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My favorite oven baked chicken breasts recipe! It never fails, thanks to this simple 5-step method that is easy to make and customize with your favorite seasonings.
A few weeks ago on Insta, I asked if you all might be interested in a back-to-basics series about the best ways to bake proteins (i.e. chicken, pork, steak, seafood, tofu, etc.) in the oven. Your answer? A resounding yes, please. Many of you had requests and questions about methods for cooking various proteins, plus more than a few tales to tell about proteins gone not-so-right over the years. And oh boy, I hear ya. My little kitchen has seen more than its share of overcooked steaks, completely dried out pork chops, salmon skin glued to pans, and not-so-crispy tofu over the years too. Which are never fun, especially since proteins can be pricey and intended for special occasions. But hey, it’s all part of the adventure of learning how to cook. And eventually, I’ve trial-and-errored my way to some basic methods for baking proteins that have become super-reliable, super-delicious staples in my kitchen.
So over the next two weeks, I thought we could work our way through each of them, beginning today with the #1 most requested protein here on Gimme Some Oven…
…chicken.
Specifically, boneless skinless chicken breasts.
Over the years, I’ve received countless requests for new chicken breast recipes, and many more for tips on how to bake chicken breasts in the oven. Because anyone who worked with chicken breasts before know that they can be incredibly versatile, yet also incredibly finicky to work with, especially when baked in the oven. Cook them the wrong way and you’ll end up with a dry, rubbery, tough, and flavorless disaster. But cooked the right way?! We’re talkin’ juicy, tender, flavorful, perfectly baked chicken breasts that you will love.
The good news is that they’re also totally easy to customize with your favorite seasonings or sauces. And also, incredibly easy to make with my 5-step baked chicken breasts method. Thousands of our readers have tried it over the years and reported back that this method was a game-changer with cooking chicken. So if you have yet to give it a try, let’s bake some chicken together!
Baked Chicken Breasts Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Baked Chicken Breast Ingredients
To make this baked chicken breasts recipe, you will need:
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: You can either purchase fresh chicken breasts (my preference) or frozen chicken breasts (which you will need to completely thaw before using). Some chicken also comes pre-brined nowadays, in which case you can skip step one below.
Butter or olive oil: Your pick! I like the extra flavor that butter adds, but olive oil will also work well.
Kosher Salt: An essential ingredient in our brine, and we will also use salt to season the chicken before baking.
Seasonings: I included an all-purpose blend of smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and black pepper in the recipe below, which is super-simple and goes with just about anything. But feel free to sub in any dry seasoning blend that you prefer.
Also, if you bake chicken (or any other kind of baked proteins) regularly in the oven, I strongly having a cooking thermometer on hand too. It is the most foolproof way to ensure that your chicken is not over- or under-cooked, and works like a charm. I recommend either this:
Instant-read cooking thermometer: which I have owned and used for years when cooking chicken, which currently retails for about $14 on Amazon.
Dual-probe wireless meat thermometer: which I also own and love because it can be used inside of a hot oven (especially helpful for baking steak, salmon and pork) plus it can either beep or send an alert to your cell phone, and currently retails for about $33 on Amazon.
How To Bake Chicken Breasts
Alright, so here’s the secret! To make perfectly baked chicken bbrrreasts, you simply need to follow this 5-step acronym: B.B.R.R.R.
Brine
Brush
Rub
Roast
Rest
Brine (Step 1): I’m telling you — this step is an absolute must for anytime you want to bake chicken breasts in the oven. Brining chicken is super-easy, it makes your chicken extra juicy, and best of all, it can be effectively done in just 15 minutes.
To brine chicken, simply fill a big bowl half full with lukewarm water. Stir in a handful of salt until it mostly dissolves. Add ice cubes or cold water to lower the temperature of the water so that it is cool to the touch. Then add your chicken breasts and let them sit in the saltwater to brine for at least 15 minutes. If you are doing this in advance, you can cover and refrigerate the bowl of chicken and saltwater for up to 6 hours. But you don’t want to let the chicken brine for much longer than that.
When you’re ready to go, remove the chicken from the brine. Give it a good rinse it with cold water to wash off the salt, and then pat it dry with some paper towels. And voila — your chicken is officially brined.
