A weeknight standby that lets quality cooking spray do the heavy lifting, searing chicken skin-side down until it releases easily from the pan and seasons itself with its own fat. The shelf gives you an avocado oil base for high-heat cooking that won't smoke, leaving you free to focus on a simple pan sauce.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 690 calories a serving, 65 g protein, 18 g carbohydrate, 41 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Pat 2 boneless skin-on chicken breasts dry with a kitchen towel and season both sides with salt and pepper. Spray a 12-inch skillet with avocado oil no-stick spray, coating it evenly, and place over medium-high heat until the spray glistens.
2. Lay both chicken breasts skin-side down in the hot pan and resist moving them; listen for a steady sizzle, then set a timer for 8 minutes. When the skin is golden and releases easily from the pan without sticking, flip each breast and cook 6 minutes more skin-side up. The chicken is done when a meat thermometer reads 160°F (71°C).14 min
3. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Pour off all but a thin film of fat from the pan, add 2 cloves minced garlic, and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 2 tablespoons butter and squeeze in juice from half a lemon, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan until the sauce is smooth.
4. Spoon the pan sauce over each chicken breast and serve at once with the remaining lemon wedges on the side.

Note Swap the chicken for two thick fish fillets, searing skin-side down for 5 minutes and flesh-side down for 3. Leftover chicken keeps three days in the fridge and shreds well for salads. Serve alongside rice, a green salad, or steamed broccoli tossed with a bit of the pan sauce.