This Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Breast Recipe is ultra tender chicken every time thanks to these quick tips and tricks I’m sharing with you!
Say goodbye to boring, bland and dried out baked chicken breasts.
Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Breast Recipe
Yes, it’s true, you CAN have tender and juicy white meat chicken that’s BAKED in the oven!
No, you do NOT need to brine your chicken before baking. You also do NOT need to bring it to room temperature. Who has time for that?!
The trick to making ultra tender chicken (whether baked, grilled or cooked on the stove top) is all thanks to these 3 easy steps…
- Even Thickness
- High Heat
- Resting
How To Get Perfect Baked Chicken Every Time
Let’s get right to it, shall we?
Follow these steps and you’ll be majorly impressed with how your baked chicken turns out. It really is this simple.
- Pound Chicken – Start by using a heavy rolling pin or meat mallet to pound your chicken breast to an even thickness.
- Season – Season liberally with my special seasoning blend (in the recipe card below).
- Bake – Bake for just 20 minutes at 425 degrees F, then let rest for 5 minutes under foil before slicing.
#1 Tip – Pound Chicken To an Even Thickness
Is it really necessary to pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness before baking?
Yes!
It is absolutely necessary if you want juicy oven baked chicken. Here’s why…
The natural shape of a chicken breast is teardrop, with a thicker, meatier portion at the bottom of the teardrop. Chicken must be cooked to 165 degrees F before safely consuming. If you do not pound the chicken down, the thicker portion will take longer to cook to the safe temperature, while the thinner section of chicken breast will get overcooked and result in a dried out, choke-it-down chicken breast.
This method also applies to chicken that is to be grilled, and even chicken that you’re going to cook on the stove top.
Do yourself a favor and pound the chicken.
Simple Chicken Seasoning Blend
I spent many, many years working on perfecting my go-to chicken seasoning. It’s both sweet and smoky, while not being too overpowering. The simple, yet complex flavors blend perfectly together and are great served alongside any side dish you’re serving with your baked chicken.
You could season your chicken breasts with just salt and pepper and they would still come out fine, but this blend of spices will take your baked chicken to the next level.
- Brown Sugar – the sugar helps to tenderize the chicken, trust me, it’s a good idea.
- Chili Powder – adds a delicious smoky flavor, plus gives great coloring to chicken
- Parsley – great for adding a balanced herb flavor
- Salt – the seasoning of life
- Pepper – because it goes with salt
- Garlic Powder – adds delicious flavor
- Onion Powder – compliments the garlic powder
- Cumin – this really gives the chicken something special
Combine the spices together and rub generously into the chicken breast before baking.
PRO TIP: I will usually double or triple the seasoning blend and store any extra in a zip close bag for the next time I’m baking chicken.
How Long To Bake Chicken Breasts in The Oven?
Since we’re not going to sear chicken in a skillet before finishing of in the oven, you’ll want to start your chicken at a high temperature in the oven.
Make sure your oven is preheated to 425 degrees F before baking. Cooking at a high temperature will help to lock in those juices, resulting in tender, juicy chicken every time.
- 4 to 6 ounce chicken breasts – 18 minutes
- 7 to 8 ounce chicken breasts – 20 minutes
- 9 ounce and above – 22 minutes
Remember to use a meat thermometer to check for an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Resting The Chicken After It’s Baked
One of the biggest rookie mistakes when baking chicken is to immediately slice right into it after it’s done cooking. Chicken breast is a muscle and what happens to a muscle when it gets cooked? It tightens up! If you cut into the chicken right away it will be tough and chewy, and all the juices that you worked so hard for will immediately run out… resulting in dry, tough chicken. Sad.
Let chicken breasts rest for 5 minutes under a loose sheet of foil before slicing.
When the chicken comes out of the oven (or even off the grill or skillet), let it rest under a loose sheet of foil for about 5 minutes. This will allow that muscle to relax, giving the juices inside the chicken a chance to redistribute throughout, and you’ll be left with the most glorious, juicy chicken you’ve ever had.
Video On How To Make Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Breast Recipe
Easy Side Dishes To Serve With Oven Roasted Chicken
There really is no wrong answer here, chicken is one of the most versatile proteins in my opinion. It pairs perfectly with just about anything. Serve it sliced up, shredded, or whole for a pretty presentation. We usually slice all the chicken up before serving so it’s easy for my kids to eat.
Here are my go-to sides when baking chicken for dinner:
- Parmesan Roasted Green Beans
- Baked Potatoes (oven) or (instant pot)
- Cucumber Tomato Salad – perfect for a light dinner on a warm day
- Creamy Corn Salad
- Vegetable Rice Pilaf
- Garden Salad with Ranch Dressing
More Easy Baked Chicken Recipes To Try:
- Broccoli Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts
- Salsa Chicken and Rice
- Chicken Caprese Skillet
- Spinach and Herb Baked Chicken Breast
I’m confident that you’ll get fantastic results with this recipe as long as you follow the tips and method I’ve shared here.