Really, don’t skip over this step! It makes a world of difference.
Note: That said, some store-bought chicken breasts are now sold pre-brined. So double-check your packaging beforehand. And if your chicken has already been pre-brined in a sodium solution, just move onto step two. :)
Brush (Step 2): Brush your chicken breasts with melted butter. Or at least, I highly recommend using butter. It adds great flavor and helps give a nice golden crust on the outside. But if you’d rather use olive oil (or another favorite cooking oil), feel free.
Brush the breasts liberally on both sides to prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan, and also to help the seasonings stick. Then place the chicken breasts in a large baking dish or roasting pan.
Rub (Step 3): If you’re really wanting to keep things simple, you can simply sprinkle some salt and pepper onto the chicken breasts. But again, chicken will pick up the flavor of whatever seasonings you add. So even if you’re making a simple dish that calls for “plain” chicken breasts, I highly recommend the simple chicken seasoning recipe I have included below that includes salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika.
Roast (Step 4): So this is the step that causes some squabbles amongst chicken lovers — how long to bake chicken breasts? And what is the correct temperature to bake chicken? Do you bake it low and slow (as in, 30 minutes at 350°F)? Or do you roast chicken high and quick (as in, 15 minutes at 450)? I have tested out both — and just about every interval in between — dozens upon dozens upon dozens of times. And in the end, I fall firmly in the latter camp when it comes to baked chicken.
I like to roast my chicken breasts on high heat.
Depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts, roasting chicken at 450°F should require a cooking time of about 15-18 minutes (depending on the thickness/size of your chicken breasts). It’s speedy and it’s easy. But mostly I love it because cooking at high heat quickly develops a nice crispier “crust” on the outside of the breasts, which also helps to lock in those juices and keep the oven roasted chicken perfectly tender on the inside. It’s the best of both worlds.
I highly recommend investing in a small cooking thermometer to measure the cooked chicken temp in order to tell if it is ready to go (the FDA says that the safe cooked chicken temp is 165°F), versus cutting into it with a fork, which lets those good juices seep out. I use this instant-read thermometer and it will accurately measure your internal chicken temperature in seconds.
Rest (Step 5): This one is a non-negotiable. You must, must let your beautifully baked chicken breasts rest before cutting into them — a tip which applies to cooking any meat, really. If you cut in right away, you will lose all of the amazing juices and some of the tenderness that we’re going for. But if you give your freshly baked chicken breasts a brief rest, it will finish cooking and lock in all of those delicious juices, resulting in the most tender and juicy and delicious baked chicken.
I recommend loosely tenting a sheet of aluminum foil over the pan to keep the heat in while the chicken rests. And thenafter 5-10 minutes, you can finally serve and enjoy your perfectly-cooked chicken breasts.
And enjoy every last bite. ♡
How To Season Baked Chicken Breasts
Again, I’m a big fan of the classic paprika-garlic-pepper mix in the recipe below. But if you’d like to mix things up, feel free to sub in any of your favorite dry seasoning mixes, such as:
The easiest way, of course, is just to serve these roasted chicken breasts fresh outta the oven. But feel free to also slice, shred, or dice these oven baked chicken breasts for use in another recipe, such as these faves:
Once the chicken has been baked, it can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Or you can freeze it for up to 3 months. (<– I recommend shredding, dicing or slicing the chicken before freezing for easier use.)
Side Dish Recipe Ideas
Looking for some side dishes to serve with this baked chicken recipe? Here are a few of my faves:
Learn how to make juicy, tender, delicious baked chicken breasts with this simple 5-step method.
Ingredients
Scale
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness
1 tablespoon melted butter or olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
Brine the chicken. (Check the label of your chicken breasts. If they have already been pre-brined in a sodium solution, please skip this step.) Fill a large mixing bowl with 2 cups of lukewarm water and 1/4 cup kosher salt. Stir to combine until most of the salt is absorbed. Add 2 cups of cold water (or a few ice cubes) to lower the temperature of the water so that it is cool to the touch. Add the chicken breasts and let them sit in the mixture to brine for 15 minutes, or you can also also cover the bowl and refrigerate for up to 6 hours. Remove the chicken breasts from the brine, rinse them with cold water, then pat them dry with paper towels.
