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