Baked Chicken Breast
This Oven Baked Chicken Breast Recipe makes the best, easiest, juiciest chicken breasts, deliciously seasoned then baked to perfection! An easy weeknight meal that can be served along any side dish, best of all it’s ready in only 30 minutes!
It’s amazing that I’ve been blogging here for almost 8 years, and in that time I have never shared with you a basic recipe for baked chicken breast. I think I know why though. Many times I find myself that the recipes that I cook the most at home, I hardly ever blog about because I just think everybody knows how to make them or I just think I’ve already done it.
When I searched my blog for baked chicken breast and came out empty, I just knew I had to rectify that problem. So here I am with my favorite recipe for baked chicken breasts.
Baked Chicken Breast
A lot of people shy away from boneless, skinless baked chicken because they think it’s dry, flavorless and boring. But you know what? Baked chicken does not have to be boring, it can be juicy, moist, tender and pretty darn delicious!
Ingredients You Need To Make Baked Chicken Breast
This is such an easy recipe for baked chicken breast, only a handful of ingredients are needed. Make sure to scroll all the way down for the complete printable recipe:
- Spices – I love making a simple dry rub with some great spices such as smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Feel free to modify this dry spice rub to your liking and preference. This is where you can be as creative as you want.
- Chicken Breast – I used boneless skinless chicken breast. You can also use bone in chicken breast with skin on but it will take a little bit longer to cook, about 30 to 40 minutes.
- Olive oil – you just need a little bit to brush over the bottom of a baking dish and the remaining over the chicken breast. This will ensure the dry rub sticks to the chicken better.
- Butter – I always use unsalted butter so I can control the sodium in my recipes. You don’t want to skip this step of adding a pat of butter over each breast because this adds to the juiciness of the chicken and the beautiful crispy top.
How To Make Baked Chicken Breast
Preheat oven and baking dish: Preheat the oven to 450 F degrees. Brush about 1 tbsp of the olive oil over the bottom of a baking dish.
Prepare the dry rub: In a small bowl whisk all the dry rub ingredients together; set aside.
Prepare the chicken: Pat the chicken breast dry with a paper towel. Place the chicken breasts in the baking dish and brush the remaining olive oil over both sides of the chicken. Sprinkle half of the rub over one side of the chicken breasts then flip them over and sprinkle the other side with the remaining rub. Use your hands if necessary to make sure the entire breasts are seasoned. Place a piece of butter on each chicken breast.
Bake: Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake for 18 to 25 minutes. The baking time could differ depending on the thickness of the chicken breast. The breast is cooked when it’s completely opaque all the way through and registers 165 to 170 F on an instant-read thermometer.
Rest and serve: Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving. Serve with your favorite side dish.
It was the best chicken breast recipe I made! Moist and tasty!
Tips On Making The Best Baked Chicken Breast:
- Always season your chicken breast, not just salt and pepper but choose your favorite spices and herbs. Make sure to pat the chicken dry first before seasoning because moisture causes steam which will prevent your chicken from browning.
- Don’t be afraid to add a little bit of fat like olive oil or butter. Chicken breasts need some fat to keep them juicy and flavorful.
- If you’ve got the time, brine your chicken for 2 to 4 hours in a solution made with water, salt and other things you may prefer like soy sauce or beer. Basic brine ratio is 1 tbsp salt to 1 cup of water.
- Baking time can vary depending on the thickness of the breasts, so invest in an instant-read thermometer for best results. Cooking time is generally 20 to 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature registers 165 F degrees.
- Save the pan drippings and use them to drizzle over the chicken for extra flavor!
How Long To Cook Chicken
Nobody loves a dried out breast. Trust me, I know how tasteless they can be. My mom always cooked her chicken to death! The secret to moist and juicy chicken is the hot oven. And I mean hot! 450 F degrees hot. A medium chicken breast will only take about 18 to 25 minutes to bake at this temperature.
However, keep in mind that cooking times can vary greatly based on many different factors such as thickness of chicken, all ovens are different, etc. The best way to always tell if your chicken is done, is by using an instant-read thermometer.
What To Serve With Chicken Breasts
I love serving my chicken with a simple side salad, especially if trying to eat low carb. This chicken is perfect for shredding and serving it on tacos or burritos, however here are some other great suggestions:
How To Store Leftover Chicken Breast
Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
Can You Freeze Cooked Chicken Breast?
Absolutely! Freeze this stored in airtight containers for up to 3 months!
Why This Recipe Works
- Minimal prep required!
- No marinating required!
- Great results every single time! Juicy, tender, delicious chicken!
