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10 Minute Skillet Italian Chicken

Skillet Italian chicken is the perfect addition to your quick and easy weeknight dinners!

This recipe is ready in just 10 minutes and is packed with flavor from simple pantry ingredients! Even your kids are going to be asking for seconds!

Cast iron skillet with Italian Chicken and a silver spatula
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Why this recipe works

  • This recipe is fast, flavorful and so easy to make! It requires minimal prep work and is bursting with flavor!
  • The chicken cooks up in just 10 minutes, with no need to marinate the chicken.
  • This recipe would be great for weekend meal prep! The chicken would be great on salads, pizzas, in pasta or wraps!
  • This 10 minute skillet Italian chicken recipe is Whole30, paleo, low carb and keto friendly!
  • Pair it with mashed garlic cauliflower and veggies for a low carb meal or with artichoke pesto pasta for a filling weeknight meal!

How to cook chicken cubes

Step 1: Start by combining the Italian seasoning, lemon juice and garlic olive oil (see substations below) in a large bowl, stirring well.

Glass bowl filled with Italian seasoning marinade for Italian chicken

Step 2: Trim the chicken breast (or thighs) into 1 inch cubes, using kitchen shears.

Large bowl filled with cubed chicken.

Step 3: Add the cubes of chicken to the Italian seasoning and stir well.

Large bowl filled with cubed chicken coated in Italian seasoning.

Step 4: Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the Italian chicken to the skillet and let cook 4-5 minutes, don’t touch the chicken.

Cast Iron skillet filled with raw Italian Chicken before cooking.

Step 5: After 4-5 minutes, move the chicken around frequently with a spatula until all sides are browned and chicken is cooked to 165F internally.

Cast iron filled with Italian chicken after cooking.

FAQs

What is Italian Seasoning

Italian seasoning is usually a blend of these dried herbs:

  • Basil
  • Parsley
  • Oregano
  • Garlic
  • Rosemary
  • Sage

Most brands have a different combination of dried herbs. This seasoning is very easy to find in the grocery store. Check out my go to recipe for homemade italian seasoning.

Storage

  • Refrigerator: Store the cooked Italian chicken in a airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.
  • Freezer: Cooked Italian chicken should be cooled all the way down in the fridge before being transferred to the freezer. Freeze in individual portions in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Make ahead tips

If you need dinner on the table in 10 minutes, you can prep the chicken ahead of time by cubing the chicken with kitchen shears and adding the Italian marinade up to 8 hours ahead of time.

If you need to make it even more in advance, don’t add the lemon juice until right before cooking, as it can start to make the chicken tough if marinating too long in lemon juice.

White plate filled with Italian Chicken surrounded by sliced lemons

How to double or triple this recipe

However, you will likely need to cook the Italian chicken in batches, since you don’t want to overcrowd the pan. This will allow all sides to get browned without overcooking the meat.

What to serve with diced chicken

What to serve on the side

Silver spatula picking up Italian Chicken from the skillet.

Substitutions

  • Chicken: This recipe is great using boneless, skinless chicken breast or chicken thighs.
    • TIP: If you are looking to save time with prep, use chicken tenders, as they will be faster to cut down.
  • Garlic Infused Olive Oil: if you cannot find garlic infused olive oil (I get mine at Trader Joe’s, but it can also be bought online), you can use 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.

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★ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
Skillet filled with Italian Chicken and a silver spatula

10 Minute Skillet Italian Chicken

$8.03 Recipe/$2.01 Serving
10 Minute Skillet Italian Chicken is the perfect quick and healthy dinner idea! This easy skillet chicken dish is seasoned with italian seasoning and is perfect for adding to pasta, zoodles, sandwiches, wraps, pizzas and more! Great for quick and simple weeknight dinners or meal prep! Gluten free, low carb, paleo, Whole30 and keto friendly!
5 from 6 votes
Print Pin Save Rate
Course: dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: italian chicken, skillet chicken, skillet italian chicken
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 12 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Guided Recipe Video

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combine the Italian seasoning, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic powder and salt. Stir well.
  • Cut up the chicken breast into 1 inch cubes using kitchen shears. Add directly to the Italian seasoning marinade.
  • Stir the chicken well, making sure it's coated on all sides.
  • Preheat a cast iron or stainless steel skillet over medium heat.
  • Add the chicken and cook 4-5 minutes without touching the meat, allowing it to sear well.
  • For the next 4-5 minutes, stir the chicken occasionally, making sure all sides get browned.

Equipment

  • Cast Iron Skillet

Notes

Budget tip: To make this meal more budget friendly, use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. This recipe would be $6.03 recipe/$1.51 per serving using this swap. 
  • If you don’t have chicken breast you can also use chicken tenders, turkey breast, boneless skinless chicken thighs. 
Low FODMAP: To make low fodmap, substitute the 1 tablespoon olive oil + 1 tsp. garlic powder with 1 tbsp. garlic olive oil.
Storage: Store in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container! Or in the freezer in individual portions in the freezer for up to a month in a freezer safe bag.
See how I calculate food cost.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Calories
174
Fat
 
7
g
Carbohydrates
 
4
g
Fiber
 
1
g
Sugar
 
1
g
Protein
 
25
g
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.
DID YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE?Let others know by rating and leaving a comment below!

Recipe Rating




Rhonda

Friday 23rd of December 2022

I had been looking for a simple, delicious "grilled" chicken recipe and I kept finding, "easy" recipes pounding the chicken, etc., and Iooked at several different ones. Not that pounding chicken is that hard, I just wanted to cut it up, put some tasty seasoning on it and call it good. Well ... this was BEYOND good, absolutely delicious, and exactly what my taste buds were searching for. AND simple and efficient! THANK YOU!

Jackie

Monday 31st of October 2022

I rarely leave review, but this is a delicious and easy dish! Made it numerous times with breast and thighs. It's my go to lunch prep protein. Thank you!

Samantha Rowland

Tuesday 1st of November 2022

Jackie thank you so much for taking the time to review this dish! I really appreciate it and love that it's become part of your routine!

Misty

Wednesday 11th of August 2021

Excellent and sooo quick! I did add white wine and butter to the chicken after it was browned and let it simmer so that there was a nice juice to add when I served it over rice.

Georgetta Busler

Saturday 27th of March 2021

Oh my, goodness! And GOODNESS it was! Excellent recipe, the entire family loved it. I served the chicken atop bowtie pasta to which I had added a small amount of pesto alla Genovese (to keep the pasta from sticking together) and strips of roasted red pepper. The entire presentation was lovely and so tasty. Definitely will be a part of my recipe box. Thank you!

Heather

Monday 15th of February 2021

Thank you for a quick, easy, and delicious skillet chicken dish! Even my SUPER picky husband and 4 year old liked it! I didn't have a lemon on hand, only lemon juice, so added 5 TBL, which made it a bit too lemony. When I make again I think Ill add 3-4 TBL of lemon juice. I'm sure if you follow the recipe as written, the amount one lemon produces is perfect, but wanted to provide my feedback in case anyone can find it helpful.