Baked Chicken Breast
This Baked Chicken Breast is perfectly juicy and tender, with the best simple seasoning rub. It’s super easy to make and sure to become one of your favorite chicken breast recipes.
This baked chicken breast is so simple to make and the results are truly irresistible! After years of suffering through dry, flavorless baked chicken, I’ve figured out a few simple tricks to ensure that boneless, skinless chicken breasts bake up juicy and delicious. You are going to be amazed at how easy it is to cook perfect chicken breasts in the oven. Everyone at the table will be asking for seconds!
Chicken is one of my favorite easy dinner ideas because it’s so versatile and just about everyone loves it. When you’re not sure what to make for dinner, you can pop a few chicken breasts in the oven, toss together a green salad, slice up a loaf of bread and call it a day. This baked chicken is also so good served with mashed potatoes or rice and roasted vegetables. Or slice it up and serve it on top of a salad or in a sandwich. The possibilities are limitless!
Say goodbye to dry, boring chicken. You’re going to love these baked chicken breasts because they’re so juicy, succulent and full of flavor. They’re sure to become a regular in your recipe rotation!
Baked Chicken Breast Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need just a handful of ingredients for this recipe.
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts: It’s best if the chicken breasts are approximately the same size so that they will finish cooking at the same time. Want to bake chicken thighs instead? You’ll love my Baked Chicken Thighs recipe.
- Olive Oil: Rubbing the chicken breasts with a little olive oil adds moisture and helps the seasonings to stick to the meat.
- Seasonings: I use a combination of paprika, dried oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper. This simple spice mix is an easy way to add lots of flavor to the chicken. You can also add some brown sugar for an extra caramelized crust or some chili powder for a touch of heat. Sometimes I use Italian seasoning in place of the dried oregano.
Chicken Breast Seasoning
The blend of seasonings that I use in this recipe is a favorite and always gets rave reviews. You can also season the chicken with this Chicken Seasoning, or Cajun Seasoning for a delicious spicy kick. If you prefer a marinade try my easy Chicken Marinade.
How to Make the Best Juicy Baked Chicken Breast
Read on for my tips for how to cook perfect, juicy chicken breasts in the oven.
- First, preheat the oven to 425° F. I’ve found this to be the best temperature for baking chicken breasts because the high heat cooks the chicken quickly and seals in the juices.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
- Put the chicken breasts in a zip-top bag or between two sheets of parchment paper and pound them to an even thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. This step helps the chicken to cook evenly and tenderizes the meat.
- Place the chicken breasts in a baking dish. Drizzle them with olive oil and rub the oil over all sides of the chicken.
- Rub the seasoning mixture over both sides of the chicken.
- Bake until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165° F. Be careful to not overbake the chicken, as this will cause it to dry out!
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing or serving. This rest time allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat. If you skip the rest time, the juices may run out all over your cutting board, leaving you with dry chicken.
Pro Tip: For the most tender chicken, always slice it against the grain.
How Long to Bake Chicken Breasts
The cook time for boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the oven will depend on their size and thickness. Here’s a general guide for how long to cook chicken breasts at 425° F:
- Small 5-6 ounce chicken breasts: 13-16 minutes
- Medium 8 ounce chicken breasts: 16-19 minutes
- Large 11-12 ounce chicken breasts: 22-26 minutes
The best way to tell when chicken is done is to use an instant read thermometer to test the internal temperature in the center of the meat. According to the USDA, chicken should be cooked to 165° F for food safety. When chicken is almost done it will finish cooking quickly. Once it registers 155° F, it probably needs just 1-2 more minutes in the oven. Watch it closely as it can quickly go from perfect to overcooked.
What to Serve with Baked Chicken
Try a few of these favorite side dishes to go with your baked chicken breast:
- Baked Sweet Potato or Air Fryer Baked Potato
- Kale Salad or Greek Salad
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Biscuit Recipe
Storage Tips
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer: Store baked chicken in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Wrap the chicken well to minimize its exposure to air in the freezer. It is best to cut, slice or shred your chicken before freezing it. This way, you can thaw it and add it directly to your recipe. I recommend using frozen chicken in recipes such as casseroles, rather than eating it on its own.
