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!
The Juiciest 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!
It all starts with a great and simple seasoning and then baking it just right. No dried breast ever again!
Best, most juicy chicken breasts ever. Great recipe and it even makes tasty sauce/gravy.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 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.
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!
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Baked Chicken Breast
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Rub
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika or regular paprika
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ 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.
How long do you bake 1lb of chicken?
It depends on the thickness of the breast. So still go with the instructions on the recipe and cook for 18 to 25 minutes but the best way to tell when the breast is cooked through is to use a thermometer. We highly advise on using one, it’s the easiest way to make sure everything is ready. Hope this helps!
So tasty! Thank you
So glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent go to recipe for baking chicken. Moist and flavourful!
I love it
This was the best chicken I’ve ever made. The juices made the best gravy also! Thank you so much!
So glad you liked it!
Have fun with it, add a bit of this and a bit of that, make it your own. I’ve added thin sliced onion to one batch and another I added have cherry tomatoes. I never make it the very same, but I do write down the ones I like best.
Doesn’t mention cooking covered or uncovered
The best thing about this recipe is that there’s a whole video that goes along with it showing you the exact process! If it doesn’t state covered, then you don’t have to cover it 🙂
I always cook mine uncovered.
Just delicious… I didnt get the juice in the picture but it was still amazing and I had all the ingredients already in my pantry so no trip to the store…thank you Jo I just luvv your recipes!😃
Delicious. 5 stars
Wow, your recipe is so awesome. I have never known this recipe. Thanks for sharing. I will try to follow your recipe and I hope it looks delicious as your picture. I will share this recipe for my friends and my family. I think they love it too.
Made this for supper last night and really enjoyed it, so did the hubster! We gave it 5 stars and will include it in our dinner rotation. The effort to effect ratio is stellar. Thanks!
Wow! This is the easiest and most delicious baked chicken recipe. It is fail proof with the seasonings and oh so juicy and tender! I eat it with salads or by itself, either way it’s so yummy. It is even juicy the next day when you reheat it! My husband asks me to make this chicken at least twice a week! I also love how the seasonings are always on hand in my pantry, doesn’t need anything fancy. Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!!!
Best, most juicy chicken breasts ever. Great recipe and it even makes tasty sauce/gravy.
This was so good! Made this for dinner for hubby and I. I could eat this everyday. Please give this recioe a try. You won’t be disappointed. Definitely a keeper. Thank you Jo!
My pleasure, glad you enjoyed it!
Loved this recipe!!!!! It was a bit spicy for our ten year old, but lots of flavor for adults. New favorite! Next time we’ll just go very light on the seasoning for the piece we are serving to our little girl. This is the third recipe we have tried from JoCooks during this COVID Cooking time, and we are LOVING each one. Much more flavor that other recipes we’ve tried. Also the 450 cooking temp is amazing – no more dry chicken. Thank you!! Thank you!!
Wow that’s so wonderful to hear! She can slowly work up to the adult seasoning 😁 Let us know when you try more!
Do you put foil to cover the top? Or leave it open?
No foil needed….only if you see the top starting to burn, but I haven’t had that problem.