Simple Oven Baked Chicken Breast Recipe

Name: Baked Chicken Breast
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
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))

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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.😎🙌🏻

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.

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.

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.

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.

What to serve with baked chicken breast

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

Baked Chicken Breast Recipe

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4.9 from 127 votes

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