoon all-purpose flour
½ cup chicken broth
¼ cup dry sherry
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon butter, chilled
½ teaspoon lemon juice
Why This Recipe Works
We started by brining the chicken to help the delicate breast meat stay moist and flavorful. To encourage crisp skin, we patted the brined meat dry with paper towels to ensure that the skin would sear rather than steam. We browned the chicken on both sides on the stovetop before moving the skillet to the oven. Cooking the chicken at 450 degrees allowed the skin to crisp while the meat cooked through relatively quickly. Finally, while the chicken rested, we built a savory pan sauce with kitchen staples like garlic, sherry, and chicken broth.
Before You Begin
If using kosher chicken, do not brine. If brining the chicken, do not season with salt in step 1.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in 10-inch ovensafe skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Lay chicken skin side down in skillet and cook until well browned on first side, 6 to 8 minutes, reducing heat if pan begins to scorch. Flip chicken and continue to cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
- Flip chicken skin side down and transfer skillet to oven. Roast until chicken registers 160 degrees, 15 to 18 minutes.
- Using potholders (skillet handle will be hot), remove skillet from oven. Transfer chicken to serving platter and tent loosely with aluminum foil.
- Being careful of hot skillet handle, pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet, add garlic, and cook over medium heat until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in broth, sherry, and thyme sprigs, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in any accumulated chicken juices and simmer for 30 seconds. Off heat, remove thyme sprigs and whisk in butter and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.
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