The juiciest Baked Chicken Breast recipe – it’s tender, delicious, and so versatile! It’s great as a main dish, salad topper, in chicken sandwiches, and for meal prep. If you’re tired of dry and rubbery chicken breasts, you’ll love my fail-proof method for perfectly cooked chicken breasts every time.
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Helpful Reader Review
“This is my go to recipe for meal prepping protein packed lunches for my teenage son! I can whip it up without even reading the recipe, that’s how often I prepare it! Tasty and the chicken remains moist even on day 2 or 3!” – Andrea ★★★★★
Baked Chicken Breast Video
Watch my quick video tutorial and you’ll realize how easy it is to bake the juiciest chicken breasts.
Juicy Oven-Baked Chicken Breast
I used to think the best (or easiest) way to cook up chicken breast was on a skillet, but then I discovered this baked method and it was a total game-changer. Unlike pan-frying, baked chicken breast cooks evenly and is incredibly juicy, and I don’t have to babysit it – no flipping required. Seriously, this is the best way to cook chicken for meal prep or for any recipe that calls for chicken breast, from Cobb Salad to Caesar Salad.
Chicken breast is one of my favorite proteins because it’s relatively inexpensive, easy to work with (no trimming required), and versatile. It’s such a lean protein, it can be tricky to get it right without it overcooking or turning rubbery – that’s where this recipe comes in!
Unless you’re making Stuffed Chicken Breast, breaded Chicken Parmesan, or a saucy Chicken Marsala, the number one mistake that people make with plain chicken breast is overcooking, which can make it tough, dry, and bland, so I developed this go-to method that will always result in ultra-juicy and flavorful chicken breasts.
Ingredients
- Chicken Breast – Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are similar in size, then pound to an even thickness so they cook evenly. Depending on the size of the breasts, you may need to adjust the cooking time (see time chart below).
- Seasoning – it’s a simple blend of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika, which adds color. You can use sweet, hot, or smoked paprika. You can change up the seasonings to keep this baked chicken interesting (see variations below).
- Oil or Butter – Olive oil works great, or you can use a cooking spray. You can also use melted butter for a little more flavor.
Variations
To keep your baked chicken exciting, try adding or substituting the spices in this recipe with these pantry staples:
- BBQ – use your favorite BBQ dry rub seasoning mix
- Lemon-Pepper – zest of 1 lemon, salt, pepper, and garlic powder
- Spiced – Chili powder, Cajun seasoning, or Taco seasoning
- Italian Herb – oregano, thyme, basil, parsley, rosemary
How to Bake Chicken Breasts
- Prep – Preheat the oven to 400°F. Pound the chicken to an even thickness using a meat mallet to promote even cooking, then arrange the chicken breasts on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Oil – Pat dry the chicken and brush or spray on all sides with oil.
- Season – combine the seasonings and sprinkle on both sides of the chicken breasts.
- Bake chicken for 18-22 minutes (or according to the time chart below), or until it reaches 165°F, then rest 5-10 minutes. There’s no need to flip the chicken.
Natasha’s Pro Tip
If you prefer a little more golden color on the outside, broil the chicken breast for a few minutes before it’s fully cooked.
Baked Chicken Breast Time Chart
Cooking time can vary depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts. The key to cooking chicken breast without drying it out is to pull it once it reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F on a thermometer.
- 1/2-inch thick: 16-18 minutes
- 3/4-inch thick: 20-22 minutes
- 1-inch thick: 24-26 minutes
What is the KEY to Juicy Baked Chicken?
These are my best tips that all work together to make the juiciest chicken breast you’ll sink your teeth into.
- Pound Chicken to an even thickness. A meat mallet tenderizes the chicken and ensures it bakes evenly.
- Use a thermometer to check when the internal temperature has reached 165°F. The biggest mistake with baked chicken is overcooking.
- Pat Chicken Dry – a wet piece of chicken won’t hold the seasonings well and will steam cook.
- Let it Rest – once the chicken is out of the oven, let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes for the juices to redistribute.
Do I Need to Brine Chicken Breast?
