Gimme Some Oven

Baked Chicken Breasts

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My favorite oven baked chicken breasts recipe! It never fails me, thanks to this simple 5-step method that is easy to make and customize with your favorite seasonings.

Perfect Oven Baked Chicken Breast

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 (pictured below): which I have owned and used for years when cooking chicken, which retails for about $9.99 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), which retails for about $24.99 on Amazon.

How To Brine Chicken to make Baked Chicken Breasts

Baked Chicken Seasoning Recipe

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.

  1. Brine
  2. Brush
  3. Rub
  4. Roast
  5. 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. Plus, if you brine chicken in lukewarm water, it also helps bring the chicken to room temperature, which makes for more even cooking. Win-win!

To brine chicken, simply fill a big bowl with lukewarm (not hot) water. Stir in a handful of salt until it mostly dissolves. 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 that I bought on Amazon for $10, 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 then after 5-10 minutes, you can finally serve and enjoy your perfectly-cooked chicken breasts.

And enjoy every last bite. 

Oven Baked Chicken Breast Recipe

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:

How To Make Baked Chicken Breasts Recipe

How To Use/Serve Baked Chicken Breasts:

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:

How To Store Baked Chicken Breasts:

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.)

Perfectly Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Breast Recipe

Side Dish Recipe Ideas:

Looking for some side dishes to serve with this baked chicken recipe? Here are a few of my faves:

Baked Chicken Breast with Roasted Asparagus

More Baked Protein Tutorials:

Be sure to check out our tutorials for how to bake other meats, seafood and tofu too!

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Baked Chicken Breast Recipe

Baked Chicken Breasts

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 1304 reviews
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x

Description

Learn how to make juicy, tender, delicious baked chicken breasts with this simple 5-step method.


Ingredients

Scale

Instructions

  1. 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 bowl with 1 quart of warm water and 1/4 cup kosher salt. Stir to combine until most of the salt is absorbed. 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.
  2. Heat the oven. Preheat oven to 450°F.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.)
  5. 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.
  6. Serve. Serve warm and enjoy!


Notes

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.

How To Bake Chicken Breasts

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3,374 comments on “Baked Chicken Breasts”

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  1. What a great run down on one of my favorite quick meals. Normally I stick to just the rub then into the oven but I really like the idea of the brine.  I’ll definitely have to give this a try.  Thanks for sharing and I look forward to this delicious meal!

  2. This looks like a really great recipe to try for meal prep this week! My question is, how do you recommend reheating chicken? I always feel like it’s not as tasty the second time around. 
    Also, I really love enjoy this blog and proud it’s from Kansas City. Great job! #kcpride

    • Awesome! And good question — I reheat my chicken in the microwave with a glass container that has a microwave-safe lid I can rest on top. (And a good tip is to also go ahead and pre-cut the chicken into smaller slices, which will cook more quickly and not dry out as much.) You could also reheat the chicken by baking it in a 350 degree oven until warm, in a baking dish covered with aluminum foil.

      GO KC! :)

  3. I am on a low salt diet, what would be the sodium content be with brining the chicken ?

    • Hi Leslie, I’m really not sure, and since I don’t know how strict of a salt diet you’re on, it may be best to check with your doctor. However, I was able to find some good feedback from other folks, that you might be interested in: I definitely would check out Sodium Girl’s website! I hope this was helpful to you!

  4. NEVER thought to brine chicken! I’ve never brined anything, actually, but want to – so what a perfect way to get my feet wet. Can’t wait to try this – perhaps even this coming weekend. Grill every meal? Yes…

  5. Great idea. I used the thin cut chicken breasts and the finished product was a little too salty for my taste so will adjust accordingly next time.

  6. I have never brined anything before. Made this tonight and it was AMAZING! My husband and kids inhaled the chicken! Will definitely be making this again soon! 

  7. I made this recipe tonight and O.M.G – it was SO good! I’ve never been a huge fan of baked chicken breasts because mine always came out dry. Not these! Thank you for the great recipe!

  8. Whoops… I had no idea about the roasting method! I always went with 350° because, well, it’s the most common baking temp for desserts. And that’s always what my mind is thinking about. ;) I’m not so good with the resting part either — I get so hungry when I start to smell the chicken cooking! Definitely need to try those two tips this week!

  9. This is the FIRST time in my life I have made perfect chicken.  Thank you for posting this recipe! Everyone loves it.  

  10. This sounds and looks so good. I’m going to be trying it this week. I was also wondering would brining work with red meats as well to keep them tender and moist before pan cooking or grilling? Thank you so much for posting this.

