Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breast with Vegetables
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Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breast with Vegetables is a delicious, one pan recipe every home cook needs. It is a classic chicken dinner that the whole family loves. I use a wonderfully fragrant Italian herb blend on both the chicken and the vegetables, so they complement each other perfectly.
Everyone should have a list of easy chicken recipes. This one is my go-to-dinner when I want something with delicious flavor but I don’t want to have to fuss. It is special enough for Sunday supper and easy enough for a weeknight meal.
This is my favorite way to cook chicken. Roasting creates juicy chicken with tender meat and crispy skin. The best part is that since everything is cooked in one pan it makes meal prep and clean up a breeze and I don’t have to worry about making side dishes!
Table of contents
Ingredients and variations
The ingredients for this delicious chicken recipe are pretty simple and probably already in your pantry (except the chicken, that is in your fridge!).
The Chicken
I love a roasted bone in chicken breast, so that is my top choice for this recipe. But you can also make this with a whole chicken, thighs or legs. Follow the same instructions for coating the chicken with the oil and seasonings. You will need to increase the cooking time if you use the whole chicken. But either way you should cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 165°. My Simple Lemon Rosemary Roasted Chicken is an easy flavorful chicken recipe that is a great option for cooking a whole bird.
The Vegetables
There are no hard and fast rules about the vegetables that you use in this recipe. I always have carrots, potatoes, and onions on hand, but you can use whatever you like. Do you have parsnips, sweet potatoes, green beans or asparagus in your fridge? Add whatever you like and make this perfect for your family.
The Seasoning
I create my own blend of herbs to season the chicken and vegetables and I have included the mix in the recipe below. It is a blend of dried rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, parsley, marjoram and basil. I prefer to use dried rather then fresh herbs in this recipe because we are cooking at a high heat and fresh herbs may burn quickly.
Step-by-step instructions for making the recipe
- Combine the herbs in a small bowl and set aside.
- Place all of the vegetables in a baking dish or cast iron skillet, drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice and 1 tsp of the herb mixture. Toss to coat.
- Rub olive oil all over the chicken including under the skin. Season chicken and squeeze lemon juice on it. Place it skin side up on top of the vegetables.
- Cook in a 400F preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F when measured with an instant-read thermometer.
Cooking Tips
- It is good to start with a hot cast iron skillet, so place the pan in the oven while it is heating up and then add the vegetables and chicken when it is nice and hot. The hot skillet will help the vegetables brown and cook a little faster.
- To create beautiful, golden, crispy chicken skin, dry the chicken off with a paper towel before seasoning it. Don’t skip the olive oil and cook it uncovered. There is no need to fear that it will dry out. The olive oil will help seal the moisture while crisping up the skin.
- The best way to ensure tender chicken every time is to use an instant-read meat thermometer so that the chicken cooks to the correct temperature.
- For best results, once the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F degrees, remove it from the oven and tent it with foil. Allow the chicken to rest for about 10-15 minutes to let the juices redistribute into the meat. This step does ensure that the chicken is moist and juicy when you cut into it.
- The herb blend will make more than what you need for this recipe. The leftover herb mix can be stored in a plastic bag or a glass jar for use in another recipe or for the next time you make this cast iron skillet roasted chicken with vegetables. I find that it is a great chicken seasoning that works well in many recipes.
- Cut the vegetables all about the same size to ensure that they cook evenly and are done at the same time.
- Sometimes, the carrots and potatoes need a few more minutes to cook. Depending on how big your chicken pieces are, they may be done cooking before the vegetables are. Just transfer the chicken to a plate and cover it. Then let the vegetables continue to cook while the chicken rests.
What to serve with Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breast?
This recipe really is a complete meal in one pan, but if you really want to add something more to your dinner, a nice loaf of bread is ideal. I love this recipe for No Knead Bread as a side for this classic dinner. Don’t have time to make traditional bread, this Homemade Cornbread is a good option. It is exceptionally moist and sweet and goes great with a this cast iron skillet chicken breast recipe.
