I’ll be the first to admit that there is nothing sexy about these Grilled Rosemary Chicken Breasts. They are exactly what they sound like, BUT they are fast, easy, and consistently juicy.
And don’t we all need a fail-safe, go-to chicken breast recipe?
I abhor dry chicken, so over the years I have developed some easy cooking methods that consistently deliver moist, juicy chicken with minimal risk of over-cooking. Hooray!
The pan-sear and then bake method is one of my favorites like in this Easy Tomato Chicken Bake or this Maple Chipotle Barbecued Chicken (ignore the photos in this one; it’s one of our favorite dishes!).
And roasted chicken is always a safe bet.
But chicken in the grill pan is my new favorite method! I gave you a sneak peak on this fabulous salad!
A simple rub of salt, pepper and fresh rosemary are all you need to create a flavorful chicken breast that is as good on a salad as it is on it’s own!
My secret? Cooking the breasts under the weight of a cast iron pan. The cast iron pan has the same function as the bricks in “brick chicken” but it is something I actually have in my kitchen…unlike bricks…those belong outside. Just sayin’.
Perfectly cooked chicken in 12 minutes? Now that is something worth getting excited about!
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Grilled Rosemary Chicken
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 12 minutes
- Yield: Serves 2-4 1x
Description
This Foolproof Grilled Rosemary Chicken is fast, easy and consistent! Moist, juicy chicken breasts in just under 12 minutes!
Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Instructions
- Preheat your grill pan (or grill) over medium heat until it is searing hot.
- While your pan preheats, chop your rosemary and combine with salt and pepper in a little bowl. Rinse and pat your chicken breasts dry and rub the rosemary mix on both sides. Set aside until your pan is finished heating.
- When it is searing hot, brush olive oil over the grates with a heat proof grill brush.
- Immediately place both chicken breasts in the grill pan towards the center but not touching. Place a 10” cast iron skillet on top of the chicken. You should cover the bottom of your skillet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup and zero cross contamination. Cook on first side for 5 minutes.
- Remove skillet and swap out the foil, flip chicken and place skillet back on top of the chicken. Cook for an additional 4-6 minutes. For medium sized breasts I usually cook it a total of 8 minutes. Be sure to test with an instant read thermometer or, if you cook chicken frequently, you can probably press on it and know when it’s done.
- Remove from skillet, tent loosely with foil, and let rest 10 minutes before cutting.
- Done! How easy was that?!
50 Comments
Kristi @ Inspiration Kitchen
April 17, 2014 at 9:41 amAre you kidding me??? This is seriously some of the sexiest chicken I’ve ever seen! It is HOT! I am loving these photos – but even more than that, I want to grab a fork and knife and dig in! YUMMO!
Lindsey
April 17, 2014 at 9:44 amLol! Yay I’ve officially made the impossible happen – Sexy chicken! Thanks, girl. You’re the bestest!
Phillip
April 17, 2014 at 10:03 amOkay I need to buy a grill pan. The cast iron trick is ingenious! I’m pretty sure I lost my rosemary over the winter so I will have to plant more this year.
Lindsey
April 17, 2014 at 10:07 amNot your rosemary!! It’s my favorite herb! I saw a rosemary plant in CA last year that looked more like a bush! It was OOC.
You totally should buy a grill pan! They are the best! I’ve seared steak and then put it in the oven or under a broiler and it also cooks fish beautifully on the stovetop without drying it out! Magic!
Phillip
April 17, 2014 at 10:35 amThe rosemary had lasted many years for me but it is a rather tender plant and this cold winter was brutal. It is a fast-growing plant so planting a new one isn’t too bad.
Do you have any grill pans you would recommend? I usually find good deals on kitchen stuff at Amazon but haven’t looked for one of those.
Lindsey
April 17, 2014 at 10:42 amI hear rosemary grows like a weed! The one I use is Le Creuset which I got as a wedding gift. It is from Williams Sonoma. I’ll search for a comparable product on Amazon and see if I can’t add a link in the post.
