Baked Chicken Recipe

My favorite oven baked chicken breasts recipe! It never fails me, thanks to this simple 5-step method that is easy to make and customize with your favorite seasonings.

A few weeks ago on Insta, I asked if you all might be interested in a back-to-basics series about the best ways to bake proteins (i.e. chicken, pork, steak, seafood, tofu, etc.) in the oven. Your answer? A resounding yes, please. Many of you had requests and questions about methods for cooking various proteins, plus more than a few tales to tell about proteins gone not-so-right over the years. And oh boy, I hear ya. My little kitchen has seen more than its share of overcooked steaks, completely dried out pork chops, salmon skin glued to pans, and not-so-crispy tofu over the years too. Which are never fun, especially since proteins can be pricey and intended for special occasions. But hey, it’s all part of the adventure of learning how to cook. And eventually, I’ve trial-and-errored my way to some basic methods for baking proteins that have become super-reliable, super-delicious staples in my kitchen.

So over the next two weeks, I thought we could work our way through each of them, beginning today with the #1 most requested protein here on Gimme Some Oven…

Over the years, I’ve received countless requests for new chicken breast recipes, and many more for tips on how to bake chicken breasts in the oven. Because anyone who worked with chicken breasts before know that they can be incredibly versatile, yet also incredibly finicky to work with, especially when baked in the oven. Cook them the wrong way and you’ll end up with a dry, rubbery, tough, and flavorless disaster. But cooked the right way?! We’re talkin’ juicy, tender, flavorful, perfectly baked chicken breasts that you will love.

The good news is that they’re also totally easy to customize with your favorite seasonings or sauces. And also, incredibly easy to make with my 5-step baked chicken breasts method. Thousands of our readers have tried it over the years and reported back that this method was a game-changer with cooking chicken. So if you have yet to give it a try, let’s bake some chicken together!

Baked Chicken Breasts

Learn how to make juicy, tender, delicious baked chicken breasts with this simple 5-step method.

Prep: 20min

Total: 35min

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness
• 1 tablespoon melted butter or olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Instruction:

1. (Check the label of your chicken breasts. If they have already been pre-brined in a sodium solution, please skip this step.) Fill a large bowl with 1 quart of warm water and 1/4 cup kosher salt. Stir to combine until most of the salt is absorbed. Add the chicken breasts and let them sit in the mixture to brine for 15 minutes, or you can also also cover the bowl and refrigerate for up to 6 hours. Remove the chicken breasts from the brine, rinse them with cold water, then pat them dry with paper towels.
2. Preheat oven to 450°F.
3. Place the chicken breasts in a single layer in a large baking dish*. Brush on both sides (turning once) evenly with the melted butter or olive oil. In a separate small bowl, whisk the salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika until combined. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture evenly over the chicken on both sides.
4. Bake for 15-18* minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the chicken breasts, so I recommend using a cooking thermometer to know exactly when the chicken is fully cooked. The thickest part of the breast should measure 165°F. (If you want the chicken to be a little bit browned and crispier on top, you can turn the broiler on high for the final 3-5 minutes of the cooking time and broil the chicken until it is cooked through and golden on top. Keep a close eye on the chicken, however, so that it does not overcook and/or burn.)
5. Once the chicken is cooked, remove the pan from the oven, transfer the chicken to a clean plate, and loosely tent the plate with aluminum foil. Let the chicken rest for at least 5-10 minutes.
6. Serve warm and enjoy!

Oven Baked Chicken Breast

Recipe VIDEO above. My tips for a truly juicy, Oven Baked Chicken Breast: a touch of brown sugar in the seasoning which makes the chicken sweat while it bakes so it creates a semi “sauce”, and cooking fast on a high temp! Go by the colour of the crust to know when it’s cooked through.

Prep: 5min

Total: 23min

Serving Size: 158 g

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 158 g, calories 286 kcal, Carbohydrate 4 g, Protein 46 g, Fat 7 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 127 mg, Sodium 403 mg, Sugar 4 g, unSaturated Fat 2 g

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts (, 150 – 180g / 5 – 6 oz each (Note 1))
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano or thyme (, or other herb of choice)
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
• Finely chopped parsley

Instruction:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F/220°C (200°C fan).
2. Pound chicken to 1.5cm / 0.6″ at the thickest part – using a rolling pin, meat mallet or even your fist (key tip for even cooking + tender chicken).
3. Mix Seasoning.
4. Line tray with foil and baking / parchment paper. Place chicken upside down on tray. Drizzle chicken with about 1 tsp oil. Rub over with fingers. Sprinkle with Seasoning.
5. Flip chicken. Drizzle with 1 tsp oil, rub with fingers, sprinkle with Seasoning, covering as much of the surface area as you can.
6. Bake 18 minutes, or until surface is golden per photos and video, or internal temperature is 165°F/75°C using a meat thermometer.
7. Remove from oven and immediately transfer chicken to serving plates.
8. Wait 3 – 5 minutes before serving, garnished with freshly chopped parsley if desired. Pictured with a side of Garlic Butter Rice with Kale.

Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Breast

Baked Chicken Breast is great as a main dish, salad topper, or even a sandwich protein. Learn how to bake Chicken Breast in the Oven.

Prep: 5min

Total: 25min

Yield: 6

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 217 kcal, Carbohydrate 1 g, Protein 32 g, Fat 9 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Trans Fat 0.02 g, Cholesterol 97 mg, Sodium 176 mg, Fiber 0.4 g, Sugar 0.04 g, unSaturated Fat 6 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 2 lb chicken breast ((about 4-6 pieces))
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tbsp garlic parsley salt
• 1 tsp black pepper (or added to taste)
• 2 tbsp oil (olive or avocado)

Instruction:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the chicken breast on a lined baking sheet.
2. Season the chicken breasts on all sides with oil, paprika, garlic parsley salt, and pepper.
3. Bake for about 20 minutes or until chicken reaches 165°F on a thermometer.

THE BEST BAKED CHICKEN YOU’LL EVER MAKE ! | JUICY & CRISPY | EASY RECIPE TUTORIAL

FAQ

Is it better to bake chicken at 350 or 400?

How do I bake chicken without it drying out?

Should you bake chicken covered or uncovered?

Should I bake chicken at 400 or 450?

Do you cook chicken at 350 or 375?