    • Thanks, Ginger! You know, I’m really not sure. I haven’t ever brined red meat before, and if it’s something like steak, I don’t think it would really need it. Maybe pork chops though. You could certainly try it, but from what I’ve seen on the web, people don’t usually brine red meat, because it isn’t as prone to drying out like poultry is. If you try it, let me know how it turns out! : )

  11. So many good ideas! I think your photography is fabulous, by the way. I loved your post on how you handle your set up. I even went and bought a white foam core board the day after. Thanks so much for the inspiration! 

  12. Hi! I made your recipe twice this week!! I’ve never brined before and it was awesome! Thanks for sharing :) (my hubby and 2 year old thank you too!)

  13. Can you cook it on the stove instead of using the oven?

    • Hi Areli! You could cook these on the stove, but I think you’ll find this method works best, and yields the best results when they’re cooked in the oven.

  14. I just made this tonight. So yummy. This will be on regular rotation in my household. 
    I always brine my turkies, but had never thought of brining my chicken breasts. What a difference. 
    Started brining during kids’ homework and popped it in the oven a couple hours later. 
    Super yummy and super easy dinner. 
    I can’t wait to try your other recipes. 
    Thank you for sharing. 

  15. I’m a newlywed in search of something to make my chicken meals more interesting. This was perfect. Thank you! I’m going to practice this tonight!

  16. I can’t wait to try this! Would you recommended brinning bone in skin on chicken breasts like this?

    • Thanks, Ashley! I’ve got to say I haven’t tried this with bone-in chicken breasts, so I’m really not sure. You could try, but I would use boneless if you can, just to play it safe.

  17. I follow this same method but like to play around with toppings, olives, lemons,  assorted peppers (both hot and sweet) , the list is endless. 

  18. I’m definitely trying this recipe soon. I do have a question – any tips on reheating the chicken, like for lunch at work the next day, so that it’s not dried out? Thanks!

    • Thanks, April! And good question. We like this method, and find that it works pretty well!

  19. I always bake my chicken at 400 degrees for one hour regardless of what the recipe says. This will effectively exterminate any salmonella bacteria.

  20. What a great recipe. Followed it step by step. Brining made such a tremendous difference from any other baked chicken recipe that I’ve tried. Thanks so much Ali !!!

  21. These were awesome.  Juicy is not the word for it.  I had to cook mine for 18mins, but they were great.  Will use this again and again.
    thanks

  22. Wow!!!! I tried the recipe tonight and absolutely LOVED it!!  You can check out my #gimmesomeoven pic on Instagram.  Thanks for sharing this!! 

  23. I can’t wait to try  thus  recipe 

  24. I have to say I am so excited that I found this recipe and your info on the most simple of meals. I just made chicken breast last night and used your techniques and it was awesome!! Thank you!!

    • Reid, we’re so glad this recipe worked out for you, thanks for giving it a try!

  25. I’m not a very experienced cook and your steps made it simple enough for me to create this delicious dish without burning my house down. Thank you!! :)

  26. I have done chicken in the oven many different ways but this brine step I believe made this chicken the most tender and juicy ever ..the family loved it and the best part is using different seasonings will make it a completely different meal .. It was great !!

  27. Okay I really want to try this but worried the brining will make the chicken salty and then adding more salt will over do it…no?

    • The brine makes the chicken a LITTLE bit saltier, but I could hardly tell. If you’re concerned though, feel free to add less salt to the rub, and you could always sprinkle on salt after the chicken has cooked if you think it needs more.

  28. Thanks, Ali! My family loved this! My father couldn’t stop raving about how delicious it was! The brining really did the trick, which was amazing because I only kept the chicken in for about 15-20 minutes. I did throw a teaspoon of sugar and some fresh cracked pepper into the brine to more resemble my turkey brine, but not sure how much of a difference that made. We will definitely be making this again very soon. An easy solution for a quick weeknight meal! Thanks again!

    • You’re so welcome, Wendy! We’re so glad these were a hit with your dad! : )

  29. Amazing recipe.  Just tried it and my wife was amazed.  Now we have a new weekly meal.  Thank you… 

  30. This really WAS the best. I have been trying to make good chicken breasts for years. Tonight my family took their first bites, and looked surprised, before looking at me and saying “This is the best chicken you’ve made!

  31. Oh this was just great! I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong with my chicken breast but I promise this did the trick.

  32. My daughter is allergic to beef so we are always looking for taste chicken recipes. This one did it. She said this is the best chicken in the world. :)
    Thanks. We will make this many more times and try other seasonings. 

    • Thank you, Tasha, we’re so happy to hear that, what a sweet compliment from your daughter! : )

  33. I tried this recipe a couple weeks ago and it game out perfect. I even tried it without the brine and it came out good too (just not as good).