Josephine
April 17, 2014 at 11:14 amThis looks great! I am on it!! I have both pans and will make it Saturday. Healthy enough to pair with those chocolate cookies that I am making.
Lindsey
April 17, 2014 at 11:19 amlol! I would say they are an excellent pairing! 😉 I may or may not have had the same thing last night!
Liz
April 17, 2014 at 10:00 pmI don’t utilize my grill pan nearly enough! Love your simple chicken dish!
PS…great photo of you and Kayle! I bet you two had a blast.
Lindsey
April 17, 2014 at 10:13 pmThanks! Sometimes its the simple things in life…
Kayle and I did have a blast – she’s Ah-dorable! There was super rich hot chocolate involved, which always makes things twice as nice!
Kristine @ Kristine's Kitchen
April 17, 2014 at 10:35 pmThat chicken looks so deliciously moist! I’ve never tried this method for cooking chicken, but will have to soon. Often it’s the simple recipes that turn out to be the ones we make again and again!
Lindsey
April 18, 2014 at 9:07 amDefinitely! It’s perfect for those days when you don’t want to fuss with complicated but you still want a delicious home cooked meal!
Stacy | Wicked Good Kitchen
April 17, 2014 at 11:29 pmWow! Beautiful grilled chicken, Lindsey! An excellent foolproof recipe. Thank you for sharing, m’lady!
Lindsey
April 18, 2014 at 9:06 amThanks, Stacy! We all need basic time-tested recipes for busy weeks!
Jess @ whatjessicabakednext
April 18, 2014 at 2:25 pmLove the sound of rosemary chicken! I always have an abundance of fresh rosemary in my garden, so this recipe would be great to try out soon!
Lindsey
April 18, 2014 at 7:21 pmI hope you do, Jess!!
Kayle (The Cooking Actress)
April 18, 2014 at 9:21 pmI disagree-this chicken is TOTALLY sexy! 😛 I love the rosemary and your grilling method sounds PERFECT! So flavorful and juuuicy!
Lindsey
April 19, 2014 at 9:55 amAww thanks, Kayle!
Consuelo @ Honey & Figs
April 19, 2014 at 10:02 amHoooray for fool-proof, perfect recipes like this one! I despise dry chicken, so I’m always in for new cooking methods that are quick and easy and yield phenomenal results! This looks fab!
Lindsey
April 19, 2014 at 12:21 pmThanks, Consuelo!! Isn’t dry chicken the worst?! The only thing worst than having dry chicken at home is paying for it at a restaurant! 🙂
Christin@SpicySouthernKitchen
April 21, 2014 at 8:23 amCast iron pans come in so handy don’t they? Love rosemary with chicken!
Lindsey
April 21, 2014 at 9:58 amHonestly, I don’t know what I would do without mine!
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April 22, 2014 at 8:00 am[…] toasted pecans, dried tart cherries, minced shallot, roasted sweet potatoes, my go-to easy grilled rosemary chicken breast, and a sprinkling of goat’s milk […]
Josephine
April 23, 2014 at 10:37 pmThank you, thank you, Lindsey, for this recipe!!! I made it tonight for my family and everyone loved it. It will become a mainstay in our household – healthy, juicy, flavorful, fast, and easy. Actually it is good enough for a dinner party. I will try it with the salad tomorrow and will pass it along to my grown children. This recipe is a wonderful gift to your readers. Wow!!!
Lindsey
April 24, 2014 at 9:28 amThank you so much! You have no idea how happy this makes me, Josephine!! I am so pleased that you and your family loved it as much as we do! I have yet to try an easier more consistent way of cooking juicy chicken that doesn’t involve a sauce. It is really something special on the salad with the sweet potatoes!
joanna
May 9, 2014 at 8:00 pmthis chicken really is exceptional! i’m eating it right now with zucchini carbonara!! it was so easy and super flavorful.