You can brine if you want to, but it’s not necessary in this recipe since pounding the chicken breasts to an even thickness will naturally tenderize them and ensure they cook evenly for a juicy center. Also, the generous amount of seasoning adds plenty of flavor to the chicken. Brining is definitely beneficial for whole birds (I use my turkey brine) as extra insurance for juicy chicken.
How to Serve Baked Chicken Breast
There are a million ways to serve this tasty, juicy chicken breast. You can chop, shred or leave it whole to use in so many recipes that call for chicken breast:
- On Salad – Add chicken to Greek Salad, or Autumn Chicken Salad. You can also dice it up and make a Chicken Salad or Chicken Avocado Salad.
- Chicken Sandwiches & Wraps – Use baked chicken breast for a healthier Chicken Sandwich, or in Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Chicken Fajitas, or Chicken Sandwich Melts. You can also shred leftover chicken for Chicken Patties.
- Soups – shred baked chicken breast and put it into Chicken Tortilla Soup, Chicken and Rice Soup, or Chicken Noodle Soup.
- In Casseroles – add shredded baked chicken breast to Chicken Lasagna, Chicken Enchiladas, or Chicken Tetrazzini.
I hope you love this juicy baked chicken breast – it’s not only juicy, tender, and perfectly seasoned but also super versatile and can be used in so many dishes. It’s also easy to scale the recipe up or down and keeps well for meal prep, so you can quickly add protein to your menu throughout the busy workweek.
Storing and Reheating
- Make-Ahead: Oil and season the chicken breasts, cover, and refrigerate up to 24 hours.
- Refrigerate Leftovers: Transfer cooled chicken breasts to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
- To Freeze: Transfer the chicken to freezer-safe containers or airtight packaging (we love our food saver bags to prevent freezer burn) and store up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- To Reheat in the oven: Set the chicken breasts in a casserole dish, add a few tablespoons of water, cover with foil, and bake at 325°F for 10-15 minutes until the internal temp reaches 165˚F according to the USDA.
- Reheating in the air fryer: Brush with olive oil and air fry at 350˚F for about 2-3 minutes per side or until hot.
Baked Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, about 4 medium pieces
- 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or added to taste
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, avocado oil, or melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the center of the oven. Pound the chicken breasts between plastic wrap to an even thickness. Place the chicken breast on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving a little space between them for the air to circulate.
- Brush with oil – Pat dry the chicken again if needed, then brush all sides with oil, melted butter, or use an oil spray.
- Season – in a small bowl, combine the salt, garlic powder, paprika, and ground black pepper. Sprinkle the mixture all over the chicken.
- Bake at 400˚F for about 18-22 minutes (*See time chart below) or until chicken reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- 1/2-inch thick: 16-18 min
- 3/4-inch thick: 20-22 min
- 1-inch thick: 24-26 min
- BBQ – use a BBQ dry rub seasoning mix
- Lemon-Pepper – zest of 1 lemon, salt, pepper, garlic powder
- Spiced – Chili powder, Cajun seasoning, or Taco seasoning
- Italian Herb – oregano, thyme, basil, parsley, rosemary, or Italian seasoning
- Make Ahead – chicken can be oiled, seasoned and refrigerated up to 24 hours ahead. Bring to room temp 15 min before baking.
- Refrigerate cooked chicken in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Baked Chicken Recipes
- Pizza Chicken
- Monterey Chicken
- Spatchcock Chicken
- Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs
- Lemon Pepper Wings
- Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs
- Baked Chicken Tacos
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings
HI Natasha, would this work the same with a bone n chicken breast?
Hi Catherine, it may work with bone-in, but it will require some adjustments. You’ll need to adjust the cooking time.
I’m wanting to make this recipe tonight I’m wondering if I can use boneless skinless chicken breast?
Hi Lynn, this recipe calls for boneless chicken breast!
This recipe is delicious. I was skeptical of the high temperature to be capable of producing juicy tender chicken. This is now a frequent lunch entree for my husband and me and the recipe never fails! I do take a minute to pound the chicken breasts to make the thickness more uniform.
That’s great to hear! Thank you for sharing and I hope you will love all the recipes that you will try.
