Baked Chicken Breast

Making my oven-baked chicken breast is incredibly easy and quick! For these incredibly delicious, fail-proof chicken breasts, all you need is a little olive oil, a unique spice blend, and some insider knowledge. It's easy, quick, and really delicious! It works well for meal preparation, as a salad topper, in chicken sandwiches, and as a main course.

Ingredients

This recipe for baked chicken breasts requires the following ingredients:

• Chicken Breasts - You can buy frozen chicken breasts (which you must fully thaw before using) or fresh chicken breasts (which is what I prefer). To ensure equal cooking, always make sure to select chicken breasts of roughly the same size and pound them to a uniform thickness. The cooking time may need to be modified based on the size of the breasts.
• Olive oil - The chicken is lightly oiled to help the seasonings adhere. Olive oil aids in browning and helps the seasonings adhere. You can use any oil with a mild flavor.
• Seasoning - It's a straightforward mixture of salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika for color. You can use smoked paprika, which is very easy to make and goes with almost anything, or sweet paprika. However, you are welcome to use any dry seasoning blend you like. Your preferred seasoning blends, such as Cajun seasoning, Greek seasoning, or a basic lemon pepper blend, can be used.

Baked Chicken Breast Video Tutorial

Watch as I demonstrate how to bake chicken breasts to perfection. For lunch, supper, or meal preparation, this recipe yields juicy, delicious chicken breasts.

How To Cook Baked Chicken Breasts

1. Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking pan with parchment paper or lightly oil it.
2. In a large bowl, combine the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Then, add olive oil until well combined.

3. The chicken breast should be placed on your chopping board. Cut off extra fat. then lay a piece of plastic wrap or parchment over the chicken to avoid spatter, gently pound the thicker end of the chicken breasts with a rolling pin or the flat side of a meat tenderizer.
4. The seasoning mixture should be uniformly brushed over the chicken on both sides, flipping once.
5. The chicken breasts should be baked for 18 minutes after being placed in a baking dish, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F on a thermometer.

6. After cooking, take the pan out of the oven, move the chicken to a plate or chopping board, and let it rest for five minutes before slicing.
7. Drizzle the pan juices over the chicken before serving, and sprinkle some freshly chopped parsley on top.

How Long To Bake Chicken Breasts

The size of your chicken breast and the oven's wattage will determine how long it takes to cook. There are minor heat variations in some ovens. Pulling the chicken breast when the thermometer registers a safe internal temperature of 165°F is the secret to cooking it without drying it out. Here is a general rule to abide by:

• Cook 5 ounce small breasts for 18 minutes.
• Cook 7 ounce medium breasts for 20 minutes.
• Cook 9-ounce large breasts for 22 minutes.

Expert Tips

Since I've been baking chicken breasts for years, these pointers have helped me consistently make properly cooked chicken:

1. To balance out the thickness, make sure to pound the chicken breasts thoroughly. Since one end of chicken breasts is inherently thicker than the other, you can pound the thicker portion of the breast gently to get a more uniform thickness, which will result in more equal cooking.
2. Combine the seasoning and oil. I used to season the chicken breasts on both sides after brushing them with cooking oil. After plenty of trial I now prefer preparing a “seasoning paste” instead of just using dry seasoning. With a seasoning paste the oil really soaks into both the spice and the chicken and creates excellent flavor! However, before adding the oil, make sure to combine all the spices.
3. Keep the chicken breasts from being overcooked.The most crucial thing is to avoid overcooking the chicken. Cook until 165°F using a meat thermometer.
4. It's crucial to rest! Before serving, let the chicken rest for five minutes. After cooking, let the meat rest so that the juices can return to the meat and keep it moist.
5. Experiment with various spice mixes. You can use your preferred flavor blends with this chicken because it's so adaptable. For simple chicken tacos, use a taco seasoning first, then shred the chicken. Or prepare a quick batch of filling chicken chili using a chili seasoning. Naturally, your neighborhood grocery store carries a number of well-liked store-bought seasoning combinations. Therefore, don't be scared to discover your preferred combination.

Storing and Reheating

• Any leftovers should be kept in an airtight container. Cooked chicken can be frozen for up to three months or kept in the refrigerator for up to three days in a sealed container.
• Reheating chicken breasts over the next few days may cause them to become rather dry. Here's a quick tip: before reheating your chicken in the microwave, sprinkle it with a teaspoon or so of water and cover it with a microwave-safe lid. It will assist the chicken absorb some of the moisture by creating a small amount of steam, which will revitalize it!
• Store the chicken for up to three months in airtight packaging or freezer-safe containers (we prefer our food saver bags to avoid freezer burn). Before reheating, let it thaw overnight in the fridge.

Serving Suggestions

You may serve these chicken breasts with a variety of side dishes. Some of my favorites are as follows:

• Blackstone Potatoes
• Air Fryer Cheesey Potato Wedges
• Air Fryer Roasted Baby Potatoes
• Oven Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes
• Crispy Air Fryer Frozen French Fries
• Italian Grinder Chopped Salad

Baked Chicken Breast

Making my oven-baked chicken breast is incredibly easy and quick! For these incredibly delicious, fail-proof chicken breasts, all you need is a little olive oil, a unique spice blend, and some insider knowledge. It's easy, quick, and really delicious! It works well for meal preparation, as a salad topper, in chicken sandwiches, and as a main course.

5 from 8 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course: chicken, dinner, Main Course, quick and easy

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes minutes

Total Time: 23 minutes minutes

Servings: 3 servings

Calories: 264kcal

Author: Imsen

Equipment

• Meat Tenderizer
• Digital Meat Thermometer

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

1x2x3x

INGREDIENTS

• ▢ 3 boneless skinless chicken breast
• ▢ 2 teaspoon paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ 3 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 3 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh parsley for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

• Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking pan with parchment paper or lightly oil it.
• In a large bowl, combine the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Then, add olive oil until well combined.
• The chicken breast should be placed on your chopping board. Cut off extra fat. then lay a piece of plastic wrap or parchment over the chicken to avoid spatter, gently pound the thicker end of the chicken breasts with a rolling pin or the flat side of a meat tenderizer.
• The seasoning mixture should be uniformly brushed over the chicken on both sides, flipping once.
• The chicken breasts should be baked for 18 minutes after being placed in a baking dish, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F on a thermometer.
• After cooking, take the pan out of the oven, move the chicken to a plate or chopping board, and let it rest for five minutes before slicing.
• Drizzle the pan juices over the chicken before serving, and sprinkle some freshly chopped parsley on top.

Video

NUTRITION

Calories: 264kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 1296mg | Potassium: 473mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 387IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg

Keyword Baked Chicken Breasts

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