Craving More Chicken? Try These Recipes:
- Garlic and Paprika Chicken
- Chicken Schnitzel
- Parmesan Chicken Strips
- Chicken in a Hurry
- Coq au Vin
- Orange Chicken
- Mongolian Chicken
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Baked Chicken Breast
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Serves: 6
This Oven Baked Chicken Breast Recipe makes the best, easiest, juiciest chicken breasts, deliciously seasoned then baked to perfection! An easy weeknight meal that can be served along any side dish!
Ingredients
Dry Rub
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika or regular paprika
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper freshly ground
Baked Chicken
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 lbs chicken breast boneless and skinless (about 6)
- 2 tbsp butter unsalted, cut into 6 equal size pieces
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 450 F degrees.
- In a small bowl whisk all the dry rub ingredients together; set aside.
- Pat the chicken breast dry with a paper towel. Drizzle about 1 tbsp of olive oil over the bottom of a baking dish and brush it over the bottom to cover the entire surface. Place the chicken breasts in the baking dish and brush the remaining olive oil over both sides of the chicken.
- Sprinkle half of the rub over one side of the chicken breasts then flip them over and sprinkle the other side with the remaining rub. Use your hands if necessary to make sure the entire breasts are seasoned.
- Place a piece of butter on each chicken breast.
- Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake for 18 to 25 minutes. The baking time could differ depending on the thickness of the chicken breast. The breast is cooked when it's completely opaque all the way through and registers 165 to 170 F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving. Serve with your favorite side dish.
Video
Recipe Notes
Chicken thighs or drumsticks can also be used. Bake them until the internal temperature reaches 165 F degrees. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen in an air tight container for up to 3 months. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1breastCalories: 343kcal (17%)Carbohydrates: 2g (1%)Protein: 48g (96%)Fat: 14g (22%)Saturated Fat: 4g (25%)Cholesterol: 155mg (52%)Sodium: 459mg (20%)Potassium: 882mg (25%)Vitamin A: 775IU (16%)Vitamin C: 2.7mg (3%)Calcium: 27mg (3%)Iron: 1.4mg (8%)
Marian says
How long should I bake it if I have 3 half chicken breast with ribs and skin, about 3.83 lbs? 😞 I’m very bad when it comes to baking times
Jo Cooks Team says
45-60 minutes will do it. Get yourself an instant read thermometer! It’ll change your life. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, and once it reads 165F, you’re all done. No more guess-work!
Tracy says
Thanks for the recipe Joanna. Easy to prepare and came out excellent! Followed recipe exactly. Used digital thermometer to make sure it wasn’t overcooked.
larry says
Outstanding recipe. Thank you very much for this. Pounded the chicken breasts to a consistent thickness (about 1/2 inch) and then followed the directions. At 425 for 17 minutes they hit 150 degrees and I let them sit in the casserole dish for 5 minutes before serving. Chicken was tasty and moist, amazing actually. We’ll do this one often 🙂
Joanna Cismaru says
I’m so glad you liked it!
Ann says
Very good and easy to make.
Joanna Cismaru says
Happy to hear you liked it!
Cynthia says
Jo,
Can’t wait to try this recipe – my hubby and I normally cook in bulk and freeze them for the working week.
Please can you advise how best to re-heat the chicken breasts without them drying out? Thanks very much !
Nicole Beaulieu says
It will heat up well in the microwave, or you can reheat in the oven. To avoid drying out bake at 250 for 15-20 minutes!
Matthew says
Made this last night for my family. We all loved it so much. It was delicious. I shared pictures online of how it turned out and EVERYONE asked me for your recipe. Thanks so much!
Joanna Cismaru says
My pleasure, glad you liked it, Matthew!
Matthew says
Can I use normal Paprika?
Joanna Cismaru says
For sure!
Natalie says
The spice blend is delicious! Such a nice change from the regular old Johnny’s seasoning. 👍🏼 I will be making this regularly from now on 😊
Joanna Cismaru says
I’m so glad you like it!
Ilka says
This is my go to baked chicken recipe. I’ve made it this way and switched it up the spices as well. I really like this one though. My cook time is always longer I’m not sure if it is the size of my chicken or my oven ( I do cut them in half to cut down the cook time) but it’s about 40 mins. So smart using butter. My husband thinks there is no way you can get tender baked chicken but this recipe proved him wrong. Haha
Joanna Cismaru says
So glad you like this recipe! Yeah anything is possible, could be the oven. As long as you use a thermometer to check to see when the breasts are done, you can’t go wrong. 🙂
Blyss says
This recipe was incredibly easy and I had all the ingredients on hand. My fiancé loved the chicken so much that he complimented it twice and said it was delicious. I saved this recipe as one of my go to recipes, and can’t wait to make it again. Thanks for sharing this basic, but oh so necessary recipe!
Elma says
Great recipe! Very easy to make and everyone loved it including my 10 year old niece.