• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

A Pinch of Healthy

Simple, tasty recipes with a healthy twist

Display Search Bar
Follow me on FacebookFollow me on InstagramFollow me on PinterestFollow me on TwitterFollow me on YouTube
  • About
    • About Me
    • Contact Me
    • Work With Me
    • My Cancer Diagnosis
    • Privacy Policy
  • Resources
    • Resources for Bloggers
    • How I Turned My Food Blog Into a Career
    • Shop My Favorites
      • Favorite Kitchen Goodies
  • Recipes
    • Air Fryer Recipes
    • Instant Pot
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Salads
    • Basics
    • Desserts
    • Recipe Index
  • Shop
    • My Amazon Store
Home » Food » Recipes » Main Dishes » Baked Chicken Breast (tender, juicy and delicious!)

Baked Chicken Breast (tender, juicy and delicious!)

8893 shares
  • Share1267
  • X
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
BEST Baked Chicken Breast Recipe
BEST Baked Chicken Breast Recipe

This simple baked chicken breast recipe results in the juiciest, flavorful, most delicious chicken breasts that you will make over and over. It is truly the BEST baked chicken recipe!

baked chicken breast with rice, veggies and lemon slice on a plate

If there is anything I know about y’all, it is (1) you love simple recipes and (2) you love recipes that use boneless skinless chicken breasts. (More chicken breast recipes linked at the end of the post.👇🏻)

Baking chicken breasts can be a little tricky, mostly because it is really common to cook dry, tasteless chicken. 🙅🏼‍♀️No bueno! Well, I am definitely up for the challenge. And I think I nailed it, y’all.😎🙌🏻

closeup of baked chicken breast

How to make baked chicken breast

Here is exactly how I make the BEST baked chicken breast with perfect texture, cooked to perfection. Y’all are giving this one rave reviews, and I sure do appreciate it.

First, gather your ingredients.

Ingredients

For tastiest results, always use the best quality ingredients you have access to.

Ingredients with label text on white surface

To makes this baked chicken breast recipe, you will need the following:

  • raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • avocado oil (or oil of choice)
  • garlic powder
  • paprika
  • butter
  • lemon
  • salt and pepper

Seasoning

I am going with a very basic seasoning blend, y’all. It is very similar to my Instant Pot “rostisserie” chicken seasoning: salt, black pepper, garlic powder and paprika. I do add some lemon slices and a little bit of butter too.

Other alternatives for seasoning baked chicken breast (in addition to salt and pepper):

  • Cumin, chili powder, garlic and lime slices for more of a Mexican baked chicken
  • Garlic, oregano, basil, lemon slices and butter for more of a Greek chicken
  • Tony Chacherie’s Cajun blend + lemon slices and butter for cajun chicken

Basically, the possibilities are endless.😎👌🏻

Preparing baked chicken breast

So how do you get tender, juicy chicken breast when they dry out so easily? In my opinion, the three best tips are to use a little fat (butter and avocado oil in this case), cook at a high temperature, and allow the chicken to rest five minutes prior to digging in. Feel free to sub with olive oil or the oil of your choice.

So I start with a baking dish. I am using a basic pyrex 9×13. You want to use a dish big enough so that the chicken breasts are not all squished up next to each other.

raw meat in a pan

I pour a little avocado oil in, and then I place the chicken breasts on top. I rotate them around and flip to the other side too, using my hands to coat each piece of chicken with oil.

Then I sprinkle on my seasoning blend, and use my hands to evenly coat each piece of chicken.

seasoned uncooked chicken in a baking dish

Once everything is coated, I wash my hands. Then I slice up one lemon and add the slices in the pan, just around the chicken. The lemon juice will seep out during cooking and add wonderful flavor and tenderness to the chicken.

And then I add a pat of butter on each chicken breast. I used around 1.5 tablespoons total (combined) for all four pieces of chicken. So this is not a Paula Deen amount of butter, y’all.😉🙃 A little dab will do ya!

uncooked chicken in a pan with butter and lemon

The lemon, butter and juices from the seasoned chicken make the yummiest pan juice, which is wonderful for spooning on top of your finished baked chicken breast. The flavor is amazing!