Heat the oven. Preheat oven to 450°F.
Season the chicken. Place the chicken breasts in a single layer in a large baking dish*. Brush on both sides (turning once) evenly with the melted butter or olive oil. In a separate small bowl, whisk the salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika until combined. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture evenly over the chicken on both sides.
Bake. Bake for 15-18* minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the chicken breasts, so I recommend using a cooking thermometer to know exactly when the chicken is fully cooked. The thickest part of the breast should measure 165°F. (If you want the chicken to be a little bit browned and crispier on top, you can turn the broiler on high for the final 3-5 minutes of the cooking time and broil the chicken until it is cooked through and golden on top. Keep a close eye on the chicken, however, so that it does not overcook and/or burn.)
Rest the chicken. Once the chicken is cooked, remove the pan from the oven, transfer the chicken to a clean plate, and loosely tent the plate with aluminum foil. Let the chicken rest for at least 5-10 minutes.
Baking Dish: Please double-check the maximum temperature of your baking dish for this recipe. Glass dishes (such as Pyrex) usually have a maximum recommended temperature of 425°F, so we do not recommend using a glass dish for this recipe. You can also cook this recipe on a thick metal baking sheet.
Storage instructions: Cooked chicken can be stored in a sealed container and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Tried this recipe out the other day, let the chicken brine for 4 hours, it’s the Krispy Kreme of chicken, pulls apart easily, and the spice is out of this world. Now my go-to recipe, please keep them coming.
I am 66 years old and have never been satisfied with my baked chicken breasts until now. The brining, higher cook temperature and resting definitely made all the difference! We try to limit our sodium intake so I was a little worried about the brining but I rinsed them well and used salt-free seasonings and they were perfect. It will be fun to keep trying out different seasonings for this recipe.
Ina Golabek —
Probably one of the most juicy chicken breasts I’ve ever made.My husband was happy which makes me happy!! Thank you for this recipe and I look forward to following for more recipes!
I make this recipe all the time. I don’t always remember to. Brian, the chicken, but it always comes out so soft and tender unless I leave it in the oven too long.. I usually use butter, salt and pepper and a couple other random spaces. But I usually do two organic chicken breast at 450
For 15-18 minutes depending on the thickness and then I let it sit for a while. serve it up with a little bit of coconut, white rice and a nice big salad
A++++++
This recipe made the quickest, moistest, tasty chicken breasts in less than an hour total. My sister-in-law just gifted me fresh paprika from her European trip this December. I will be brining my chicken more often.
Oh, and for the person who asked about filleting a large chicken breast, absolutely filet it and then pound it a little thinner.I used two large chicken breasts and the amount of seasoning/butter was perfect after filetting them.
I have baked chicken breasts using this recipe three or four times now and I LOVE it! I have made chicken marsala,
lemon chicken with capers and asparagus, and chicken with caprese salad on top. I bake the chicken, make the sauces separately and add the baked chicken. Perfect every time! This will be perfect for dinner parties. THANK YOU for an amazing recipe. I do not use a handful of salt, just a teaspoon for three breasts.
I have used this recipe for years when I need to add cooked chicken to soups, enchiladas, all kinds of things–it’s a winner for sure! Key is to watch the temp and take it out at 165 degrees so it doesn’t dry out. Also key, as she says, is to let it rest. Thanks for this great recipe!
This recipe seems like it’s tasty. I want to try it tonight. I’m new to cooking (seriously), and the recipe doesn’t make this clear. should I cover the chicken while it cooks?
This is the best, most delicious baked chicken recipe I’ve ever tried. This will be my one and only recipe for baked chicken from here on out. I thought the bake time wouldn’t be long enough, but it was perfect.
This was every bit as good as promised. So juicy! I had read the comments so used only half as much salt in the brine–still a bit salty for my taste, but not bad. Only problem is that my chicken breasts were thicker than you advised the time for. I wound up having to bake at 425 for a full thirty minutes. But all worth it. Thank you
What they said!! The perfect recipe — Fast, easy and delicious. It is 15 degrees below zero tonight, so grilling chicken was out of the question. I followed this recipe exactly, and will probably never grill chicken again!
I found this recipe by searching for “juicy baked chicken breasts”. I wanted to find out what the tricks are for getting it just right so that I no longer end up with dry chicken!
