Chicken Bake Recipes

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!

Garlic Cheddar Chicken Bake

Loaded with chicken, rice and plenty of cheddar cheese, this easy casserole is the definition of cozy comfort food. Plus, it’s not hard to make! It only requires 10 minutes of prep time before going into the oven. This cheesy chicken bake recipe gets a crunchy topping made from extra cheese and buttery bread crumbs, and finished off with a bit of chopped fresh parsley for a seriously irresistible dinner—trust us, you’re going to want seconds.

Prep: 10min

Total: 1

Yield: 4

Serving Size: 1 Serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 640 , Carbohydrate 53 g, Cholesterol 135 mg, Fat 3 , Fiber 0 g, Protein 41 g, Saturated Fat 15 g, servingSize 1 Serving, Sodium 1600 mg, Sugar 1 g, Trans Fat 1 g

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup Progresso™ plain panko crispy bread crumbs
• 1 package (14 oz) chicken tenders (not breaded), cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 1/2 cups Progresso™ chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (8 oz)
• Chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, if desired

Instruction:

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 8-inch square (2-quart) baking dish with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix melted butter and bread crumbs until well mixed. Set aside.
2. In baking dish, mix chicken, rice, salt, pepper, garlic powder, chicken broth and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese until well mixed.
3. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
4. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese and the bread crumb mixture evenly over rice mixture. Bake about 5 minutes or until crumbs are light golden brown. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

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!

COSTCO CHICKEN BAKE…BUT HOMEMADE & WAY BETTER! | SAM THE COOKING GUY 4K

FAQ

Is it better to bake chicken at 350 or 400?

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Do you bake chicken at 375 or 400?