Anytime is the right time to enjoy these pan-seared chicken breasts loaded with flavor thanks to fresh herbs and seasonings. This Texas Roadhouse Herb Crusted Chicken recipe is quick enough for weekday meals but tasty enough for company.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Table of Contents
What makes Texas Roadhouse Herb Crusted Chicken the perfect weeknight family dinner?
Everyone is busy, and the thought of coming home and spending an hour in the kitchen cooking dinner isn’t very appealing. But neither is another night of expensive and unhealthy takeout. When you’re short on time but still want good homemade food, it’s tough to beat Herb Crusted Chicken from Texas Roadhouse.
This Texas Roadhouse chicken copycat recipe coats skinless chicken breasts in a blend of herbs and seasonings and tops them with a charred lemon-butter sauce. The result is the most flavorful and juicy chicken you’ve ever tasted!
Why you’ll love this chicken breast recipe
You don’t find quick and inexpensive recipes that are tasty and healthy too often, so, you won’t want to pass this one up. Prep the chicken the night before, and you can have a meal on the table in less than 20 minutes! That’s good food, fast, and all from your own kitchen!
Texas Roadhouse Herb Crusted Chicken ingredients
For Herb Crusted Chicken Texas Roadhouse style, you’ll need:
- Skinless boneless chicken breasts
- Italian seasoning
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- MSG (optional)
- Sweet paprika
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Canola oil
- Unsalted butter
- Lemon
- Fresh parsley
If you choose not to use MSG, consider increasing the amount of salt you use in the recipe.
How to make this Texas Roadhouse Herb Crusted Chicken recipe:
To prepare the chicken breasts:
- Mix the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, MSG (optional), freshly ground black pepper, and sweet paprika spices together in a small bowl. Reserve the mixture for later.
- Carefully butterfly the chicken by cutting each breast in half horizontally most of the way through, leaving a small strip where the two halves are still connected.
- Take one butterflied chicken breast and open it like a book. Place it between two places of plastic wrap.
- Use the flat end of a meat mallet or a rolling pin and gently pound the chicken until it is an even thickness. Place the pounded chicken aside and do the same with the remaining chicken breasts.
- Pat the pounded chicken dry on both sides, then sprinkle the seasoning mix on both sides. Place the chicken in a shallow bowl.
- Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.
- Cover the seasoned chicken in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
To cook Herb Crusted Chicken from Texas Roadhouse:
- Heat a cast iron pan or skillet over medium-high heat.
- When hot, add the canola oil.
- Carefully lay the seasoned chicken in the pan when the oil is hot. Expect some spattering.
- Cook the chicken for about five minutes per side until it’s browned, and the internal temperature is at least 165 degrees.
- While the chicken is cooking, melt the butter in the microwave and finely chop the parsley. Reserve for later.
- Plate the chicken and pour the melted butter over the top.
- Slice the lemons in half and char them, flesh side down, in the same pan you used to cook the chicken.
- Squeeze the charred lemon over the chicken and garnish with the chopped parsley.
What to serve with it
Chicken is one of those dishes that works well with almost any side dish. Here are some great combinations:
- Mashed Potatoes. Creamy, buttery mashed potatoes are mild enough to let the flavors of the chicken come through but filling enough to handle the heartiest of appetites. Try making these traditional-style mashed potatoes.
- Roasted Asparagus. Keep things light with Oven-Roasted Asparagus. This easy-to-make dish is both delicious and a little elegant.
- Green Beans. Make some just like the green beans at the Texas Roadhouse restaurant.
- Salad. Start off the meal with a crisp salad. Choose a simple mixed green salad with a vinaigrette, or get a bit more sophisticated with a hearty Spinach Salad.
- Bread. Homemade cornbread or Texas Roadhouse Rolls with cinnamon-honey butter is sure to bring smiles to the dinner table.
How to store the leftovers
Another great thing about this dish is that you can prep it in advance and keep it in the fridge for a quick reheat! To store the leftover chicken in the refrigerator, let it cool to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container. The chicken will last in the fridge for up to three days.
However, if you want to keep the chicken for longer, you can freeze it. Place the room-temperature cooked chicken on a baking tray. Place the tray in the freezer uncovered until the chicken is frozen. Transfer each portion to a freezer bag and return to the freezer for up to a month. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
How to keep chicken breast moist when you reheat it
Chicken is easy to dry out the first time you cook it, and it’s almost guaranteed to get dry and stringy when you reheat it–unless you know the secret!
The best way to keep the chicken breasts moist is to reheat them in a 350°F oven. Pour a few tablespoons of water or chicken stock into a baking dish and add the cooked chicken. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
More Texas Roadhouse copycat recipes
Favorite chicken recipes
- Chicken Fried Chicken
- Chicken Limone
- Chicken Marsala
- Costco Chicken Bake
- Crusted Chicken Romano
- Fiesta Lime Chicken
- Fried Chicken Tenders
- Grilled Chicken Alfredo
- Grilled Chicken Margarita
- Honey Sesame Chicken
Check out more of my easy recipes for chicken and the best restaurant copycat recipes on CopyKat!
Texas Roadhouse Herb Crusted Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon MSG optional
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 lemon halved
- fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, slice each chicken breast in half horizontally, being careful not to slice it all the way through. Open the chicken like a book and place it between two pieces of plastic wrap. Pound the chicken to an even thickness and pat dry.
- Combine the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, MSG (if using), black pepper, and paprika together in a small bowl. Sprinkle the seasoning over the chicken, coating both sides.
- Let the chicken sit for 30 minutes, or as long as overnight in a covered container in the refrigerator.
- Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for about 5 minutes on each side, until the chicken is browned and crispy and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Transfer the chicken to a plate and pour the melted butter over the chicken.
- While the chicken is resting, place the lemon halves cut-side down in the hot skillet until charred, about 3 minutes.
- Squeeze the lemons over the chicken before serving and top with fresh parsley.
Traveler
Oh my! This was really good and so easy. I used chicken tenders so didn’t need to do Step 1 other than patting them dry. And they looked so pretty.