Yesterday I tried it out and your method provided wonderful results! I did the brine in the fridge for 6 hours and followed all the steps exactly as written. I used melted butter, salt and pepper to season chicken. It was really nice how the melted butter stuck to the cold chicken. I typically use oil to coat chicken just to conserve on butter, but being that the butter sticks to the meat better, I might do that from now on.
I baked in my countertop convection oven at 450°, starting with 15 minutes and checked on the temp every 5 minutes afterward. The portions were pretty large, so it took closer to 25 minutes to get to 165° internal temp.
I rested the meat then used some of it for a cheesy rice casserole from amindfullmom.com. I used the juices from the chicken to add to the cheese sauce. My husband was snacking on pieces of chicken as I was cooking and we both thought it turned out great!
I’m so glad I finally learned how to cook chicken just right. I will most likely be back to this site when I want to know how to cook other meats. Thank you very much!
I usually make thighs or leg quarters (being a fan of dark meat) so at my husband’s request, this was my first time every making boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2, so I cut the recipe in half).
Delighted with the the outcome. Tender as promised. This recipe is a keeper!
I was surprised that a mere 15 minutes’ brining was enough, but it sure was. This recipe was a home run.
Expert cook! Easy, delicious and flavorful. —
Reply
I’m no amertur when it comes to cooking. In fact, I’m a great cook. I found this recipe to be easy but very flavorful. I thought this would come out dry and bland, but I was very wrong. I did add a little bit of garlic which made it even more flavorful! I am not sure why some reviewers found this to be salty but I suppose if you put too much in the brine and in the seasoning or don’t pat the chicken dry, then that could happen. Otherwise, great all around and perfect easy recipe.
Amazing! Brined for 45min and oh boy it makes a huge difference! Chicken turned soo juicy and perfectly seasoned all the way to thickest part of breast! Potato mash, roasted baby carrots, asparagus, onion and pepper. It was a 5 star dinner for us.
Ok hands down the. BEST way to cook chicken breast. DO NOT SKIP THE BRINING. Made a HUGE difference. I am eating it now with steam broccoli and mashed potatoes. I’m in heaven!!!!
Do I need to pound the chicken so that it cooks evenly?
Can I brine the chicken the day before?
Tried this recipe out the other day, let the chicken brine for 4 hours, it’s the Krispy Kreme of chicken, pulls apart easily, and the spice is out of this world. Now my go-to recipe, please keep them coming.
I am 66 years old and have never been satisfied with my baked chicken breasts until now. The brining, higher cook temperature and resting definitely made all the difference! We try to limit our sodium intake so I was a little worried about the brining but I rinsed them well and used salt-free seasonings and they were perfect. It will be fun to keep trying out different seasonings for this recipe.
Probably one of the most juicy chicken breasts I’ve ever made.My husband was happy which makes me happy!! Thank you for this recipe and I look forward to following for more recipes!
Made this for Christmas dinner and it was delicious!! I’ll be making it again!!
I make this recipe all the time. I don’t always remember to. Brian, the chicken, but it always comes out so soft and tender unless I leave it in the oven too long.. I usually use butter, salt and pepper and a couple other random spaces. But I usually do two organic chicken breast at 450
For 15-18 minutes depending on the thickness and then I let it sit for a while. serve it up with a little bit of coconut, white rice and a nice big salad
A++++++
This recipe made the quickest, moistest, tasty chicken breasts in less than an hour total. My sister-in-law just gifted me fresh paprika from her European trip this December. I will be brining my chicken more often.
Oh, and for the person who asked about filleting a large chicken breast, absolutely filet it and then pound it a little thinner.I used two large chicken breasts and the amount of seasoning/butter was perfect after filetting them.
Turned out great. Thanks!
Will a ceramic cast iron skillet work?
I have baked chicken breasts using this recipe three or four times now and I LOVE it! I have made chicken marsala,
lemon chicken with capers and asparagus, and chicken with caprese salad on top. I bake the chicken, make the sauces separately and add the baked chicken. Perfect every time! This will be perfect for dinner parties. THANK YOU for an amazing recipe. I do not use a handful of salt, just a teaspoon for three breasts.