Lindsey
May 9, 2014 at 8:27 pmThank you so much Joanna! I’m so glad you like it! I make it all the time – including yesterday. 🙂 Zucchini carbonara sounds delicious, by the way!
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May 30, 2014 at 8:19 am[…] before you ask, yes, that is the very same grilled rosemary chicken that I use on practically every salad! I know, I know, but it’s just so good and so EASY I […]
Kelly
June 18, 2014 at 8:50 amThis looks so delicious! I love rosemary. I’m sure it would be equally delicious with other herbs now that my herb garden is in overdrive.
Lindsey
June 18, 2014 at 9:53 amThanks Kelly! I’m sure it would be lovely with other herbs. I like to use rosemary because its hearty and it not only can stand up to the grill heat but it tastes better when cooked!
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June 24, 2014 at 5:43 pm[…] sweet potatoes make a wonderful vegetarian main course or you can serve with a chicken breast! This one is […]
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July 15, 2014 at 7:16 am[…] am sure you are shocked that this salad, unlike my last several salads, does not have Rosemary Grilled Chicken. Do you remember when I told you I have several fool-proof ways of making moist, tender chicken […]
Stephanie
July 15, 2014 at 12:15 pmWow! I love the cast iron trick! 😀 Too bad I don’t have a cast iron pan or a grill pan at the moment, but they’re definitely on my list of things to buy after college!!
Lindsey
July 15, 2014 at 2:03 pmThanks, Stephanie!!! You should absolutely get a cast iron skillet – they work for almost everything, non-toxic and non-stick. And they won’t break the bank. The grill pan…those aren’t cheap but I use it way more than I anticipated 🙂 I have no idea how I cooked anything before I my husband got me a cast iron skillet.
Stephanie
July 16, 2014 at 1:13 pmThanks!! I’ve heard that cooking with a cast iron skillet can help increase your iron intake too 😀
Lindsey
July 16, 2014 at 2:51 pmTrue but it’s so minimal if the skillet is properly seasoned 🙂
Stephanie
July 16, 2014 at 5:02 pmOh, I see. Thanks! 🙂
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July 15, 2014 at 11:03 pm[…] know, I know. That’s the same Foolproof Rosemary Chicken as here and here and here. Yup and here. You must understand I absolutely love this chicken! And it’s […]
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September 2, 2014 at 6:58 am[…] much prefer the safety of my kitchen, I made these in my grill pan. I use the same technique as my Foolproof Chicken, which also makes these burgers foolproof. I even cooked my first batch longer than was strictly […]
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October 4, 2014 at 9:26 pm[…] I eat a generous portion as a main course, and it is filling and strangely satisfying. You could also serve this as a side dish to compliment any kind of grilled or baked meat, or top it with my go-to Foolproof Rosemary Chicken. […]
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Verna M. Hancock
October 25, 2017 at 11:49 pmIt looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it.
Lindsey
December 26, 2017 at 11:37 pmI hope you enjoyed it Verna!
Abby
December 9, 2019 at 9:09 pmLove it! It looks yummy! I’m totally into grilling this year, so this might just make my list! Grilled chicken is also one of my favorite quick & easy meals! Can’t wait to try out your recipe!
Lindsey
February 10, 2020 at 5:43 pmI hope you try it out!
SmoQ
January 11, 2021 at 11:06 pmFoolproof Grilled Rosemary Chicken is great! I just finished it last night and the result was unexpected, my wife and daughter both liked it, which made me happy. Thanks for your recipe
Lindsey
January 23, 2021 at 11:11 amI’m glad you enjoyed it!
Alex Jordan
January 13, 2021 at 2:56 pmLove the sound of rosemary chicken! I generally have a bounty of new rosemary in my nursery, so this formula would be extraordinary to give a shot soon!
Alex Jordan
January 13, 2021 at 3:00 pmThis looks so delightful! I love rosemary. I’m certain it would be similarly heavenly with different spices since my spice garden is in overdrive.
Lindsey
January 23, 2021 at 11:09 amYes! Trim that rosemary bush and get cooking!