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!
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!
Ingredients
- Boneless, skinless chicken – you can use boneless, skinless chicken breast, thighs or chicken tenders to make chicken cubes to cook in the skillet. Chicken tenders are great because they are already thin, so the prep will take even less time.
- Olive oil – coat the chicken in olive oil to help the spices stick to the chicken and also to help ensure the chicken doesn’t stick to the skillet.
- Lemon juice – lemon juice adds a little acid to the recipe, combining with the olive oil to make a simple dressing to help give the chicken more flavor.
- Spices: Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder – these simple seasonings help to give the chicken cubes so much flavor after cooking on the stove.
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.
Step 2: Trim the chicken breast (or thighs) into 1 inch cubes, using kitchen shears.
Step 3: Add the cubes of chicken to the Italian seasoning and stir well.
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.
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.
Top tips
- Use chicken tenders to make this very quick and simple. Be sure to take a minute to remove the tendon from the tenders, as it can make the chicken chewy and less appealing. To do this, hold the white tendon piece with a paper towel and place the tongs of a fork around the tendon. Pull down on the fork to remove it quickly.
- If you know you will be short on time, cube the chicken in advance and store in an airtight bag or container (you can do this up to 2 days in advance).
- Use kitchen shears to make this quick and easy. If you don’t have kitchen shears, use a knife and a plastic cutting board that can be put in the dishwasher after using. I don’t recommend cutting chicken on a wood cutting board.
- Use other spices (like za’atar or Mediterranean seasoning in place of the italian seasoning to change up the flavors.
What to serve with diced chicken
- As the main protein with your favorite side dishes like mashed potatoes, rice, pesto cauliflower rice, or air fryer baby potatoes.
- Salad greens with Creamy Balsamic Dressing or Creamy Italian Dressing
- In wraps
- On flatbread (with this butter bean hummus)
- On pizza
- On pasta
What to serve on the side
- 5 Minute Blistered Tomatoes
- Greek Spaghetti Squash Salad
- Spiralized Rutabaga Pasta
- Roasted Brussel Sprouts
- Cauliflower Tabbouleh
- Italian Cauliflower Rice
Common questions
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.
Can you make chicken cubes in a pan in advance
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 prep this any more than 8 hours in advance, wait to add the olive oil, lemon juice and spices until right before cooking, as the lemon juice will start to change the texture of the chicken.
These Italian chicken cubes reheat well in a skillet over medium low heat or in the microwave.
How to double or triple this recipe
Making cubed chicken in the skillet requires a large skillet and that the skillet not be overcrowded. Each piece of chicken should be touching the bottom of the skillet.
Because of this, you will likely need to cook the Italian chicken in batches if you want to make more than 1.5-2 pounds of chicken at once, since you don’t want to overcrowd the pan. This will allow all sides to get browned without overcooking the meat.
Storing leftovers
- 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.
If you love this recipe, you should try
- Simple Chicken and Peas Skillet
- 10 Minute Ranch Chicken
- 10 Minute Taco Chicken
- Skillet Pesto Chicken (10 Minutes)
- Juicy Oven Baked Chicken
- Oven baked chicken drumsticks
- Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
10 Minute Skillet Italian Chicken
$8.03 Recipe/$2.01 ServingGuided Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning - $0.25
- 1 lemon, juiced - $0.42
- 1 tbsp olive oil - $0.22
- 1 tsp salt - $0.05
- 1 tsp garlic powder - $0.10
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast (or boneless skinless chicken thighs) - $6.99
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
- If you don’t have chicken breast you can also use chicken tenders, turkey breast, boneless skinless chicken thighs.
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.