My baked chicken never browns. It looks white. I usually bake at 350. How do you get it brown?
This recipe is baked at 400℉ and we have great results. Every oven bakes/heats differently so I also recommend using a oven thermometer.
Can you use frozen boneless chicken breast? How much longer should you cook?
Hi Gina, I have only baked these from fresh, you can defrost the breast though!
What an AMAZING recipe!!
I just have a question; I’ve never heard of garlic parsley salt before. What is that?! Where can I find it?
Hi Salma! Thank you, I’m so glad you loved it. Garlic parsley salt can be found in local grocery stores in the seasonings aisle. It’s essentially garlic powder with salt and dried parsley so if you cannot find it, you can make your own with those ingredients.
Another winner, Natasha! I don’t know how I ever cooked without an instant read thermometer! No more dry overbaked chicken ever again.
That’s wondedrful! Isn’t it great? I’m so glad you love this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
This was delicious! Very juicy. I will be making it often. Will try some of your other spice suggestions.
So glad you loved it! Thank you for the review, Becky!
Thank you for the recipe! What brand Garlic Parsley salt would you recommend? Thanks!
Hi Angela, I purchased mine at Costco. I believe the brand is Lawry’s.
I want to tey this method, if I cannot find the garlic parsley salt, what ratio of each would I use to make my own?
Hi Linda! I do not have the exact quantities to make your own. You can add this by taste/preference.
Simple ratios are 3 parts Salt, 1 part Garlic Powder, and 1 part Parsley. You can use these ratios with herbs other than parsley as well.
I tried your recipe last night with the addition of garlic powder. Normally I don’t care for baked chicken because it is so dry, but this chicken was absolutely delicious! So moist and flavorful! I’ll always cook baked chicken your way, Natasha! Thank you 🎈
So glad it was enjoyed, Arlene! Thank you for the review.
Really good recipe. Chicken was tender not rubbery and seasoning was tasty
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve always baked my chicken breast like this. I bake it at 350 for 30 minutes or depending on how small or large the breast are. Learn this from Ina Garner years ago.
It’s such an easy way to prepare chicken breast and a classic method never goes out of style. I love everything Ina does.
I’m always hit or miss when baking chicken. I can’t wait to try this! Here’s to juicy chicken!
I hope you love it! 🙂
Made the baked chicken and garlic mashed potato’s last night and it was AMAZING. I’ve been making your recipes for a while now. And every time I just feel like my skills keep getting better when it really is just your amazing recipes!
Thank you so much, Andrea. I’m so glad to hear that. 🙂
Perfect! So easy and took me less than 5 minutes to prep. Added in some thyme and dried mustard to the seasonings since my family enjoys that flavor profile. Everyone loved it. Thank you!
Great to hear that it was a huge hit! Thank you so much for sharing.
Hi Natasha. This recipe looks great! I’ve never seen garlic parsley salt before. Can you get it in most stores and is there a specific brand you use? Thanks!
Hi Becky, yes, we get it at our local grocery store in the spice section. Most stores I’ve been to have it.
Came out PERFECT. Paired it with mashed potatoes & it was chef’s kiss!
Sounds delicious!!!
Hello Natasha
Can I use chicken strips instead of breasts? Ty
I imagine that will work too!
I made this last night, excellent I added 1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar otherwise I followed directions. My husband does not like chicken breast normally it is very dry. This was moist and had a delicious flavor, thanks for sharing all your recipes.
So glad to hear that. I’m happy you both enjoyed it. Thank you for the review. 🙂
This tasted so amazing! Thanks a lot for sharing this super easy to make baked chicken breast recipe! Fam really loves it! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended!
Thank you for your good comments and feedback! We’re glad to know that you and your family enjoyed this recipe.
I’ve been making it like this for a while. It’s so juicy, every time! I’ll try your spice blends next time!
Sounds great!:)
My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the chicken. Very moist. Will definitely be making this again. Thanks
Happy to hear that, Colleen!
what an amazing recipe, and just in time to make these chicken breasts that are chilling in my fridge!
Thank you! Enjoy!! 🙂