You technically could still do the recipe without the lemon and butter, but I am highly recommending it for best results.

Cooking time and temperature

I bake the chicken breasts in a preheated 450 degree oven until they are done, about 20 to 25 minutes. For the batch pictured here, the chicken breasts were very large. They ranged in size from 9 to nearly 11 ounces! So mine took the whole 25 minutes.

baked chicken breast in a pan

If you are using smaller chicken breasts, cook them for a shorter time. I will be testing these more in the future. So I will circle back and add suggested cooking times by weight in the recipe notes very soon!

You can always use a meat thermometer to be sure. The official temperature for the inner portion should be at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit. But, be aware that the internal temperature will rise a little during the resting phase. So if it is at 160 degrees, I’d suggest going ahead and taking it out of the oven.

Rest and serve

Once they come out of the oven, I spoon some of the lemon butter over the top, and let them rest for five minutes, uncovered. And you are left with the yummiest, juiciest baked chicken breast ever!😍

styled baked chicken breast on a plate with rice and broccoli

You can serve baked chicken breasts with a few simple side items, or slice them up for lunches throughout the week, meal prep style.

baked chicken breast on a plate with rice and veggies

I hope you enjoy this baked chicken breast recipe!

FAQs

Should I brine?

You definitely could. But I know myself. I know my readers. And most of us have neither the time nor the patience for this extra step.

So I am going with a big fat no thanks. Hard pass. 💁🏼‍♀️And you’ll be happy to know that it is just not necessary, y’all.

What is the best temperature for baking chicken breast?

For this recipe, we are cooking the chicken breasts at high heat, 450 degrees Fahrenheit. And then we allow them to rest.

You may be shocked at how tender and juicy these come out. In fact, that is the number one feedback comment I get on this recipe – how surprised people are at the perfect texture of this chicken cooked at such high heat. But it works really well!

Do you cook chicken breast in the oven covered or uncovered?

For this recipe, we cook uncovered, and it really delivers on texture. Perfectly tender and juicy!

How do you keep chicken from drying out in the oven?

You want to make sure you cook the chicken breasts for the proper cooking time. There is a sweet spot where everything is perfectly cooked, but not dry.

Paying attention to the thickest part and knowing the weight of the meat you are working with really helps with this. A digital scale works well for this and is well worth the small investment. These are usually less than $20. See also the notes section of the recipe card below.

How long is chicken good in the fridge?

Raw chicken should be fine for 2 days. Cooked chicken is good for about 3 to 4 days. Always use common sense, though! If something looks or smells funky, toss it out.

More chicken breast recipes

Here are more basic chicken breast recipes you may also enjoy.

  • Air Fryer Chicken Breat
  • Grilled chicken breast
  • Instant Pot chicken breast

What to serve with baked chicken breast

Here are some suggestions for side items that I hope you will enjoy, including recipe links. 😋👍🏻

  • Instant Pot “Baked” Sweet Potatoes
  • Instant Pot black eyed peas
  • Instant Pot mashed potatoes
  • Lemon garlic roasted Brussels sprouts
  • Quinoa Black Bean salad
  • Roasted broccoli and mushrooms
  • Tortellini pasta salad
  • Spiralizer Greek salad
  • Greek quinoa salad
  • Green beans with caramelized onions and almonds
  • Greek pasta salad
  • Classic potato salad (includes Instant Pot instructions)
  • Greek potato salad
  • Roasted thyme carrots
  • Air Fryer baked potatoes
  • Air Fryer herb roasted potatoes
  • Corn salad with avocado, tomato and lime

Baked Chicken Breast Recipe

Did you try this recipe? Give it a star rating. Pin it and share it if it looks good to you. And be sure and stay connected on social media!

Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter

baked chicken breast with rice, veggies and lemon slice on a plate
4.89 from 118 votes
Print

Baked Chicken Breast

This simple baked chicken breast recipe results in the juiciest, flavorful, most delicious chicken breasts that you will make over and over.

