Baked Chicken Breast
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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’ll need
This is such an easy recipe for baked chicken breast, only a handful of ingredients are needed. Keep scrolling for the full recipe and ingredient amounts.
- 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 bake 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!
Some tips
- 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 breast
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.
How to serve
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:
Leftovers
Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
Freezing
Freeze chicken breast 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!
More great chicken recipes to try:
- 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!
Equipment
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%)
Gorana says
Just made this tonight – used whatever seasonings I had in my house but cooked the chicken breast with the directions to a T and it came out so good and juicy!!! Not dry at all!!
Michael Whiston, Markham, Ontario says
I made this twice now, I used a cast iron fry pan, used spices that we enjoy. Used bulgar and spice and red pepper and another side of asparagus with one. Rice and black beans with Clamatoe juice instead of water and brockley with the other. Once the chicken is done, I deglased the pan for a great au jus
Chantal says
Delicious! 5 star from the kids 😉
Dimpy says
Hi Jo! How would I make a brine with soy sauce? Do I still use salt and water and just add in some soy sauce?
jo says
Yes, you’d still need salt and water, and I would add 1 to 1 ratio of soy sauce to salt, so if you are using 1/4 cup salt, I’d still add 1/4 cup soy sauce.
Christi Gertner says
this has become my go-to chicken breast recipe! My whole family loves it and it is always ender, moist and delicious! I sometimes take the pan drippings and whisk a little flour slurry into it to make a sauce to drizzle over the top. Excellent!
jo says
I’m so happy to hear you love it! 🙂
Angela says
Best boneless chicken breasts I’ve had in a while! So easy and fast and way better then my own.
Jo Ritter says
These are so very good. And easy! I used dark brown sugar and raisins in mine. Just like I remember my grandmother’s sweet dough. Still working on getting my bread as good as grandma’s.
LynneP says
My go-to recipe for baked chicken breast! So moist and delicious! I serve it sliced over a doctored-up bagged chopped sweet kale salad! Healthy, quick, and yummy!
Lori says
My breasts were extra large (lol) so I had to cook them longer. I had a regular thermometer…but will need to invest in an instant one, because I believe I cooked mine just a little longer than needed, which dried them out a bit. The spice mixture is lovely, I’m finding myself slurping up the sauce from my leftover containers. Super easy! Thank you.
Jo Cooks Team 2 says
LOL! Glad you liked it 🙂
Jennifer Matton says
Thank you for giving me the tips to keep my chicken moist. It was excellent!!!
jo says
That’s wonderful, glad you liked it!
Amanda Tanui says
I hadn’t fooled with cooking whole chicken breasts in years because I always dried them out in an effort to not serve them raw. I decided to try again finally and am so thankful I found this recipe! They turned out juicy and delicious!