I usually bake chicken breasts, but it seems like it takes forever. When I feel like I can’t wait for dinner, I turn to pan frying. By flattening the chicken slightly, the chicken cooks even faster. I made a spice rub, that turned into a caramelized sauce as the chicken cooked. I finished the sauce by deglazing the pan with a little lemon juice, and then melting some butter in the pan. The result was a tasty accompaniment that was perfect served with brown rice.
sweet & spicy chicken
makes 3
Ingredients:
- 3 chicken breasts // There was plenty of spice mix to coat 4 breasts
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tbsp butter
Directions:
- In a small bowl, combine all the spices.
- Place 1 chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, then flatten with a meat mallet. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.
- Generously sprinkle the spices over both sides of the chicken.
- In a pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Saute the chicken until golden brown, about 6 minutes each side or until the internal temperature reaches 165.
- Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan. Turn the pan down to medium-low and add in the lemon juice. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the stuck on bits and combine with the lemon juice. It should be a pretty thick mixture. Add the butter, and stir while it melts.
- Return the chicken to the pan, along with any juices that have collected on the plate. Turn chicken over so it is completely covered with the sauce.
- Enjoy!