Oven-baked Chicken Breast

Directions

• Helpful, but optional steps: Place one chicken breast at a time in a resealable plastic bag or between couple of layers of plastic wrap. Cover with a paper towel to catch the splatter just in case. Pound lightly to an even thickness with a flat side of a meat mallet (rolling pin or a bottom of a frying pan will also work;) you will basically gently pound the side of the chicken breast that’s thicker – that’s it! Don’t pound too thin, we are not making a schnitzel here. The goal here is to even out the chicken breasts, so it’s more or less the same thickness (a bit of difference is fine.) I usually go for at least 3/4″ thickness. But anywhere between 1/2 – 3/4″ thickness will work, just as long as you remember that thinner chicken will cook faster. Season your chicken breasts with salt an pepper. If you have time, refrigerate them uncovered after they are seasoned for 1-4 hours to “dry brine” them. Brush the chicken lightly with oil.
• Preheat the oven to 400F.
• Heat oil on medium-high heat in a large heavy bottom skillet. Whether using chicken in step 1 or simply chicken straight from a package, dry the outside of the chicken with the paper towel. Then place on a preheated skillet in a single layer without overcrowding the pan. Season one side with salt and pepper. Cook undisturbed for about 3 minutes, until nicely seared to golden brown colour.
• Flip the chicken, cook for a minute or two, then turn off the heat. Season with kosher salt, pepper and garlic powder. (Season less aggressively if you brined the chicken as per step 1, as the chicken will already be quite salty. However, if you did not brine the chicken, season it well.) Put chunks of butter on top of each breast and transfer the whole skillet to the oven. Your chicken will bake for about 15 minutes or so (depends on how large the breasts were) and will be done when the internal temperature is 165F and the juices run clear. Let the chicken rest, once you remove it from the oven, then serve sliced with its pan juices.