    Tonight, I was working late so my wife, who hates cooking, called me and asked what she could do with the chicken breasts I left in the fridge. I gave her this recipe from memory over the phone and told her to use one of the rubs we have in the pantry. I came home just as it was coming out of the oven and she loved it. She said “It’s so easy, even I can make it”!

    Thanks for sharing!

    • Stephen, that’s awesome, we’re so glad you and your wife liked it!

  34. What would the cooking time be for chicken tenderloins?  Any other changes in temperature or anything?  Thanks!

    • Hey Kate! We’re not sure on the exact time (haven’t tried the recipe with chicken tenderloins instead), but we think they miiiight not take quite as long to cook (since the chicken’s in smaller pieces.) We wouldn’t change the temperature though. Try setting the timer for 10-15 minutes less, and then check them with a meat thermometer. We hope that helps!

  35. My wife and I loved it. The only thing I would do is cut back on the salt.

  36. I don’t cook that often and have always had trouble making my chicken just right, but I made chicken using this recipe and it turned out absolutely amazing! Definitely always going to bake my chicken like this from now on.

    • That’s so great to hear, Reed! We’re happy you liked it, thanks for giving it a try!

  37. My First time brining. This chicken was very moist!  A great option for boneless skinless chicken breasts which can be dry. I liked the spice mixture too.  It does end up being a tad spicey, so if you really prefer low spice just cut back on the pepper and paprika. We thought it was perfect.  I did find it a bit too salty. Next time I will cut the salt in the spice mixture in half. A really nice receipe that I will definitely make again. One more thing. I think my chicken breasts were larger.  They took about 25 minutes to cook. Next time, I will cut them in half. 

  38. about how many calories per piece? With oil, not butter 

    • Hey Jamie, unfortunately we don’t know the calories in this. We find that a lot of the calorie calculators aren’t always accurate, so we aren’t posting nutrition facts at this time. However, a lot of our readers like using My Fitness Pal, so you could give that a try! We hope this helps, and that you enjoy the recipe!

  39. These are the fastest, tenderest, most flavorful boneless, skinless chicken breasts I have ever had. I can’t stop raving about them to everyone. My grandsons loved them and asked that I make them again. 

    • Thank you Gloria, that’s such a high compliment! We are happy to hear they were a hit with you and your grandsons!

  40. Can’t wait to try this recipe! I love the idea of freezing a big batch. I often use my crockpot for tender chicken, but it unfortunately loses that delicious outside “crust.” Thanks! 

  41. I use this recipe to make massive amounts of chicken breast.  Then I freeze the breasts 3 to a bag and use them for weeknight dinners!  Yuuumy!

    I had to bring a chicken salad for a work potluck last week and it was so easy when I had already cook the chicken.  Woo hoo! Thanks for this tasty recipe.

  42. This was the juiciest, most tender chicken I have ever had! By far the best I have ever made. What a great recipe! So easy!

  43. I made this exactly as stated and it came out fantastic. I made it in order to cut it up into pieces for later use in recipes, but I saved one breast for a meal tomorrow night because it tasted so good. It is perfectly juicy and flavorful, as expected. I used a professional thermometer, as I always do, and pulled it out at about 163 degrees. This was easy and fast, and I will be making this many times in the future. Also, the amount of butter and rub worked out very well for 2.4 lbs. of chicken.

    Another big thing about your brining recipe as that you called for kosher salt. I have brined before, but using table salt. If anyone uses table salt, be sure to thoroughly rinse the chicken after brining or you will end up with something that’s almost inedible. Stick with the kosher salt and pat it dry as stated in this recipe. If anyone is concerned about sodium levels, just rinse the chicken after brining with kosher salt. The main reason for brining is tenderizing, and your rub will provide you with all the flavor you need. Thanks so much for this great recipe!

    • Thank you Greg, we’re happy to hear it turned out so well for you and that you liked it! Also, thanks for sharing that info about the table salt and brining!

  44. Absolutely delicious! My new go to chicken breast recipe! Thank you so much for posting this!

  45. Can I use tin foil on the bottom of the pan for easy cleanup? Will that affect the outcome of the chicken? 

  46. ok. I’m a convert. Amazing!  Serv d with  a Greek yogurt, lemon, mustard, parsley sauce 

  47. Marvelous!!!  
    Thakyou

  48. So lucky I found this recipe today. I have a birthday lunch for a friend coming up. Definitely will make this wonderful recipe with a salad. Thanks!!

  49. This was the best chicken I’ve ever made.  Thank you!!

    • Thanks Polina, what an amazing compliment — we’re so happy you loved it!

  50. This is my new go-to recipe! I will never cook chicken any other way!  Tonight is my 4th time in 2 weeks to cook this.  I change up the seasoning each time.  Live this!  So glad I found it!  Thank you!