If the thought of eating chicken breast that has been baked in the oven gives you images of dry, flavorless meat you are going to love this recipe. With 5 simple steps and a delicious homemade seasoning, you will have juicy, flavorful, and incredibly tender meat that you can enjoy in a variety of ways.
Whether you looking to serve it as a healthy main dish to start your New Year’s diet off right or if you need sliced chicken breast as the main protein to top your salad or casserole, you can use the chicken in any way that you prefer.
Best of all, there are no complicated cooking instructions. This recipe uses common ingredients and baking techniques that even the novice cook will master.
However before we start the recipe, I want to clarify that this recipe focuses on baking boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Although the bone and skin provide a ton of flavor, most of us now prefer to cook and eat chicken breast that has been removed from the bone.
And with the proper cooking methods and brining techniques explained below, you can ensure your chicken breasts remain juicy and tender throughout the cooking process. In addition, with the right seasonings the chicken will become incredibly flavorful.
5 Simple Secrets To Baked Chicken Breasts
1. Choose The Best Chicken Breasts: Not all chicken breasts are created equal! There are a variety of chicken breasts at the grocery store and choosing the right one, right size and right thickness is important.
2. Use A Brine: Brining is the secret weapon for guaranteeing juicy and flavorful chicken. Make a simple salt water brine and let the chicken soak for as little as 30 minutes and up to 6 hours for best results.
3. Seasoning: Because chicken breasts are naturally bland in flavor it is important to add some seasoning before baking. You can use your favorite dry rub seasoning, or use my favorite homemade seasoning included in this recipe.
4. High Temperature Baking: Use high heat to achieve perfectly cooked chicken breast with a crispy, golden brown exterior. Just be sure to use an Instant Read Digital Thermometer to know when to take the chicken out of the oven. This is a crucial step for getting chicken that is nice and juicy.
5. Resting Period: Allowing the chicken to rest after it comes out of the oven is essential for retaining all its delicious juices.
What Type of Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast To Purchase
When you head to the grocery, determining which type of boneless, skinless chicken breast to purchase can be quite overwhelming. From organic, pasture-raised, or meat from chickens raised in a cage there are many products out there.
In addition, the cost difference can be quite significant among them. Whenever possible it is best to purchase organic chicken that has been raised outdoors, in a pasture.
The second best choice would be air-chilled chicken instead of water-chilled chicken. Traditional water-chilled chicken becomes waterlogged during processing, leaving the meat dry once baked.
The absorbed water also adds weight to the chicken that you purchase at the per-pound rate, which is up to 30% of the total weight. That makes air chilled chicken a better value because there is no extra weight from processing or saline injections.
However, you can still make delicious baked chicken breasts using store-brand boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Just follow the instructions below and you will have moist and juicy chicken breasts that you will want to make over and over again.
Baked Chicken Breast Ingredients:
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: Although fresh chicken breasts are best, you can use thawed frozen chicken breasts as well. Just be sure that the chicken breasts are pounded out to even thickness.
Butter: Use unsalted melted butter to brush over the chicken. The butter serves a dual purpose. First the fat in the butter will penetrate into the meat, making it tender. And then it also serves as the binding agent to hold the seasoning.
Kosher Salt: One crucial step in making the best baked chicken breast recipe is to let the chicken sit in a salt water brine before baking. Therefore, you will need Kosher salt to make the brine.
Spices: Just a few basic seasonings will make all the difference in the flavor of the chicken. Here I use a combination of garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika along with salt and pepper. However you can use any your favorite chicken dry rubs.
What Temperature To Bake Chicken Breast
The most common question that I get about cooking chicken breast in the oven is about the temperature. Many recipes will cook chicken breast at 350°F for 30 minutes.
However, after baking chicken breasts hundreds of times using various cooking temperatures and methods I have found it best to cook it at a high heat temperature. In fact, 450°F gives the chicken enough time to crisp up on the outside but be perfectly cooked on the inside.
In addition, it takes half of the time that it takes when cooking it at a lower temperature. Just be sure to use a baking dish that is rated for high heat cooking. Cast iron, ceramic and metal baking dishes or sheet pans are a better choice than glass baking dishes for this recipe.
Bake Time Required
The actual bake time will depend on how thick your chicken breasts are. For standard, 1-1 1⁄2 inch thick breasts the cook time will take approximately 15-18 minutes.
However the only sure way of knowing when to take the chicken out of the oven is with an Instant Read Digital Thermometer. You need to remove the chicken when the thickest portion reaches 160°F to ensure that your baked chicken breasts turns out nice and juicy.
Then let the chicken rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
Best Baked Chicken Breast Recipe
*Complete recipe instructions including specific measurements, cook temperatures and times are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to keep reading for helpful tips and tricks when making this recipe.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness
- 1 tablespoon melted butter, unsalted
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1⁄2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
- 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1⁄4 teaspoon onion powder
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Fill a large bowl with 1 quart of lukewarm water and 1/4 cup kosher salt. Stir to combine until the majority of the salt is dissolved.
2. Add the chicken breasts to the brine and let them sit in the mixture for 30 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts from the brine, rinse them with cold water, then pat them dry with paper towels. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 450°F. Spray a large baking dish (approved for high heat oven use) or sheet pan with non-stick cooking spray, set aside.
4. Place the chicken breasts in the baking dish. Then brush each side of the chicken with the melted butter.
5. In a small bowl, add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika and onion powder and whisk until well incorporated. Sprinkle the spice mixture over both sides of the chicken breasts.
6. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 160°F when checked with an instant read digital thermometer.
7. Once the chicken is done, remove the pan from the oven. Cover the pan and let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes. The chicken will continue to cook slightly, reaching the safe consumption temperature of 165°F.
Serve warm with your favorite side dish or add it to a salad or casserole recipe.
Enjoy!
Mary and Jim
Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. The two are frequent speakers on all things gardening and love to travel in their spare time.
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Baked Chicken Breast
The best method for making moist, juicy and tender baked chicken breasts. The fool-proof method to cooking chicken.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness
- 1 tablespoon melted butter, unsalted
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1⁄2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
- 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1⁄4 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Fill a large bowl with 1 quart of warm water and 1/4 cup kosher salt. Stir to combine until the majority of the salt is dissolved. Add the chicken breasts to the brine and let them sit in the mixture for 30 minutes.
- Remove the chicken breasts from the brine, rinse them with cold water, then pat them dry with paper towels. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Spray a large baking dish* or sheet pan with non-stick cooking spray, set aside.
- Place the chicken breasts in the baking dish. Brush each side of the chicken with the melted butter.
- In a small bowl, add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika and onion powder and whisk until well incorporated. Sprinkle the spice mixture over both sides of the chicken breasts.
- Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 160°F when checked with an instant read digital thermometer.
- Once the chicken is done, remove the pan from the oven. Cover the pan and let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes. The chicken will continue to cook slightly, reaching the safe consumption temperature of 165°F.
- Serve warm with your favorite side dish or use in your favorite dish.
Notes
- *Be sure that your baking dish is oven-safe for 450°F temperature.
- You can use olive oil (not extra virgin olive oil) instead of the melted butter if you prefer.
- Store leftovers by letting the chicken cool to room temperature. Then place in an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Or store in an air-tight freezer container for up to 3 months.