Forget dry chicken with our Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Breast Recipe! Deliciously seasoned before being cooked in the oven until golden with mouthwatering crisp edges!
Tender and full-flavored, our simple and easy-baked chicken breast recipe uses skinless and boneless chicken breasts baked in the oven until golden and caramelised. As succulent and juicy as our Baked Chicken Breast With Honey and our Creamy Garlic Chicken Breasts, this staple chicken dish is the perfect addition to your weekly lunches and dinners.
THE JUICIEST OVEN-BAKED CHICKEN BREAST RIGHT HERE!
For years I’ve been trying dozens of different recipes and techniques in an attempt to achieve the perfect, juicy chicken breast. This left me beyond disappointed having to naw through dry mouthfuls of chicken breast, occasionally dipping it in mayo to make it more tolerable (the ultimate food faux pas).
Then finally, this recipe was born! Easy, fast, and simple. No weird steps, no wrapping, tenting, brining or marinating needed. Just chicken breast rubbed in a tasty seasoning and left to bake in the oven.
Letting your oven do most of the work is the best way to attain the most perfect, baked chicken breast. One of the best things about this recipe is the aromatic pan juices which you can use to make a jus or enjoy as is, poured over your juicy baked chicken.
BAKED CHICKEN SEASONING
You only need a handful of simple seasonings for this one: paprika (mild, sweet, or smoky), brown sugar (or a brown sugar substitute for keto readers), dried herbs, onion and garlic powders, salt, pepper, and chili powder or cayenne.
Adapted from our Cajun Butter Chicken recipe but without the added heat! Of course, if you’re looking for a bit of a kick, feel free to add a little spice.
Mix all of these ingredients together and voila – the ultimate baked chicken seasoning! Why brown sugar? Well, the brown sugar allows the chicken to sweat while baking, making your baked chicken breast even juicer! Much like our succulent Chili Lime Chicken.
HOW LONG TO BAKE CHICKEN BREASTS
Large chicken breasts (7oz or 200g) take about 20-22 minutes to cook. Medium-sized breasts (5-6oz or 150-180g) take about 18-20 minutes. You also have the option of throwing on your broiler for the last 2 minutes to achieve crispier edges!
Cooking them at high heat ensures crispy, caramelised edges while retaining a moist, tender consistency on the inside. Once the chicken is golden and caramelised, it’s cooked! Let it rest for about 5 minutes to recirculate all of those natural juices through the meat.
HOW DO I KNOW MY CHICKEN IS COOKED?
If you’re unsure whether your chicken is cooked through, use a meat thermometer. It should read 165°F (75°C) when inserted in the thickest part of the meat.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH BAKED CHICKEN
The great thing about this recipe is that it can be paired with just about any side:
- Mashed potatoes
- Mashed cauliflower for a low-carb option
- Simple tomato salad
- Black beans and rice
- Smashed potatoes
MORE CHICKEN BREAST RECIPES YOU WILL LOVE
- Balsamic Baked Chicken Breast With Mozzarella Cheese
- Caprese Stuffed Balsamic Chicken
- Crispy Chicken Parmesan (Parmigiana)
- Creamy Garlic Chicken Breasts
Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 3 teaspoons brown sugar, (for keto - use a brown sugar substitute)
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika smoked or sweet
- 1 teaspoon chili powder or ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt for extra flavor use seasoned salt, Adobo, or chicken salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper, to taste
- 4 large chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
OPTIONAL:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced or finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons parsley fresh, chopped
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F | 220°C (standard oven) or 390°F | 200°C (fan forced/convection).
- Pound each chicken breast to 0.8-inch | 2cm at the thickest part. Make sure your fillets are all the same thickness to ensure even cooking.
- Combine sugar, paprika, chili, herbs, salt, powders and pepper. Set aside.
- Line a baking pan with aluminum foil. Transfer chicken to the pan, drizzle with the oil, and rub seasoning into the chicken to evenly coat.Â
- Bake chicken in preheated oven for 16 minutes. Broil (grill) on high heat during the last 2 minutes until internal temperature is 165°F (75°C) using a meat thermometer. It should be golden with crisp edges.
- Remove pan from oven, transfer chicken to serving plates, and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- OPTIONAL STEP: While chicken is in the oven, melt butter in a small skillet. Sauté garlic until fragrant (30 seconds), and remove pan from heat. Stir in parsley, then pour the butter mixture into pan juices, stirring well to combine all of the flavors.
- To serve, drizzle pan juices over the chicken and garnish with freshly chopped parsley.
Tam says
My family loves this!
Maggie says
Excellent flavor and easy preparation.
Macey says
Delicious!! I’ve never tried brown sugar on chicken before and its a delight. It adds something extra to the chicken in regards to flavour and texture. I used light brown sugar for this, would it work with dark brown sugar as well?
Marilyn Padilla says
This is SOOO good! I made it just like the recipe says except I used 1/4 tsp each of oregano, thyme, parsley, rosemary. Everyone who ate it LOVED it. My mom even asked me to send her the recipe. This recipe is going in my regular rotation.
Karina says
Hi Marilyn, thank you so much! I’m thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the recipe and made it your own with those herb additions. It’s always a joy when a recipe becomes a hit with family and friends. Feel free to share the recipe with your mom, and I’m honored to have a spot in your regular rotation. Happy cooking!
Marilyn says
I have made this recipe a bunch of times now. I usually will make a big batch of chicken with this and chop it up and portion it out and freeze to use in my husband’s lunches for burritos, chicken salad etc.. I made some today to use on our tostadas. Soo yummy!
Cynthia M Wells says
This is amazing! The sauce makes it extra delicious. Only difference I did was use smoked paprika. I also just cut the breasts length wise in half. I placed it over Italian coucos and added stemmed broccoli. My boys inhaled it. Like they stopped talking and just scarfed it down. This is a winner, winner, chicken dinner!
Marilyn says
This was delicious! The only change I will make next time is let the seasoning rub sit on the chicken for an hour or so before baking.
Michelle says
This was excellent!! I used smoked paprika and smoked sea salt, thyme for the herbs. Very moist and delicious!
‘DK says
This was amazing and sooo delicious! I traditionally mess chicken breasts up in the oven but you can’t go wrong with this rub. Yum!! Agree to definitely start checking at 30 mins. My oven runs hot so taking out a few minutes early worked perfectly. I used for chicken wraps with lettuce/tomatoes and sour cream mixed with homemade taco sauce. So good!! Thank you!!
Karina says
I’m happy to hear that the chicken turned out amazing and so delicious for you! The homemade taco wraps with lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream mixed with taco sauce sound incredible. It’s wonderful that the rub worked well and that you found the perfect timing for your oven!
Angela Tobin says
So good and very easy! I’m not much of a cook but the way this tastes makes me feel like one
Karina says
Haha, that sounds great Angela, I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Connie says
Can’t use paprika or hot pepper flakes, so I was concerned it might be too sweet; but it was so delicious! I used one thigh, that was perfect also. Sauteed steamed green beans in the pan that was used to cook the butter garlic parsley sauce, so delicious!
I do have a question about the calories; is that for a chicken breast that is 4 inches before pounding flat?
Thank you!
Diane Wells says
Best chicken breast I’ve ever cooked