Baked Chicken Breast seasoned to perfection with a simple dry rub mixture and oven baked until tender and juicy. This easy Baked Chicken Breasts recipe is loaded with flavor!
Growing up, my family used to try to stay away from baked chicken breast recipes. Baking chicken seemed like a daunting task that always resulted in dried up, chewy chicken breasts. These days however, Baked Chicken Breast is one of those recipes I make all the time.
Juicy Easy Baked Chicken Breasts
If, like me, you are always looking for ways to cook chicken breast, you are going to love this easy recipe.
Oven baked chicken breast is made quickly on a single baking pan and the seasonings can be easily customized to your taste. This healthy and flavorful recipe is super simple to make. No brining or marinating is required, and juicy tender chicken is guaranteed!
This post first appeared at The Salty Marshmallow where I am a contributor
How To Season Baked Chicken Breast
This easy Baked Chicken recipe, is super versatile. Just like my baked pork chops recipe, I use a simple dry rub to season the chicken. This dry rub adds lots of flavor and a nice light crust that keeps the chicken juicy and tender.
You can use your favorite dry seasoning to flavor the chicken breast. Some of my favorite dry rubs are:
- Cajun Seasoning
- Taco Seasoning
- Italian Dry Seasoning, Salt and Ground Black Pepper.
- Seasoned Salt, Chili Powder, Garlic Powder and Cumin.
- Any store bought chicken dry rub.
How To Cook Chicken Breasts
- First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Rinse the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels.
- Place the chicken breast on a rimmed baking sheet or in a baking dish. They can touch but not overlap.
- Drizzle and rub with olive oil on both sides. You can use a brush, if you prefer.
- Season the chicken with the dry rub. I like to use my hands to make sure I massage the seasonings in. Remember to season both sides of the breast.
- Bake uncovered until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove from the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes before slicing.
How Long To Bake Chicken Breast at 400?
Timing is very important when baking boneless skinless chicken breasts. Chicken breast is a lean protein and tends to dry if baked for too long or at the wrong temperature.
Baking times vary depending on the size and thickness of the chicken.
Medium size chicken breast (5 to 6 ounces each) takes approximately 20 to 25 minutes to bake in a 400-degree oven. I always bake chicken breasts at 400 degrees Fahrenheit as the high temperature helps seal in the juices (and the flavor).
Do I Have To Brine the Chicken Breast Before Baking?
Although brining is a great way to keep chicken juicy, you can make juicy oven-baked chicken WITHOUT using a brine. Also, keep in mind that most of the chicken sold in supermarkets already contains some added water.
Make sure you follow my tips and you will end up with the juiciest and best baked chicken breast ever!
Can I Freeze Baked Chicken Breast?
Absolutely. Cool the chicken completely and store it in a freezer safe, airtight container for up to 3 months.
Should You Cover Chicken Breasts with Foil When Baking?
No, it’s not necessary to cover the chicken breast when baking. As my cooking school chef instructor would say, covering the chicken is only going to steam it! The only time you should loosely tent the chicken with foil is, if the surface is getting too dark. This usually happens when you use sugary sweet seasonings or sauces. This recipe doesn’t contain any sugars so covering the pan isn’t necessary.
How Do You Bake Chicken Without Drying them Out?
We all know that a lean protein like chicken breast can dry out quickly no matter how you cook. There’s nothing worse than dry, chewy, rubbery chicken so these are the steps I take to prevent dry out chicken.
- Even Thickness: f your chicken breasts are too thick in certain areas, pound the chicken to even thickness with a meat mallet or rolling pin.
- Fat: Chicken breast is very lean so don’t skip on brushing or drizzling the chicken with oil.
- Bake at High Temperature: Roasting the chicken at high temperature (400 degrees minimum) helps retain moisture. Low and slow is not what you want here!
- Use a Meat Thermometer: The chicken breast thickness as well oven temperature can impact the overall result of baked chicken breasts. Unless you calibrate your oven often, you run the chance of baking at inaccurate temperatures. Ovens running hot are not as uncommon as you may think. To prevent overcooked chicken, always check the internal meat temperature with an instant-read meat thermometer!
- Don’t Overcook It!: Check the tip above. You can always fix undercooked chicken (just put it back in the oven) but there’s not much you can do about overcooked dry chicken.
- Allow The Chicken To Rest Before Cutting It: This goes for all proteins, especially lean chicken breast. Resting the chicken before serving it, allows for carryover cooking. Carryover cooking simply means that the heat will continue to move (from the surface to the interior of the breast) distributing the juices through the entire piece of chicken. Cutting into the chicken too quickly after cooking it always drains the chicken from all of its juices.
How To Serve Or Use Baked Chicken Breast
To me there’s nothing better than roasted chicken breast right out of the oven however, there are many ways to use this chicken after is oven baked.
Chicken breast cooked in the oven makes a great meal prep protein that can top rice and steamed or blanched veggies like these Blanched Green Beans.
Sliced oven roasted chicken breast is the perfect topping to your favorite salad or pasta dishes. Shredded baked chicken can be added to hearty soups or ramen.
Baked Chicken Breast Tips
- If your chicken breasts are too thick in certain areas, pound the chicken to even thickness with a meat mallet or rolling pin.
- Use a rimmed baking sheet or baking pan. The chicken will release some of it’s natural juices.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels before adding the oil or the seasonings.
- Don’t skip the oil! I use 1 tablespoon of olive oil for this recipe although a little extra wouldn’t hurt! Since you don’t have the skin to provide some needed fat to a very lean protein, some fat is needed to keep the chicken juicy.
- Do not overcook. Always check the internal temperature with an instant read thermometer. Chicken breast should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- After removing the chicken from the the oven let the it rest before slicing it. Do not skip this step!
- Save the pan drippings! Pour them over the sliced breast for extra flavor!
Great Side Dishes To Serve With Oven Baked Chicken Breast
Baked Chicken Breast Recipe
Ingredients
Dry Rub
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Baked Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (about 5 – 6 ounces each)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil or parchment paper. You can also use a baking dish.
- In a small bowl, mix the dry rub ingredients. Set aside.
- Pat dry the chicken breasts with paper towels.
- Place the chicken in a single layer on the baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Rub the oil all over each chicken breast. Season the chicken with the dry rub on both sides.
- Bake for 20 to 26 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Time will vary depending on the size and thickness of each breast.
- Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- If your chicken breasts are too thick in certain areas, pound the chicken to even thickness with a meat mallet or rolling pin.
- Don’t skip the oil! I use 1 tablespoon of olive oil for this recipe although a little extra wouldn’t hurt! Since you don’t have the skin to provide some needed fat to a very lean protein, some fat is needed to keep the chicken juicy.
- Do not overcook. Always check the internal temperature with an instant read thermometer. Chicken breast should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
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