Golden Seared Chicken Breast with Silky Butter Sauce

This quick and flavorful chicken breast recipe delivers golden, tender fillets topped with a rich, silky butter sauce in under 20 minutes. With a savory seasoned crust and simple pantry ingredients, it’s perfect for busy weeknights or impressing guests without the fuss.

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings: 4 fillets

Course: Dinner, LUNCH, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Calories: 250

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

For the Chicken

2 large chicken breasts 250–300g / 8–10 oz each, sliced horizontally into 4 even fillets
2 tbsp unsalted butter or 1½ tbsp olive oil for searing

Savory Seasoned Crust

1 tsp paprika sweet, regular, or smoky
0.5 tsp onion powder swap for garlic powder if preferred
0.5 tsp garlic powder or double onion powder instead
0.25 tsp ground cumin optional; can use coriander or dried thyme
0.75 tsp kosher salt halve if using fine table salt; increase for salt flakes
0.125 tsp black pepper freshly ground
1.5 tbsp all-purpose flour or gluten-free blend

For the Butter Sauce

0.33 cup low-sodium chicken stock or water; wine optional but excluded for non-alcoholic version
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped, optional garnish

Method

In a small bowl, mix all seasoning ingredients. Lightly coat each chicken fillet, pressing to adhere. Shake off excess.
Melt butter (or heat oil) in a large skillet over high heat. Add chicken without overcrowding and sear 2½ minutes per side until golden and internal temp reaches 67°C (153°F). Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.
Lower heat to medium-high. Pour in chicken stock and scrape up browned bits with a spatula. Simmer 1–1½ minutes until reduced by half. Stir in butter until melted and emulsified. Adjust seasoning.
Return chicken to pan to coat in sauce or plate and spoon sauce over. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Notes

For gluten-free, use a GF flour blend. Add chili flakes for a touch of heat. Double sauce ingredients if you love extra drizzle for sides. Avoid overheating butter to prevent sauce from splitting.