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword baked chicken breast, baked chicken breast recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Rest time 5 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 217 kcal
Author Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy

Ingredients

  • 1.5 Tablespoons avocado oil (you can sub olive, canola, or your favorite oil)
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • pat of butter on each chicken breast (optional but highly recommended – I used 1.5 Tablespoons combined for all 4 chicken breasts)
  • lemon slices (optional but highly recommended)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

  2. Pour the oil into a baking dish, and place the chicken breasts on top.

  3. Use your hands to rotate the breasts until they are each coated with oil.

  4. Sprinkle the spice mixture  on both sides, and use hands to evenly coat..

  5. Optional, but highly recommended: add  a small pat of butter on each breast, and add sliced lemon to the pan surrounding the chicken breasts. 

  6. Bake chicken uncovered for about 20 to 25 minutes, depending on size and thickness of the chicken. (Chicken is done when internal temperature reaches 165 with a meat thermometer.) 

  7. Allow the chicken breasts to rest for 5 minutes prior to serving.

  8. Spoon some of the pan drippings over each breast just prior to serving.

  9. Serve immediately. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.

This recipe is written for regular sized chicken breasts, not thin or split chicken breasts. This or split breasts would have significantly less cook time.

Lemon and butter were included in nutritional information.

I am using a basic pyrex 9×13. You want to use a dish big enough so that the chicken breasts are not all squished up next to each other.

For the batch pictured here, the chicken breasts were very large. They ranged in size from 9 to nearly 11 ounces! So mine took the whole 25 minutes. If you are using smaller chicken breasts, cook them for a shorter time. 

You can always use a meat thermometer to be sure. The official temperature for the inner portion should be at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit. But, be aware that the internal temperature will rise a little during the resting phase. So if it is at 160 degrees, I’d suggest going ahead and taking it out of the oven.

Nutrition Facts
Baked Chicken Breast
Amount Per Serving
Calories 217 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 83mg28%
Sodium 750mg33%
Potassium 438mg13%
Protein 24g48%
Vitamin A 410IU8%
Vitamin C 1.3mg2%
Calcium 6mg1%
Iron 0.5mg3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Note: This baked chicken breast recipe originally appeared on A Pinch of Healthy on January 22, 2019. It has been updated with new photos. Here is what it used to look like.

Baked chicken breast with lemon in clear pyrex dish
Three baked chicken breast with one sliced in a clear baking dish
(Visited 1,520,612 times, 4 visits today)

Related posts:

  1. BEST Chicken Divan Recipe
  2. Chicken Spaghetti Recipe
8893 shares
  • Share1267
  • X

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. b says

    December 4, 2024 at 1:59 pm

    can i use apple instead of lemon

    Reply
    • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

      December 10, 2024 at 7:44 am

      Hi B! I have never tried this, and I would not recommend it as a good substitute for lemon.

      Reply
  2. Sharon says

    October 10, 2024 at 2:06 pm

    5 stars
    I have some chicken tenders, have made this numerous times with the breast always tender and juicy , I might give it a go with tenders I accidentally bought..just cook close together less time….what do you think?

    Reply
  3. Sharon says

    October 8, 2024 at 6:31 pm

    5 stars
    Can I use chicken tenders and coook less time, I usually use the breasts…accidentally picked up tenders? Thank you:)

    Reply
    • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

      October 24, 2024 at 2:16 pm

      Hi Sharon! I’m sorry for the delay in responding. Chicken tenders could work, but they would need much less cook time. I’m not sure how much, and they are quite easy to overcook, especially at such a high temp. So I’d recommend using the chicken breasts for best results.

      Reply
  4. Lisa says

    October 1, 2024 at 4:36 pm

    5 stars
    So, I finally got around to making this and I was not wrong about how well this would turn out (which I predicted based off of the quality of the instructions!). I made mine with just a teaspoon of melted duck fat and wound up using 1 teaspoon of dried minced garlic (instead of garlic powder) and 1 teaspoon of garlic salt (instead of regular salt). I also just used one tablespoon of butter (instead of 1.5), and it turned out just fine. The beauty of this is its simplicity and the fact that you could probably swap out the garlic and paprika with other herbs and spices to better pair with what else you might be having. Thank you, Marjorie!

    Reply
    • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

      October 6, 2024 at 2:23 pm

      Yay!! I am seeing this on the same day as you previous comment. I am so glad it turned out delicious for you! And yes, changing the flavoring is a great hack to use that same method to make many different flavor combinations.

