A fool-proof method for flavorful, juicy Baked Chicken Breasts every single time! With just 10 minutes of hands-on time before going in the oven, they are quick and easy, perfect for meal prep!
Here’s an easy foundational recipe for Baked Chicken Breasts that turn out perfectly cooked and juicy, every single time! It’s also a great recipe for meal prep if you want to cook chicken in advance for the busy workweek, pulling it out as you need it.
Oven Baked Chicken Breasts | 45-Second Video
Baked Chicken Breast Ingredients
- Chicken breasts – boneless and skinless! I prefer fresh, organic pasture-raised chicken breasts that are similar in size and smaller in size, 5-7 ounces.
- Olive oil
- Salt and Pepper
- Seasonings- spices, herbs, lemon
How to Bake Chicken Breasts (like a pro)!
- Pat dry the chicken-– “watery” breasts will cause the breasts to steam in the oven, rather than create the delicious golden crust we all want.
- Cut to a similar size- cut very large breasts into smaller similar-sized pieces, and pound to a similar thickness to ensure even cooking time. These breasts here are very large, so I cut them in half down into single 6-7 ounce portions.
- Coat in an olive oil-based Marinade- Skinless chicken breasts will absolutely dry out in the oven unless coated in oil, butter or some kind fat. Make a simple marinade with olive oil, salt, pepper and your choice of seasonings using spices and herbs. The chicken will be protected from drying out while soaking up all the flavor like a sponge. There are lots of flavor variations here, so see the recipe notes for ideas. You can pick a flavorful profile -like Mexican, Spanish or Middle Eastern, or keep them simply seasoned with lemon zest and herb
- Bake in a hot, 425 F Oven! If you are cooking solely in the oven and not pan-searing the chicken breast first, a hot oven will seal all the juices in. ( See notes for pan-searing)
- Rest the breasts! Cutting into the chicken before it has time to rest, will encourage all the flavorful juices and moisture to escape. You want the juices to stay in there so your chicken stays nice and plump and juicy. Tent with foil or another baking sheet and let them rest for 8-10 minutes. This is super important in preventing the chicken from drying out.
Chicken Breast Marinade “Formula”:
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil per pound of chicken
- ¾-1 teaspoon salt per pound of chicken
- pepper to taste
- 1-2 teaspoons any other spices or herbs per pound of chicken
TIP: When baking chicken with the skin on, feel free to use a dry rub. The skin is naturally oily and fatty will crisp up nicely without any additional oil.
In addition to salt and pepper, this Lemon Herb Marinade has lemon zest, granulated garlic, and dried Herbs de Provence. Very simple flavors, that can be used in a multitude of ways during the workweek, great for meal prep.
Brush your flavorful marinade on all sides of the chicken, coating well.
Here below, I’ve added smoked paprika and cumin to the olive oil, for an earthy Spanish Twist.
What oven temperature to bake chicken?
- 425 F degrees!
- If you are cooking solely in the oven and not pan-searing the chicken breast first, a hot oven will seal all the juices in. ( See notes for pan-searing)
Cooking times for Chicken Breasts in 425 F oven
- small 4-5 ounce breasts will take 15-18 minutes.
- medium 6-8 ounce breasts will take 18 -25 minutes
- large 8-12 ounce breasts will take 25-30 minutes.
If unsure, please use a cooking thermometer, it should read 165 F at the thickest part.
How to tell if chicken breast is cooked without a thermometer?
- When you cut into the breast, juices should run clear. Pink or red juices indicate the chicken is not done.
- The flesh should look opaque, matt, and whitish– it could also still have a slightly pale pinkish hue, just as long as it doesn’t look shiny, clear, jelly-like, jiggly or fleshy. Opaque is key!
- When properly cooked, the chicken will plump up tall, while slightly contracting in width and length. It will feel firm to the touch with a slight spring.
See below how the breasts have plumped up?
When they are 160-165 F at the thickest part, they are done! Let them rest 10 minutes before cutting!
How to cut Baked chicken breast
Once the chicken has rested, slice the breasts into thin strips across the grain, or cut into cubes, or shred with two forks, or leave them whole.
How to store Them!
Make a big batch for the workweek and store in the fridge ( whole or cut up). They will keep nicely for 4 days in the fridge, or freeze. Freeze chicken (cut up or shredded) in smaller portions in ziplock bags- perfect for throwing into soups or stews.
If you begin shredding the chicken breast and notice the middles are not shredding quite as easily as the edges this may be a sign that chicken is not cooked all the way through. Just place it back in the oven and cook for a few more minutes until the chicken easily shreds.
Look how moist and juicy this shredded chicken breast is!
Variations
Feel free to experiment with different flavor profiles. For example, if you have spice mixes at home, use them, making sure to add salt and olive oil to create a paste. So long as the salt and oil is the right proportion to the amount of chicken, it will taste amazing!
- Cajun spice
- Berbere Spice
- Ras el Hanout
- Dukkah
- Zaatar
- Garam masala
- Taco Seasoning
Ways to use baked chicken breast
Leftover chicken Breast can be repurposed into other meals! Use in sandwiches, salads or soups.
So there you have it… Baked Chicken Breasts- the formula for the easiest, best, fastest, most flavorful, juiciest chicken breast every single time! Healthy and easy, this takes just 10 minutes of hands-on time!
