Wolfgang Puck is an Austrian-American chef and restauranteur who has had a very long and very celebrated culinary career. I first came across him because of his work on Masterclass, where he teaches cooking. I haven’t actually signed up for the class myself, but I did stumble across a short video clip teaching how to achieve perfect crispy chicken skin (breast piece), and I just knew that I had to try it out.
To try out this recipe, I left the bone in my chicken breast because I think leaving the bone in helps keep the meat moist. I also made sure to pat the chicken breast with a few paper towels to ensure that it was as dry as possible. This helps to ensure a truly crispy skin.
In my first attempt, I used a cast iron pan, which I realised, while indeed making the skin crispy, it did do so much faster than I had liked. The second time, I used a stainless-steel frying pan, which made all the difference.
The wonderful thing about this recipe (and technique) is that the flavor of the bird really shines through. Truly, you can use any combination of dry spices and seasonings, but I kept mine really simple: sea salt, fresh black pepper, and a light dusting of garlic power.
Wolfgang Puck’s Crispy Roasted Chicken Breast
The easiest way to cook a chicken breast to ensure moist meat and a delicious, crispy skin every time.
- Stainless-steel frying pan
- Kitchen tongs
- 1 Bone-in chicken breast (with the skin on)
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp Sea salt
- 1/2 tbsp Fresh black pepper
- Garlic powder (light dusting on both sides)
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
Prepare your chicken and ensure it is dry by patting it with kitchen paper.
Next, season your chicken breast on both sides with sea salt, black pepper and a light dusting of garlic powder.
In a stainless-steel frying pan over high heat, carefully place the chicken breast in the frying pan (skin down). The high heat will prevent the skin from sticking to the pan. Turn down the heat to medium (or medium-high, depending on your stove). Do not move the chicken around. Wait until the skin is crispy golden brown (about 5-7 minutes) before turning it over.
Cook the chicken for another 5 minutes on the meat side before adding the frying pan to the pre-heated oven to bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the bird.
Remove from the oven and allow to rest for another 5 minutes. Then, enjoy!