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Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Breast Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 (7 to 8oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp brown sugar, light
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp parsley flakes
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp cumin
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non stick spray.
- Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of parchment paper and pound to an even thickness. Drizzle both sides of chicken with olive oil.
- Combine seasonings and sprinkle generously over both sides of the chicken breasts. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cover loosely with foil for 5 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PIN THIS IMAGE TO SAVE THE RECIPE
Kid Friendly
One Skillet
Pressure Cooker
Slow Cooker
9x13 Recipes
15 Minutes
30 Minutes
Freezer Friendly
Made this without the cumin and the chili powder,I’m not a big fan of those spices but added paprika. Made it for chicken drumsticks. Cooked it for an hour. It was absolutely delicious. The skin was nice and crispy the meat was so tender and the juices in the bottom of the pan were delicious on top of white rice. This will definitely be my go-to from now on whenever I make chicken. I’m so glad I signed up for your daily tips.
Glad to know the recipe worked well for chicken drumsticks too! Thanks for sharing Marina!
Probably one of the best baked chicken recipes I’ve ever tried. I will ad a photo next time but had to eat right at the 5 Min rest time. (We were starving) I followed it exactly, I did wonder about the amount of Cumin but decided to go with it and boy oh boy it was so worth it. I only had two chicken breast so I have more spice for next time. My light brown sugar was Trulia but I don’t believe there was any noticeable difference. I noticed question regarding the salt content and IMHO I think you could use less salt as the combo of spices make up foe any missing salt! You are my idol ❤️
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe Deborah! If you want to share a picture on instagram make sure to tag me in the photo! (@iwashyoudry) Thanks!!
I thought this was delicious even though I baked mine too long. I wish I could make a sauce out of the seasonings to make over rice. My husband was surprised that it was sweet since it smells so savory while cooking.
Before try out this recipe, is it spicy?
This is our FAVORITE RECIPE. We make it all the dang time, and so does our extended family. SO GOOD
Trying this tonight. Do you cover chicken to while backing?
No, you do not cover the chicken while baking.
Amazing meal! We together tried to follow the recipe. Everything looked really good. I just turn on the oven overheat, so chicken little bit burned, but almost perfect. Hope next time will better.
I have made this! Loved it! Thanks for such a easy tasty chicken recipe!
When i brought this baked chicken breast to the dining room and put on the table. My family couldn’t believe that i do it myself. Really, this is the most delicious chicken roasted i have done. Thank you so much!
I prepared spices double. And every time i cook this recipe it very easy. Just only our daughter can’t eat red pepper, so i decided do not use this spice. I have prepared sauce separately with red pepper.
I tried to cook this recipe. We’ve already had perfect roasted chicken. Additional some red wine. Just a thing, this is the first time, so it took me more than 25 minutes, but i certain will try again.
So tasty! The color is very attractive. This recipe will be a surprise for a weekend dinner. I like enjoy chicken with salad at lunch.
Sounds delicious. Learned several things here. Anxious to try it. One question, is the salt necessary? My hubby and I have to be on a low sodium diet and I try to cut out all unnecessary salt.
Thanks
I do find the salt enhances flavor, but you can definitely scale it back to fit your dietary needs.
To Kay: Try using KOSHER Salt instead of fine salt. The dodium level is the same by WEIGHT,…BUT by the teaspoon measurement ,it is far less ( 1/2 I think?) That is simple because the granuals of Kosher salt are bigger, do less fits on the spoon.
We too sre on s sodium restricted diet. One tip I got from a dietisn is to check sodium levels in store bought bread. The sodium levels varie ALOT. Rye, pumpernickle, and presliced Italian breads have the most sodium. But white snd wheat breafs varie alot by brand. Hope this helps. Oh, and yes, ALL chicken recipes DO need some salt. This recipe is really not that high in salt though.
Ok, thanks. Yes, I already check the sodium level in bread and have started making some bread myself. I have to check every single label of everything I buy.
As per my picky husband … “I love this chicken”. It was so juicy and flavourful. I will be repeating this recipe. One question: Is it ok to marinate in advance and freeze the marinated raw chicken for future use? Thank you.
Hi Laura, I’m so glad you all enjoyed the recipe! Since this is just a dry seasoning you can definitely preseason the chicken and freeze while raw.
Just what I am looking for today a simple new chicken recipe. Love you site.
Thank you Lynn! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Oh my! This was everything you wrote and more. It was quick. It was moist. It was full of flavor. I’ve made other recipes of yours too and they are so delicious.
Fantastic! I’m so glad you enjoyed it and the other recipes too! 🙂