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Baked Chicken Breasts
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: meal prep, chicken, low-carb, easy
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: American
Description
The secret to juicy, oven Baked Chicken Breasts- the formula for the easiest, juiciest, most flavorful chicken breast that turns out amazing, every single time! Healthy and easy, this takes just 10 minutes of hands-on time!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Marinade Options:
Lemon Herb Marinade:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil ( 1 tablespoon per pound of chicken)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (3/4 teaspoon kosher salt per pound of chicken)
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried herbs (thyme, oregano, herbs de Provence, Italian seasoning, etc)
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic (or use 2 fat garlic cloves, finely minced)
- zest of one small lemon
- Garnish with fresh Italian parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Cut to a similar size so they cook evenly.
- Mix marinade ingredients together in a small bowl to create a paste (see notes for variations). Place chicken on a parchment-lined sheet pan and brush all sides generously with the marinade, pouring any remaining marinade over the breasts. (You can also bake in a baking dish, only if there is ample room for heat to circulate. A rimmed sheet pan will make cooking faster and more even. ) Let chicken rest on the counter and come to room temp while oven preheats. Make sure oven is hot.
- Bake on the middle rack for roughly 18- 20 minutes. Smaller breasts, check at 16 minutes, medium breasts at check 20-22, larger breasts may take up to 25-30 minutes. Check for doneness at the thickest part of the biggest breast, using a thermometer (165F).
- Let chicken rest for 8-10 minutes, tenting with foil if you like.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 4 days for midweek meals.
- To serve: serve whole, or cut slices across the grain, or cube. Feel free to shred using two forks. If while shredding, the middle of the breast seems difficult to shred, this is an indication chicken is not completely done. Just plop back into the oven for a few minutes.
Notes
Mexican-Inspired Marinade
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt per pound of chicken
- ½ teaspoon cracked pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon each: cumin, coriander, chili powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic (or use 2 fat garlic cloves, finely minced)
- Garnish with cilantro and lime
Smoky Spanish Style:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt (¾ teaspoon kosher salt per pound of chicken)
- ½ teaspoon cracked pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½-1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic (or use 2 fat garlic cloves, finely minced)
- Garnish with lemon and parsley
Middle Eastern Style:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt (¾ teaspoon kosher salt per pound of chicken)
- ½ teaspoon cracked pepper
- 1 teaspoon of each: cumin, coriander, or optional sumac (or use 2-3 teaspoons zaatar!)
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic (or use 2 fat garlic cloves, finely minced)
- Garnish with lemon slices and parsley
Chicken will keep up to 4 days in the fridge. Or feel free to freeze – sliced, diced or shredded in portion-sized zip lock bags in the freezer, dropping them into soups and stews as needed.
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be prepared the same way, but lower heat to 400F and cooking times will change slightly.
Remember, if baking chicken with skin-on, you can always use the formula of the dry ingredients in the marinade to make a rub. You will not need the oil. Coat all sides with the rub, bake until 165F and skin is crispy.
How to pan sear chicken:
- Always use a dry rub or season well with salt and pepper.
- Pan sear in olive oil over medium heat, until each side is deeply golden.
- Finish in a 375 F oven, uncovered until cooked through (10-15 mins or 165F) . You could place your skillet right in the oven (if oven proof).
Brining is also a great way to impart flavor into the chicken, but for the fastest prep I intentionally left out this step. If you would like to brine your chicken breasts, ¼ cup salt per quart of water is a good ratio. Some people add an equal amount of sugar. Brine for 1-6 hours. Rinse, pat dry and continue with recipe, reducing salt in marinade by half.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5.5 ounce portion
- Calories: 226
- Sugar: 0.1 g
- Sodium: 554.4 mg
- Fat: 8.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 34.2 g
- Cholesterol: 110.3 mg
Thank you so much for this method! I had basically given up on cooking chicken breasts because I could never get it right, but these were phenomenal. I bought good chicken breasts on the small side and they were perfectly cooked with great flavor.
Wonderful Julie, so glad you gave this a try!
I made this for my partner, since I’m trying to go vegetarian. But I had a sneaky taste of it, and ended up eating some because it was SO GOOD! I used an Italian seasoning mix and lots of lemon rind. So simple and flavorful. Thanks for another great recipe!
Great to hear Judy!
This was the simplest, best chicken recipe! I made a batch for the week (dinner for one night, shredded on a salad for lunch, tacos another night…). It was so juicy, flavorful, and versatile!
Perfect, great to hear!
This grilled chicken was easy, flavorful and fun to make. Thanks for the recipe!
Great to hear Trish!
Hi Sylvia,I am confused…. The Chicken breast” Formula” says 2 T.olive oil per pound of chicken, but in the lemon herb marinade it says 1T. olive oil per pound of chicken. The salt amount seems to be following the formula for 2 lbs. chicken. The other marinades seem to based on the “formula” as seen by the salt amounts, but not the oil amounts. Please help me understand. Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes; I tell everyone about your web site. Last night, I made your Laska paste, and then the Malaysian
Laska Curry Soup. I’ve made it 3 times now…it’s unreal. My husband and I are primarily plant based. I haven’t eaten chicken in 12 years, and my husband 5 years, but our kids and other family members are coming to visit, and I want to have a chicken option for them. I happened upon this chicken recipe when reading this weeks ,watercress salad. Thank you so much.
Hi Barbarba- basically if you add spices, you need more olive oil to create the moist “paste”. It’s not an exact formula. Just use enough to coat the chicken well. 🙂
Thank you Sylvia.
Really good! Thank you!
Awesome!