Oven Baked Chicken Breasts

April 25, 2021 CX3 0 Comments Baked, Breasts, Chicken, Oven

By: Mariam E. | April 15, 2021This post may contain affiliate links, read my disclosure policy for details

This Oven Baked Chicken Breasts recipe yields such tender and oh so juicy chicken breasts. It is a foolproof recipe that’ll result in flawless chicken breasts every time you make it!

Flavorful and moist, these oven baked chicken breasts going to be in your weekly meal rotation! It is so simple to make and they come out perfectly every single time. It’s a great recipe whether you’re a beginner cook or an advanced one who just wants a simple meal for dinner!

Looking for other tasty chicken recipes? You should definitely try my Cajun Chicken Mac and Cheese and my Creamy Mushroom Chicken! They are some of my favorite weeknight meals that can be made in a jiffy.

Why You’ll Love This Chicken Breast Recipe

It’s a lean protein that is very healthy and budget friendly. It’s easy to find on sale!
It’s customizable. You can easily change up the seasoning to fit your personal tastes.
It’s easy. It’s a hands off recipe that will free up your time to make some side dishes to go alongside the baked chicken breasts!

What You’ll Need

Chicken breasts
Paprika — sweet or smoked paprika
Onion powder
Salt
Garlic powder
Black pepper
Ginger powder
Dry cilantro
Olive oil
Lemon — one to be juiced and one for lining the bottom of the dish
Chicken broth
Garlic
Fresh herbs

Overhead view of ingredients needed to make oven baked chicken breasts.

How to Make Oven Baked Chicken Breasts

Prepare the oven: Preheat oven to 425 F.
Prepare the chicken: Pound the chicken breasts to even out the thickness. In a bowl, marinate the chicken with the spices, garlic and lemon juice.

Sear the chicken breasts: In a skillet over medium-high heat, pan sear the chicken breasts on both sides for a few minutes until they get a nice crusty brown color. Set aside.
Bake the chicken breasts: In a baking dish, place the slices of lemon, garlic, fresh herbs and the chicken broth. Add the chicken breasts on top and bake at 425 F for 18-20 minutes.

Rest and serve: Once the chicken has cooked through, remove from the oven and cover with foil wrap to rest for a few minutes before serving then garnish with some freshly chopped parsley and serve.

Tips

Baking time will depend on the size of the chicken breasts. This cook time is based on medium sized chicken breast. Larger breasts will take longer. Fully cooked chicken must have an internal temperature of 165 F.
Bring your chicken breasts to room temperature before you sear and bake it. If you cook with cold breasts, it may cook unevenly.
No two breasts are alike! This is why I suggest pounding them out to even thickness so that the chicken breasts bake evenly.
If you have time, you can marinate the chicken for 1 hour before baking.

Recipe Variations

Make it spicy with the addition of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
Make it a herb combo: try dried basil, dried thyme, dried sage, or whatever herbs you have in your pantry.
Make it sweet: add a bit of brown sugar to the seasoning.

Close up of a chicken breasts beside broccoli florets.

Make Ahead and Storage Tips

Storing Cooked Oven Baked Chicken Breasts: Store your cooked breasts, unsliced in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.

Freezer: You can freeze your chicken breasts after cooking them. Simply let the breasts cool and then transfer it to an airtight freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat when ready to use.

Reheating Tips: When reheating, you can add in a splash of chicken broth and then cover when microwaving. This creates a bit of steam and keeps your chicken breasts from being dried out.

FAQs

How long do you bake chicken breast?

Our chicken breasts are done baking after 18 to 20 minutes at 425F. If your breasts are thick, I would add an extra 3 to 5 minutes to the bake time. Use an instant read thermometer to check when the breasts have cooked through.

How do you bake chicken breast without drying it out?

To keep the chicken breasts from drying out, we bake the chicken breasts at a high temperature. This allows the breasts to cook quickly while retaining the moisture. In addition to that, we allow the chicken to rest before slicing so the juices do run out when sliced immediately and can redistribute throughout the breasts.

What to do with leftover chicken?

There are a few ways you can use cooked chicken breasts. You can enjoy it on it’s own with a side of rice or quinoa, you can top a salad with some sliced chicken breasts, you can shred it up and add it to soups, stew, tacos, burritos, casserole, and more!

What is the best temperature to bake chicken at?

Baking chicken breasts at 425 F for 18-22 minutes would be ideal. You can also bake at 400 F for 22-25 minutes. The time of baking will also defer based on the size and thickness of the chicken, so keep that in mind as well.

Close up of sliced baked chicken breasts.

More Chicken Recipes You’ll Love

I hope you enjoy all the recipes I share with you, including this delicious Oven Baked Chicken Breasts recipe. I hope you try it, enjoy it, rate it and share it with your friends and family!

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