      Reply
  5. Lisa says

    September 26, 2024 at 4:31 pm

    5 stars
    Haven’t tried this recipe yet, but I’m going to try it out tonight. That said, I have a feeling that this will quite possibly exceed my expectations just based off of the notes you’ve included for this recipe. The details you provided are rarely (if ever) included, but exactly the type of thing that runs through my mind as I’m cooking something up. As a very novice cook, these are exactly the type of details I need, but simply just wind up wingin’ it with recipes that don’t provide them. It usually turns out okay, but I sometimes wonder how closely my creation matches what was intended. When it comes to meat temperatures, however, it’s really important to get it right, so I really appreciated the kernels of wisdom you provided and for that alone, I give you five stars!

    Reply
    • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

      October 6, 2024 at 2:20 pm

      Thank you so much for this feedback Lisa! I hope it turned out delicious for you.

      Reply
  6. Sherry says

    August 12, 2024 at 7:30 am

    For 30 oz normal size chicken breast how long should I cook it?

    Reply
    • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

      August 26, 2024 at 7:56 am

      Hi Sherry! Do you know how big the individual chicken breast is? A food scale really helps with this. You say 30 ounces, but that sounds like maybe the measurement for the whole pacakge, not one single chicken breast?

      Reply
  7. Terry says

    July 21, 2024 at 9:28 am

    I am bout to give this recipe a try, but have 2 questions. Do you use “ smoked paprika*, or regular paprika, for this recipe? Can I use fresh garlic instead of garlic powder, or not the same? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

      July 21, 2024 at 12:50 pm

      Hi Terry!! I use regular paprika. I recommend the powder or granulated garlic. The main risk with using fresh in this particular recipe is having a high likelihood of burnt garlic. Especially at that temperature and cook time. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  8. Heidi says

    July 10, 2024 at 4:59 pm

    5 stars
    I usually eat plant based but when company came and wanted chicken breast, I thought oh great, how can I make dry boring chicken breasts tasty…. All I can say is these were the tastiest chicken breasts I’ve ever eaten as well as the easiest! Everyone loved them so thank you!!!

    Reply
    • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

      July 14, 2024 at 1:28 pm

      I am so happy to hear that you are enjoying it Heidi!

      Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

I am a home cook, recipe developer, coffee drinker and mom of two. My recipes are simple and tasty. I enjoy lots of fresh, healthy food, plus full treats without guilt. Thanks so much for stopping by! Read more here.

Reader Favorites

  • Hand grabbing a Thai chicken lettuce wrap off a plateThai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
  • Easy key lime pie slice closeup on white plateEasy Key Lime Pie (no bake, assembly only)
  • baked chicken breast with rice, veggies and lemon slice on a plateBaked Chicken Breast (tender, juicy and delicious!)

Footer

Recipes

No bake cheesecake with berries on top.

No Bake Cheesecake

May 12, 2025

Blueberry Dutch Baby with maple syrup, blueberry compote, and powdered sugar in a cast iron pan.

Blueberry Dutch Baby

May 5, 2025

Mexican Recipe Roundup (Happy Cinco De Mayo!)

April 28, 2025

avocado salsa in a white bowl with someone dunking a chip into it

Avocado Salsa

April 21, 2025

Life

All racially diverse hands on deck

I’ll Be Your Ally: A Pledge

June 7, 2020

hands making heart shape together

Silver Linings

April 2, 2020

Ideal weight and weight neutrality

Why I practice weight neutrality

January 30, 2020

Are you sensitive?

Sensitive is my superpower. Is it yours too?

December 17, 2019

Video

The best mineral makeup Savvy Minerals by Young Living

Best Mineral Makeup (+Video Demo)

March 29, 2018

What I Bought at Sprouts (Grocery Haul)

March 14, 2018

What I Bought at Trader Joe’s (Grocery Haul)

March 9, 2018

My Entrepreneur Story

February 28, 2018

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Work With Me

Theme by Once Coupled · Copyright© 2025 · Privacy

Baked Chicken Breast Recipe
Best baked chicken breasts