Oven Roasted Chicken Breast (in Iron Skillet)

First, move the oven rack to the middle or lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Choose an oven-safe skillet with high, straight sides. The high sides will help contain the fat as the chicken cooks and, I hope, prevent smoking and a messy oven.
I prefer my large (10 inch) iron skillet.

Heat a mixture of butter and olive oil in the skillet on top of the stove over medium-high. For 2-4 breasts, I use 1 tbsp. of each. While that’s heating, sprinkle the breasts with paprika, pepper and, onion powder.

Brown the breasts in the pan on top of the oven, skin side down, without disturbing for a few minutes. Then turn them over with tongs so that the skin is on top and move the pan to the oven. Do not cover the pan; the skin will continue to crisp in the oven.

Let them cook for about 15 minutes in the oven, then flip them over again. Start checking for doneness at the 30-minute mark (or sooner, if the breasts are small). It is essential to have one of those nifty instant-read thermometers to determine when chicken is properly done. Stick the thermometer into the meatiest part of the chicken — avoiding the bone — and keep cooking until it registers 160 degrees. Depending on how meaty your breasts are, this may take up to 45 minutes total. Don’t worry, they are going to be juicy and succulent because of the little bit of butter.