More Favorite Chicken Breast Recipes
- Air Fryer Chicken Breast
- Instant Pot Chicken Breast
- Grilled Chicken
- Chicken Marsala
- Chicken Piccata
- Poached Chicken
Baked Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Seasoning Rub
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, or Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F.
- Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Place them in a large zip-top bag or between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound them to an even thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.
- Place chicken breasts in a baking dish. Drizzle with the olive oil and rub over both sides of chicken.
- Combine the seasoning rub ingredients in a small bowl.
- Rub the seasoning rub over both sides of the chicken.
- Bake chicken breasts according to their size: bake 5-6 ounce breasts for 13-16 minutes, bake 8 ounce breasts for 16-19 minutes, bake 11-12 ounce breasts for 22-26 minutes. Check that chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165° F by inserting an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the meat.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Store baked chicken in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- You may freeze cooked chicken for up to 2 months. Wrap it well before freezing to minimize exposure to air.
Wow, love it! Looks fabulous!
This chicken breast looks really moist! Love it!
I was looking for a chicken recipe for the whole family and I stumbled on this article. I read and followed the instructions carefully and I made it deliciously! Every member of my family is so happy! Thanks for this!
Hello Kristine, Thank you for the chicken recipe I’ll definitely check out other recipes on this website.
thank you for the genius tip of baking chicken at a higher heat to seal in the juices! After baking dried out chicken for years my daughter especially thanks you! Also, your seasoning recommendation is a very good – such a nice blend!
I can’t tell you how happy your comment makes me! I’m so glad that your chicken was perfect and that you enjoyed the seasoning!
Hi Kristine! I’m searching for healthy high protein recipes, & so glad I found you right away! My husband will have hip replacement surgery next week & will be on a high protein diet for awhile. Usually I find recipes that have too many ingredients & too much time to mess with, but yours are doable, that’s very reasonable & great reviews! I’m so happy! Cant wait to try your chicken & look at more recipes from you! I need to figure out how to save to find you, often, lol! Thanks so much:)
Hi Kay, I hope your husband’s surgery and recovery go well! I am so happy that you have found some recipes on my website that you are excited to try. If you want to stay in the loop about the best new recipes that I share, you can subscribe to my free email list to receive updates about recipes, and I also email out a free meal plan every Friday. 🙂
Easy, quick and delicious!!! A recipe every busy mom needs!! I too followed your recipe very carefully and it turned out fabulous! My daughter loves chicken but often struggles to eat it when it is dry. She had no trouble with this and along with the rest of my family, loved it! Thank you from all of us!
It makes me so happy to hear that! It’s amazing how a few tweaks to the baking method make the chicken so much better! Thank you for your comment!
I notoriously never follow recipes that I didn’t write. Sometimes I try, but I always end up changing something. This time, it all seemed reasonable so I went for it. The result was absolutely, delicious. This is how I will cook skinless, boneless chicken breast from now on. Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to share this. I love it.
This made my day! I’m so happy that this recipe and method worked so well for you, as it’s one of my favorites, too.
Does this have to be covered while cooking??
No, I always bake this chicken uncovered. Enjoy!
How did you get your chicken to look so crispy on the outside? Is that just seasoning?
It’s not crispy, just seasoning. 🙂
This was the best chicken breast I ever made… thank you my husband loved it lol
Hearing that makes my day! 🙂
It’s MUCH easier/faster to butterfly the breasts horizontally, and if you do it thinly enough, there’s no need to pound unless you are making cutlets for recipe such as chicken parmesan or scalloppine.
Everything was just as you said. Easy! Eaay! Easy!
I buy the bags of chicken from Wal mart boneless breast meat. Already butterflied or thin. This recipe was perfect for them straight out of bag without beating. I used all the spices without mixing them first. Just sprinkled on both sides.