Storing and freezing leftovers
If you have leftovers, they can be placed in an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. They can be reheated in the microwave or in the oven. I recommend loosely covering them with plastic wrap if reheating in the microwave, to maintain moisture in the chicken, You can freeze leftovers for up to 2 months.
FAQ
To keep food from sticking to your cast iron pan, heat it first. Once it is hot, add a little oil before adding your food. You can use whatever oil you like as long as the pan’s temperature is below the oil’s smoke point. It is not recommended that you use cooking sprays on your cast iron pan, as they contain ingredients that will harm the pan.
Butter can be used in cast iron cooking, but you should add oil to the pan first. When the oil is hot, add the butter and let it melt before adding your food.
Looking for other delicious chicken recipes? Try one of these:
Easy to make Lemon Garlic and Herb Grilled Chicken
Chicken Spezzatino (Italian Chicken Stew)
Chicken Limone (Pollo al Limone)
Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breast and Vegetables Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 Chicken Breasts Split, bone on and with Skin
- 3 Carrots Peeled and cut in 2-3"inch pieces
- 3 Potatoes Russet, Yukon or Red, Washed and cut into 2-3 inch pieces
- 1 onion Large, quartered
- 4 cloves Garlic Skin removed
- 3 tsp. Olive Oil
- ½ tsp. Oregano Dried
- ½ tsp. Sage Dried
- ½ tsp. Parsley Dried
- ½ tsp. Rosemary Fresh
- ½ tsp. Marjoram Dried
- ½ tsp. Basil Dried
- ½ tsp Thyme Dried
- ½ Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°.
- Combine all of the herbs in a small bowl and mix together.
- Place the vegetables in a baking dish or in cast iron frying pan. Add 1-2 tablespoons of Olive oil, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of the herb mixture. Toss to evenly coat all the vegetables.
- Rub olive oil on the chicken, including under the skin. Salt and pepper the chicken liberally and sprinkle 1/4 tsp of the herb mixture on each breast. Place the chicken breast on top of the vegetables and squeeze about 1 teaspoon of lemon juice over the chicken.
- Place the dish in the oven and roast until a meat thermometer placed in the thickest part of the chicken measures 165°. About 45-50 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and tent the chicken for 10 minutes. If the vegetables are not completely tender, return them to the oven to complete cooking while the chicken rests.
Notes
Cooking Tips
- It is good to start with a hot cast iron skillet, so place the pan in the oven while it is heating up and then add the vegetables and chicken when it is nice and hot. The hot skillet will help the vegetables brown and cook a little faster.
- To create beautiful golden crispy chicken skin, dry the chicken off with a paper towel before seasoning it, don’t skip the olive oil and cook it uncovered. There is no need to fear that it will dry out. The olive oil will help to seal in the moisture while crisping up the skin.
- The best way to make sure you get tender chicken every single time is the use a instant read meat thermometer so that the chicken cooks to the correct temperature.
- For best results, once the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F degrees, remove the it from the oven, tent it with foil. Allow the chicken to rest for about 10-15 minutes to let the juices redistribute into the meat. This step really does ensure that the chicken is moist and juicy when you cut into it.
- The herb blend will make a little more than what you need for this recipe. The leftover herb mix can be stored in a plastic bag or a glass jar for use in another recipe or for the next time you make this cast iron skillet roasted chicken with vegetables. I find that it is a great chicken seasoning that works well in many recipes.
- To make sure that the vegetables all cook evenly and are done at the same time, cut the them all about the same size.
- Sometimes the carrots and potatoes need a few more minutes to cook. Depending on how big your chicken pieces are, they may be done cooking before the vegetables are. Just transfer the chicken to a plate and cover it. Then let the vegetables continue to cook while the chicken rests.
I need to have some of this.. looks delicious 😋
Pat this is right up your alley!
Made this tonight. Great weeknight meal. I used sweet potatoes and mixed red onion with the yellow onion. The seasoning was very flavorful. I ended up broiling the vegetables while the chicken was resting since the sweet potatoes are a harder potato which browned the carrots and onions nicely. Will definitely make again!
Awesome John! I am so glad you enjoyed this. I am going to make with sweet potatoes next time!