I have used this recipe for years when I need to add cooked chicken to soups, enchiladas, all kinds of things–it’s a winner for sure! Key is to watch the temp and take it out at 165 degrees so it doesn’t dry out. Also key, as she says, is to let it rest. Thanks for this great recipe!
This is too easy to be this good. Found the salt level just right. Couldn’t stop eating it.
This recipe seems like it’s tasty. I want to try it tonight. I’m new to cooking (seriously), and the recipe doesn’t make this clear. should I cover the chicken while it cooks?
Do not cover and then there was a kitchen and
Your secret is brining? Everyone should know this. You can season chicken with a multitude of spices…good job 😋
I’m reading that olive oil and butter both have low smoke points, approximately 350 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a problem when baking at 450 degrees.
This recipe is perfect! I finally can make chicken breasts without drying them out.
Good. Simple. But there’s no way that cooking time is sufficient. Double it.
This is the best, most delicious baked chicken recipe I’ve ever tried. This will be my one and only recipe for baked chicken from here on out. I thought the bake time wouldn’t be long enough, but it was perfect.
Best juicy chicken I have ever made! Thank you so much! You are so awesome!!
This was every bit as good as promised. So juicy! I had read the comments so used only half as much salt in the brine–still a bit salty for my taste, but not bad. Only problem is that my chicken breasts were thicker than you advised the time for. I wound up having to bake at 425 for a full thirty minutes. But all worth it. Thank you
What they said!! The perfect recipe — Fast, easy and delicious. It is 15 degrees below zero tonight, so grilling chicken was out of the question. I followed this recipe exactly, and will probably never grill chicken again!
5 star! The best and juciest chicken breast recipe . I make this once a week !
What a difference when you brine the chicken!!! Amazing!!!!! My chicken has never been so juicy and tender!
I didn’t have time to brine-although I planned to, but the chicken was juicy and tasty! Thanks.
I found this recipe by searching for “juicy baked chicken breasts”. I wanted to find out what the tricks are for getting it just right so that I no longer end up with dry chicken!
Yesterday I tried it out and your method provided wonderful results! I did the brine in the fridge for 6 hours and followed all the steps exactly as written. I used melted butter, salt and pepper to season chicken. It was really nice how the melted butter stuck to the cold chicken. I typically use oil to coat chicken just to conserve on butter, but being that the butter sticks to the meat better, I might do that from now on.
I baked in my countertop convection oven at 450°, starting with 15 minutes and checked on the temp every 5 minutes afterward. The portions were pretty large, so it took closer to 25 minutes to get to 165° internal temp.
I rested the meat then used some of it for a cheesy rice casserole from amindfullmom.com. I used the juices from the chicken to add to the cheese sauce. My husband was snacking on pieces of chicken as I was cooking and we both thought it turned out great!
I’m so glad I finally learned how to cook chicken just right. I will most likely be back to this site when I want to know how to cook other meats. Thank you very much!
I usually make thighs or leg quarters (being a fan of dark meat) so at my husband’s request, this was my first time every making boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2, so I cut the recipe in half).
Delighted with the the outcome. Tender as promised. This recipe is a keeper!
I was surprised that a mere 15 minutes’ brining was enough, but it sure was. This recipe was a home run.
I’m no amertur when it comes to cooking. In fact, I’m a great cook. I found this recipe to be easy but very flavorful. I thought this would come out dry and bland, but I was very wrong. I did add a little bit of garlic which made it even more flavorful! I am not sure why some reviewers found this to be salty but I suppose if you put too much in the brine and in the seasoning or don’t pat the chicken dry, then that could happen. Otherwise, great all around and perfect easy recipe.
My new favorite way to cook boneless chicken breasts. They turn out perfectly tender every time! Thank you.
Amazing! Brined for 45min and oh boy it makes a huge difference! Chicken turned soo juicy and perfectly seasoned all the way to thickest part of breast! Potato mash, roasted baby carrots, asparagus, onion and pepper. It was a 5 star dinner for us.
What a game changer! This is my new go to for chicken breast. So flavorful and juicy!
Ok hands down the. BEST way to cook chicken breast. DO NOT SKIP THE BRINING. Made a HUGE difference. I am eating it now with steam broccoli and mashed potatoes. I’m in heaven!!!!