Your recipe is So incredibly easy. I was super lazy tonight lol. Cooked as you said. Used my thermometer, as you said. Turned out PERFECT!
Moist! Spiced perfectly! It Fed my family of 3, happily! One(Dad) is not a chicken eater, but guess what he is taking to lunch tomorrow? I appreciate a good recipe that I THINK I can remember and pass on to my kids!
Will be looking for more of your helping recipes.
Thanks much.
I made this last night for the first time, it was delicious! It’s the first time I baked plain chicken breast and had it come out so moist! So grateful I found your recipe, thank you!
Hi! I’m Pete from Queens N.Y. – Just made this – EXACTLY as you said. UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Next time ill do it parmesan style. Thank you!
I can honestly say this was the BEST chicken breast I have ever made and my family loved it. I’ve never baked chicken at 425 before and was very surprised with how moist and flavorful it was. Wow so good!! I told my kids the juice is like gold! Thank you for this recipe. 🙂
I am planning on making this for dinner tonight but I’m using thin cut chicken breasts so how long do you cook them if I bake them in the 425 degree temperature?
Hi Robin, Thin cut chicken breasts will cook pretty quickly. The best way to tell when they are done is to use an instant read thermometer to test the temperature of the chicken in the center.
Thanks Kristine for the fabulous recipe and great tips!
I tried it with chicken pieces with bones and also turned out great. My family and especially picky kids loved it
Hi Kristine, thank you for this baked chicken recipe. I make it every weekend during my batch cooking session. I love that I can have it readily on hand to add to sandwhiches, salads, and pasta. It’s delicious and moist. =)
olive oil. Never use it what best kind use
It doesn’t matter too much. I usually only buy extra virgin olive oil because that’s the kind that’s best for salad dressings, and then I use it for everything.
Very good!!!!! and super easy!!!
The chicken turns out great – I just use olive oil and Cajun seasoning. I must be missing something though because mine never turns out with the crust in your pics. It always just looks wet. Help!
I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe. With this recipe, my chicken breasts don’t come out with a crispy crust. The are moist, as you described. 🙂
I do not like cooking so any recipe that is easy and delicious wins my vote. Very good. Super moist and tasty.
The breasts are so thick lately. Can I just slice them in half? Would I still need to pound them?
Yes, you can slice them in half instead. Pounding also tenderizes the meat, but I sometimes skip that step if I’m in a hurry. 🙂
This recipe is just delicious, I just cannot wait to prepare this recipe, Thank you so much for sharing this with us also sharing this amazing recipe with my friend as well
Do you recommend brining chicken breasts for this recipe? Thank you!
Hi Bridget,
I do not brine the chicken breasts.
Love both chicken recipes!
My family member is not able to use pepper, paprika, peppers etc. due to sensitivity causing GI issues. Any recomendations for substitute seasonings?
The typical substitutes for paprika would be chili powder or other seasonings made from peppers, but I understand those won’t work for you. You can omit those ingredients from this recipe, or you might try my chicken seasoning and just omit the ingredients that you are not able to use.
We made this baked chicken breast recipe last night. It turned out perfect. Thank you.
Everyone thought the seasoning on the chicken breasts was amazing. Great recipe!
My mouth is watering just by looking at this! Definitely going to try this weekend.
I’ll try this tonight.
Interested in Air Fryer and InstaPot recipes.
Thank you
I hope you enjoy the recipe! Here are my Air Fryer Recipes and Instant Pot Recipes.
Great recipe. Juicy chicken. I’ve made this about 4 times now. I cook mine about 15 mins and check temperatures. If not quite there, I give it another 3 mins and check again. I used my own spice blend which I make and use for a lot of recipes cuz we like it (1 T each: salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, parsley and some pepper). I put in a jar, shake and sprinkle it on fish and chicken whenever I need it.
I have probably made this 6 times and it comes out perfect!! So tasty!