Sautéeing chicken is extremely easy; you start with high heat and just a little oil. It is a building block recipe, since once you have the sauteed chicken you can add a favorite sauce or vegetable. The reward will be dinner on the table in about 20 minutes. Serves: 4
What you'll need
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (canola, corn, peanut)
- HAWAIIAN SAUCE
- 1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, with juice
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon flour
Feel free to make up your own additions for a pan sauce. For a variation, try adding a 9 ounce jar of apricot chutney and 1/4 cup chopped pecans.
Save time by buying "thinly sliced" boneless, skinless chicken breast. This will eliminate the step to remove the tenderloin and will also cut down sautéeing time to two minutes per side.
How to make it
Remove tenderloin from chicken breast to allow it to cook evenly. Salt and pepper all of the chicken. Place flour on a plate and coat the chicken (including the tenderloins) on both sides with flour, pressing to make sure it adheres. Shake off excess flour.
In a large, heavy skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken pieces to the skillet, without crowding the pan, work in batches and add more oil if necessary. Sauté chicken for 4 minutes, without moving, it will become nicely brown. Adjust the heat, up or down if needed. Turn the cutlets and continue to sauté for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until chicken is evenly browned and cooked throughout, (tenderloin pieces take less time, 2 minutes per side) Transfer the chicken to a plate and remove the skillet from the heat.
SAUCE: Add the pineapple with the juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, cloves, paprika and salt. Return the skillet to medium heat and stir for a minute. Add the tablespoon of flour and continue to heat the sauce, stirring to collect any remaining juices and brown bits from pan, and allowing it to thicken slightly (about 2 minutes). Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve with white rice.
