How To Cook Chicken Pieces in a Pan on the Stove

When you cut chicken into bite-sized pieces before cooking it, it ends up juicier and more tender, especially if you use the method below. You’ll never cook diced chicken another way again!

Why Cook Chicken In Pieces?

Cutting a chicken breast into bite-sized pieces before cooking it actually yields juicier, more tender chicken breast than if you cook the whole breast pieces. I’m going to explain why. But note that you can also cook chicken thighs by cutting them up first, it just doesn’t make as much of a difference to the tenderness and juiciness because they are generally juicier and more tender already. But if you want to pre-cook a bunch of chicken thighs to have ready for recipes, this is a great way to do it.

Why does cutting it up yield juicier chicken? Two reasons: (1) you end up having to cook it for less time so it doesn’t dry out on the outside before the inside cooks through, and (2) you are making the fibers shorter, which makes chewing easier thus makes the chicken seem more tender.

To elaborate a bit on the juiciness, what typically makes chicken breast dry is that the outside has been in contact with heat and is dried out before the center is cooked through. When you cut the chicken into small pieces, the center gets cooked much more quickly, meaning that the outside doesn’t have time to dry out.

And as to the tenderness, because you’re cutting the chicken up, when it’s time to eat, it won’t involve as much chewing and biting. Less chewing gives the sense of more tender meat. You’ve probably heard about slicing beef against the grain – it’s similar to that. You’re cutting the fibers so chewing is easier, giving the sense of greater tenderness.

A Note About Slicing Chicken

I want to note that if you are cutting the chicken into slices (not bite-sized squares) you want to make sure that you are cutting them against the grain, so that the fibers are short. If you cut the chicken with the grain (such that they’d be long shreds once cooked), then you have long strands that you have to chew through, making it seem tougher.

Before you slice that chicken into strips, have a good look at it and try to see which way the strands are going. Then slice perpendicular to those.

For the recipe below, we’re talking about bite-sized pieces, not slices, and so it doesn’t matter. You’ll be slicing it into slices and then cutting those up, so the direction you cut doesn’t matter (trust me, no matter how you cut it, you get short strands).

Seasoning Chicken Pieces

First, I’m going to recommend that you salt your cut-up chicken well, spread it out in a single layer, and leave it for at least 15 minutes (but ideally 30 minutes) before cooking it. Leaving it will let the salt penetrate and act like a bit of a dry brine, which tenderizes the chicken.

My recipe also uses black pepper and garlic powder for seasoning, but you can use whatever seasonings you like. I have lots of great homemade seasoning blends you can play around with, depending on how you plan on enjoying your chicken. Try using this chicken taco seasoning blend or homemade poultry seasoning.

Wait Before Cooking It!

I just told you to salt the chicken and then let it be at room temperature for 15-30 minutes before cooking it. That definitely gives the salt a chance to penetrate, but it does something else that is very important. It reduces the cooking time of the chicken!

Remember from above that one of the things that makes chicken dry is when it’s in contact with the heat for a long time. If we shorten the cooking time, that means that the chicken will be juicier. The outsides will be in contact with the heat for less time and won’t dry out.

If you follow the salting and resting steps, well-seasoned, tender, juicy chicken will be coming your way very soon!

How To Cook Chicken Pieces In A Pan

It’s really quick and easy to cook chicken pieces in a pan on the stove. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. You can use olive oil, vegetable oil, or your preferred cooking oil.

Add the pieces of chicken to the pan in a single layer. Cook undisturbed until browned underneath, 2-3 minutes. Flip and stir, continuing to cook for a few more minutes until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside.

Whether you use breasts or thighs, as soon as the chicken pieces are cooked through, remove them from the skillet. You want them to no longer be in contact with heat so they don’t overcook and dry out.

If there is liquid in the skillet, drizzle it over the chicken for extra tasty flavor. If you’re going to refrigerate the chicken, chill it with the liquid, but stir it while reheating so that it moistens the chicken. 

Using Your Cooked Chicken Pieces

Now you’ve got delicious, perfectly cooked little bites of chicken. So, how are you going to serve them?

You could serve the pan-seared chicken on top of a salad or chop them smaller and use them for my cottage cheese chicken salad. Try adding them to fettucine alfredo or another pasta dish. You can add them to cooked veggies with a teriyaki sauce and serve over rice for a quick stir-fry meal.  Use them as the protein for your taco bowls or in burritos. There’s so many wonderful options.

How To Freeze Cooked Chicken Pieces

After cooking the chicken, let it cool completely before storing in a zip-top freezer bag.

The best way to do this is to actually spread out the cooked chicken bites on wax paper on a baking sheet. Put that in the freezer until the chicken is frozen, then you can transfer it to freezer bags. This way they freeze separately and not in a big frozen clump. This is great if you just need to grab a small amount of chicken from the freezer. I use these pieces when a want to make a quick quesadilla for my kids or a small amount of chicken salad. 

If you don’t want to start the freezing on a sheet pan, you can put them right in the freezer bag but distribute them well in the bag, lay it flat, and then shake it every 45 minutes or so until frozen. Once frozen, the pieces can touch, you just don’t want them freezing to each other.

How Long Do Leftovers Keep?

In the freezer, they don’t keep as long as whole chicken breasts or thighs, as the smaller pieces can get freezer burnt more quicky. Use the frozen chicken within a month or two.

The chicken will keep in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

More Chicken Recipes

Podcast Episode: Cooking Bite-Sized Chicken